Opposite Choices

Make an opposite choice in your scene. Make a choice that seems opposite of what you think you should make. Too many improvisers go for the "appropriate" choice, or the choice that they think will be appropriately funny. If you're given used car lot as a suggestion, it is expected that you might immediately try selling a car to your partner on stage. Most improvisers go there. It's expected and appropriate and seems like it has potential for some laughs. Problem is, it's typical. Imagine how refreshing it might be to have these two characters as coworkers at a used car lot bitching about their girlfriends. No buying or selling, we would expect that. By making this unexpected choice we automatically create something as more exciting. We already and immediately bring it to the less mundane, and more theatrical, choice.

Now what does that do to your head? It puts you in a wonderful world of discovery, as opposed to playing out the all too familiar usedcar negotiation scene. Even though the audience gave you the suggestion of used car lot, hoping that you would go in to the buying/selling premise because that's how they associate the comedy as well, it's not true that that is where the greater comedy lies. By making that opposite choice for them, you immediately surprise them.

If you've seen a few husband-and-wife scenes, think about how many of the characters argue in those scenes. That's pretty ordinary. Now imagine how delightful and surprising it might be to see a hus­band and wife do a scene about how much they love each other, or how silly they are. When you make this quality of choice, you're put­ting yourself in unfamiliar territory. As that may be a little scary, it's also more exciting: for you, for your scene partner, and for your audience. It also shows up smarter. You're a step ahead of the audi­ence if they subconsciously or even consciously predict a choice on your part, and you completely surprise them with something other. It gives you a little instant credibility and probably a better founda­tion for a funnier, richer, more surprising scene.

The same thing also applies to character choices. All too often improvisers bring out the same old typical expected character choices. Pirates that say "Arggh," priests in confessionals, and gay men who are effeminate are common character choices. If you are given the suggestion of accountant, try not to immediately go to a tax session. It would be surprising and delightful to see this accountant at an ice cream truck, then filter accountant things through the pur­chase of an ice cream cone.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-08