I always recommend to troupes getting started to put together a bible for their team. This is a great way to see what commonalities you and your fellow ensemble members have in regards to what you like in improv. This also helps a director because they can start to see what kind of team the improvisors want to be and what they really want to focus on.
These are the two questions I usually ask an improvisor when a team is just starting:
1. What do you like in improv? (Meaning the support, the listening, the ensemble, community etc.)
2. What do you like that troupes do in improv shows? (Meaning seamless transitions, no edits, team that just has fun etc.)
Once it is put all together you all have a shared language and it will start giving you hints on what kind of form you want to create or do. Basically giving you the building blocks to your troupe.
Once I get all these answers from the improvisors, I start to put it together highlighting the most common things they share, for instance a team I coach now their common things are:
Creative Transitions
Character work
Patience
Callbacks
Space/object work
Make each other laugh
This helps the improvisors and the coach. It helps the improvisors because they are now sharing a language on what they want to focus on in their shows and the form that they will eventually make. As a coach it helps because you can now hold them responsible for all of this and guide them to their goals and form. So go out and give it a try, if anything it will help you organize your thoughts as an ensemble. If you end up working with this let me know I’d love to hear if it helped.
Nick Armstrong
Nick is Camp Director and Founder of Improv Utopia an improv retreat for grown ups in California and Pennsylvania. He is also one of the founding members of the National Improv Network and performer and teacher at iO West. We are always looking for better ways to serve the community. Drop us a line and let us know what you want! To e-mail nick e-mail nick@nationalimprovnetwork.com. For more information visit: http://www.nickarmstrong.com or http://www.improvutopia.com
