EXiT 185 Improv Comedy

Humor can be sarcastic, a little angry, smug, etc.

Sometimes that is fun to both play and watch. However, I think “using a little joy” can also be rewarding and fun to watch.

I first heard “use a little joy” during a Phoenix Improv Festival workshop in 2008 with T.J. Jagodowski who is a well known improviser out of Chicago.  You may know him best as the guy on the left when you watch those Sonic Commercials (Pete Grosz is the guy on the right, he is an improvisor  and a writer on the Colbert Report).

T.J. Jagodowski and Pete Grosz

It was a very small note that he gave the class but it seemed to hold a lot of weight.

“Use a little joy” seems kind of simple but sometimes we get caught up in our own selfishness; our own space where we are really wanting to direct our ideas or lead the scene.

I see that with players who can’t play low status or rarely chose to play low status.

What a great a place to explore low status and vulnerability then on a stage with people who you hopefully trust.  Sometimes not knowing can be joyous.  We don’t know everything in life so what makes us assume we should know everything in improv?

Perhaps it’s the misconception that we must assume we know everything to really agree with our scene partner.  You are not denying your scene partner if your character doesn’t know that “Madonna was married to Sean Penn”.

Whether you are playing straight or absurd, you can be unaware. If you find yourself playing high status or dominating the stage more often than not, use a little joy, try it and then buy a Sonic Burrito to celebrate.

Nov102009

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