Week 3 - Confidence, Patience, and Questioning Everything

This week’s stretch was about sharing something we find oddly satisfying. The sort of things that calm your brain down without you really thinking about it.

Oddly Satisfying

Brave Brett

  • Winding up cables and cords.

Mechanical Mike (Me)

  • Taking things apart, cleaning every component, and putting everything back together.
  • Usually the best way to figure out how something is actually supposed to work.

Awesome Alan

  • That perfect moment when scissors glide through wrapping paper.

Random Ria

  • The feeling of moving those little gel balls around in a vase or jar.

Caring Colm

  • Floating in water.

Kamikaze Ken

  • Box breathing.
  • Tapping acupuncture points.

Vicious Vika

  • Playing with her nails (wash-board style).

Previous Games:

We revisited Zip Zap Zop and The Objects Game

The Objects Game is still teaching the same lesson: Once somebody creates reality, accept it.

New Activities:

Alphabet Scenes

Two people perform a scene.

One person gets: A, C, E, G, I, K, M, O, Q, S, U, W and Y

The other gets: B, D, F, H, J, L, N, P, R, T, V, X and Z

The goal is to have a conversation that:

  • follows the alphabet
  • responds logically to the previous line
  • still resembles something an actual person might say

Much harder than it sounds.

By the time you’re thinking about the next letter you’re already behind.

Trust The Silence

This one was harder than expected, I was given cues for when I was allowed to speak.

The challenge wasn’t talking… it was:

  • waiting
  • Listening
  • Reacting on someone elses timeline
  • Using facial expressions and body language

When the timing isn’t yours to control, you start noticing how much you normally rely on filling every gap.

There are no chosen pauses. Only patience.

The Questions Game

The only valid response is another question. Use a statement and you’re out!!!

The Common Question Types:

  • Who?
  • What?
  • Where?
  • Why?
  • How?
  • Is?
  • Are?
  • Did?
  • Does?

The game works surprisingly well, but It doesn’t take very long for it to become incredibly accusatory.

After a few minutes it starts sounding like an interrogation.

The Clingy Priest

A random adjective gets selected. A random occupation gets selected.

Then you become that character.

No excuses. No negotiations. Just commit.

The combinations are intentionally ridiculous.

I got:

Sexy Bartender

Not exactly playing to my strengths.

New Choice

During a scene somebody can interrupt and call:

New Choice!

Whatever was just said must be replaced with something different.

Then possibly something different again. And again.

The goal is to stop reaching for your first comfortable answer.

The Sales Person

Groups of three. A random product. Sell it to the audience.

Every person adds new features using the “Yes, And…” principle.

The product gradually evolves from a normal object into something completely absurd. Which somehow makes it easier to sell.

Techniques

High Status / Low Status

Establishing relationship dynamics immediately.

  • Who has authority?
  • Who doesn’t?
  • Who is confident?
  • Who is seeking approval?

The audience understands the relationship almost instantly.

Finding The Game

This was probably the most interesting concept this week.

When something works… Stay with it.

If the audience is responding to a particular dynamic, behaviour, misunderstanding or pattern…

Why leave it? There is no need to abandon the thing that is generating the laughs.

Find the game, then keep playing it.

Thoughts After Week Three

I’m starting to notice that improv isn’t really about being funny.

The comedy seems to be a side effect.

Most of the exercises are actually training:

  • listening
  • reacting
  • accepting ideas
  • committing to decisions
  • paying attention
  • being present

The funny part happens afterwards and the thing that surprised me a lot this week was Trust The Silence.

I expected the difficult part to be speaking, turns out the difficult part is waiting.