While natural talent can get you started, it’s not the end-all, be-all.
Any skill will take time, effort, practice, and patience. The great thing is that improv is tons of fun and you can get plenty of practice with just about anyone – even if you’re the only performer there!
1. Be studious in day-to-day life.
Just because you’re working improv where everything is subject to change doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have regular characters. Having a rotating cast of characters you can choose from can help you understand what your character might like or dislike in any given situation, how their personality would handle it, and even what sort of job they have and how it might relate to a situation.
When you’re able to channel a specific character, you won’t have to worry about your character, responses, or answers seeming unsuitable or too far-fetched.
A lot of beginners make the mistake of copying a celebrity. This isn’t highly advisable. Instead, if this is your preferred method, choose a celebrity you like and create a different character around them.
Studying those around you and how they act and interact is a great way to work up character profiles.
2. Work where you can hone your skills.
When you start out, you likely won’t be earning a ton of money with your improv acting. That’s why it’s important to take a job that will help you hone your skills while you pay the bills!
- Bartending is a great way to practice using your facial expressions to convey your message, practice your stage presence, and practice speaking clearly and being heard – without yelling and putting off your ‘audience’. It’s also a great way to practice a little exaggeration for humor effect with one-time or rarely-there customers.
- Teaching is another great way to practice your skills – in particular, public speaking, dealing with stage fright, and having to think on your feet. While little kids may give you more practice when it comes to keeping you on your toes, teaching adults can help you overcome the feeling of being judged, and maybe practice a little humor, too.
- Salespeople are basically improv actors, right? Whether you do sales over the phone or in person, being able to interact with your potential customers and pitching a product to them in a way that makes them want to buy are great for getting your improv chops up.
- Theme park actors get plenty of improv opportunities. Whether you’re acting in the Christmas walk-through or haunting a Halloween scene, this is a great opportunity to interact with an audience, test out ideas, and maybe even get a little feedback! (The feedback being, of course, whether they laugh, scream, or blow you off.)
3. Take the focus off ‘funny’.
One of the worst mistakes a newbie can make is to try too hard to get the crowd laughing. If you come across as desperate for laughs, the jokes just won’t land. Don’t chase after your audience’s approval.
Letting the scene, good times, and funny moments unfold naturally will lead to bigger, more satisfying laughs. It also helps you practice other important improv skills – like keeping on your toes and going with the flow!
4. Keep track of relationships, places, and events.
Perhaps nothing is more embarrassing on-stage than forgetting some crucial part of the story. And while this could put the audience off, and definitely throw your partner for a loop, you may want to incorporate it into your character. (Maybe your character has multi-personality disorder or a 5-second memory?) While this might get you out of a tough bit during a funny skit, you don’t want to go through this with a more serious skit.
5. Be flexible and willing to adjust.
This is one of the pivotal parts of improv. Finding creative solutions and angles to whatever your improv partner throws at you will keep things fresh and fun. You don’t have to love your partner’s acting chops, scene, or character – but you do have to have a good time with them and make them look good.
Going with the flow means that you won’t be caught up in trying to change your ‘surroundings’, which can lead to hard feelings from your partner and confusion from the audience.
There is a reason that improv can be summed up with “Yes, and…?” It’s to help you keep in mind that you should always go with your partner’s premise and add to it, rather than stubbornly persist on your own idea.
Amanda is a theatre producer. Being passionate with arts, she also does stage designs and writing. Together with her friend Bailey, they own a theatre production company in which produces a lot of performances and tours.