Improv initiations: when to start big and when to stay grounded

About this episode

This episode discusses the use of emotion in improv scenes and explores when to start with high emotional intensity versus staying grounded.

Emotion connects you to your scene partner, your character, and the audience. It gives a scene depth and grabs attention fast. And if you use it at the top of a scene, it can set the whole thing up in seconds. In this episode I talk about using emotion as part of your base reality. Most scenes start grounded, and that's usually what we're taught. But sometimes breaking that rule and starting at a full level 10 emotional reaction to something completely mundane creates something you remember for years. I also get into alexithymia, which affects about 10% of the population, and what it means for improvisers who have difficulty processing or&nb…

People in this episode

Host: Jen deHaan

Topics covered

• improv
• emotion
• scene initiation
• base reality
• alexithymia
• performance techniques

Keywords

• improv
• emotion
• scene partner
• alexithymia
• performance
• exercises
• initiation

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