Some Assembly Required - Workshop - January 22, 2003



1. Introductions

	- Brief history
	- Ideals of improv
		i.   Supportive
		ii.  Co-operative
		iii. Make each other look great!
		iv.  Stress-relief
		v.   Fun!
	- Two truths and a lie
	- Connections
	

2. Breathing, stretching, moment of meditation
	- Expel worries of the day
	- Focus on the workshop
	- Summon energy, creativity, trust
	- Relaxation 

3. Warmups
	- What are we doing?
	- Big Booty
	- Jaques a Dit
	- Yes - Walk
	- Fruit Basket
	- Transformation
        - Bippety-bippety-bop


3. Basic stagecraft

	Review stage positions
	
		- Upstage
		- Downstage
		- Stage left, right
		- Cheat out
		- Crossing behind
		- Distribution


4. Principles of improv
	- Make offers, accept everything, Be positive
	- Define blocking
	- Demonstrate
	- Couple rounds of blocked offers
	- Emphasize that this is generally a bad thing
        

		i.   Yes-And
		ii.  Blind offers (P. 170 Ulitmate Improv)
		iii. Physical Positions (p.119 Improv Starters)
		iv.  Ask vs. Tell
		v.   Surprise gift
                vi.  Blocking

		
5. Tell, don't ask, make logical connections
	- Exercises
		i. Transform the object
			1. Stand in circle, each will hand an object 
                        to the next.  
			Recipient will identify what the object is, 
			manipulate it, then hand it to the next person.  
			Next person will accept, but the object will have 
			changed so something physically similar
		ii.  Establishing the environment
                iii. Open offer
                iv.  Yes-And

6.  Don't pre-plan

          Two headed expert
          Speak in one voice 
          Rhyming couplets

7. Basic Improv Games
	- Laundry List
		i. Three players, get a setting, allow scene to start, 
		then rattle off random words which must be incorporated by 
                one player
	- Freeze Tag
		i.  Voluntary - Allow each player to call freeze on their own
		ii. Involuntary - Anyone can call freeze, then name another
                    player
	- Superheroes
		i. Four players
		ii. First gets a superhero name, and a problem
		iii. Each player enters, given a name by previous 
		player and must behave according to given attribute
	- Lines
		i. Emphasize that each line is an offer which must be accepted
		ii. Go with instincts, and play big!
	- Puppets
		i.   Two players, two puppeteers
		ii.  Describe interaction betweeen puppets/puppeteers
		
	- Sit/Stand/Bend
		i.   Distribution game
		ii.  Important to observe other players, while still carrying  
                     scene
                     forward

	- Dating game

        - Good, bad, ugly advice

        - World's worst