by Eric Artell | Apr 29, 2022 | Basics, Skills
Tina Fey Rocks! Tina Fey is one of the most accomplished comediennes of our generation (SNL, 30 Rock, etc). Many of us actors may look at what she’s accomplished and think, “I WISH I could be as funny/witty/creative as she is.” But Tinay Fey...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Apr 15, 2022 | Basics, Improv, Skills
It’s spring. A time of birth and renewal. And Easter. For many, a time of re-birth. Improvising is Creating I’m fascinated by the idea that every time we improvise as actors, we are creating. Not just creating a little moment or a little scene, but we are tapping...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Apr 7, 2022 | Basics, Improv, Shows, Skills
5 Things Chris Rock Teaches Us About Improvising through an Unexpected Moment The Oscars 2022. Will Smith slaps the host Chris Rock in an unplanned and unprecedented moment that left everyone flabbergasted. Yet Chris Rock teaches us quite a bit about getting through...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Apr 1, 2022 | Basics, Improv, Skills, Storytelling
11 Improv Tips from a Galaxy Far, Far Away… Continued This is Part 2 of some of my favorite moments of Darth Vader stepping into his true Improvisational Storytelling power. Read Part 1 here. So let’s Hyperjump to the 2nd half of our list. The sixth principle...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Mar 24, 2022 | Basics, Improv, Skills, Storytelling
11 Improv Tips from a Galaxy Far, Far Away… Darth Vader was a master tactician, lightsaber duelist, Sith Lord, and according to Obiwan Kenobi, a master of evil. But reading a little between the lines, we can see Darth Vader’s true mastery and creative contribution to...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Mar 18, 2022 | Basics, Exercise, Improv, Skills, Storytelling
How do you get better at something? Practice. (more on this in an upcoming post!) Our Become an Improv Wizard Online Improv Course, our Improv Power Courses, and improv Play-Along Practice Packs are designed to help you practice more on your own, because practice is...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Mar 9, 2022 | Improv, Skills, Storytelling
Simple question: How do you make good improv scenes? How do you raise the stakes and drama in your improv scenes? (And don’t forget, drama applies to comedy as well) How do you make good scenes that aren’t just made up of actors ‘Yes Anding’ each other in a boring...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Mar 3, 2022 | Exercise, Improv, Skills, Storytelling
So you’re on stage with your scene partner. People are watching. You’ve started an improv scene and things don’t seem to be going anywhere. What do you do next? Or… Maybe you want to tell your friend a story of something amazing that just happened to...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Feb 16, 2022 | Basics, Improv, Skills, Storytelling
We talked in our last article about how “Yes And” does not make great scenes. It’s an essential part of the process that facilitates storytelling, but does not create good storytelling. So let’s talk about one of my favorite ways to add good...
by Lincoln Hoppe | Feb 16, 2022 | Basics, Improv, Skills, Storytelling
‘Yes And’ Does NOT Make Great Improv Scenes What?! Is this improv blasphemy? Everyone says ‘Yes and’ is so important to improv. Spoiler alert, it is. But here’s the key: ‘yes and’ by itself does NOT make great scenes. ‘Yes and’ puts you in a place where can make great...
