Anyone who has regularly read any of my posts, from posts in the Acting Lounge to my shenanigans in my Introduce Yourself Weekend posts, would no doubt have learned that I am an improv guy. I've been doing improv as a part of a group in one iteration or another since 1994, and I have no intention of ceasing any time soon. I love it!
When I teach improv (as I have to teenagers, young adults, working stunt performers, etc.), I always have to instill my ground rules (which is just good improv). These include:
1. Yes, and you...
2. No denial, no conflict
3. Don't try to be funny
This last one is a difficult one to wrap your head around at times. And I learned it the hard way: by doing. When I first started doing improv, I could do no right. I KNEW I was funny -- clearly the audience had NO idea what they were doing. What I later learned was that I was pushing the joke, instead of playing the scene. This was my first "breakthrough moment" in improv -- I had a show where I could do no wrong. Everything landed the way it was supposed to. I was on fire. It was pointed out to me that it was because I wasn't TRYING to be funny. Instead, I was playing the scene, and the funny naturally happened.
Because if you TRY to be funny, then you won't be funny.
I've gone on and on before about the benefits of improv when it comes to acting, technique, etc. And, as many of you have probably figured out, when you're performing in a TV show, movie, play, whatever...the basic improv notion of "don't try to be..." is extremely relevant.
Now, there are some acting techniques whereby they say something like, "Don't ACT angry, BE angry." Sure, that might be a part of the implication here. And, if that technique works for you, then that's great! I'm going to go a bit more broad, though.
If you make an acting choice, go all in. Don't dip your toe in the water; dive right in. Go all in! You'll give a much more interesting performance than if you tentatively approach the role. Don't TRY to play the part. DO it.
And take an improv course. Seriously.
