I've gathered some information for you on the subject of improvisation
(often called "improv"). This is a broad field which is part
entertainment and part self-improvement.
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You'll find a wealth of material on the website of the Applied
Improvisation Network. I'm posting some excerpts below; you may want
to browse around on the website if you have the time.
An interesting verbal game called "Ping Pong" for improv workshops:
"Ping Pong is a communication game, in which partners succeed by
establishing a rhythm together... One improvisational element here for
the trainer is to judge the moments to swap servers, swap partners and
keep the game moving. Ping Pong is very easy to learn and play, but
there's danger of boredom as the learning points are recognised. New
partners or a new variation of the game help keep it interesting.
Improvisational elements include the experience of making instant
choices - of partner and the sequence they elect to serve up. This
illustrates the Impro principle of Freedom Within Structure in a very
simple way. The structure at its most basic is the choice each server
makes between Ping and Pong, and the freedom to choose one or the
other. It?s amazing how some players get themselves tangled even
within such a simple improvisational framework."
Applied Improvisation Network: Ping Pong
http://www.appliedimprov.net/blog/archives/2005/03/ping_pong.php
Applied Improvisation Network: Improvise to Innovate
http://www.appliedimprov.net/blog/archives/2005/04/improvise_to_in.php
Applied Improvisation Network: Teamwork Through Team Play
http://www.appliedimprov.net/blog/archives/2005/04/teamwork_throug_1.php
Applied Improvisation Network: Improv Culture
http://www.appliedimprov.net/blog/archives/2005/03/improv_culture.php
A review of "Improv Wisdom," a new book that you may find interesting:
Applied Improvisation Network: Improv Wisdom
http://www.appliedimprov.net/blog/archives/2005/03/improv_wisdom_1.php
Here's a list of academic research on improv:
Applied Improvisation Network
http://www.appliedimprov.net/blog/archives/2005/04/academic_resear_1.php
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A nice list of improv exercises that are suitable for specific problems:
Staircase: Common Improv Problems
http://www.staircase.org/structures/problems.html
Here's a categorized list of many improvisation techniques and games:
Improv Encyclopedia: Improv Game, Handle or Exercise Categories
http://www.humanpingpongball.com/game_categories.html
A large collection of improv material from a group at The College of
William and Mary:
Brian David Phillips: Warm-Ups
http://phillips.personal.nccu.edu.tw/improv/warmups.html
Brian David Phillips: Improv Games
http://phillips.personal.nccu.edu.tw/improv/itgames.html
Brian David Phillips: Exercises
http://phillips.personal.nccu.edu.tw/improv/exercises.html
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A description of a "Cultural Improvisation Workshop":
"The workshop venue is theatre stage and training room at the same
time. The synergy of the improvisational and the cultural approach
leads to a new way of learning. The participants first act and
improvise and then reflect and discuss their experiences. How did they
feel? Was this experience linked to other situations in real life?
What were the personal benefits of the different activities? What
relevance does this have for intercultural encounters? What effects
does this have on the participants? intercultural competencies?
Experiential learning activities appeal to the participants? physical,
kinesthetic intelligence and result in intensive, accelerated
learning. Experiential learning also strengthens the brain by building
new pathways and increasing connections between previous experiences
in different areas. Activities usually begin in confusion, continue in
excitement, and end in elation. During the debriefing, the players
share a variety of insights. More than 50% of the workshop will be
spent ?on stage?. Participants will try out different role play
activities used in improvisation theatre."
Sietar Congress: Cultural Improvisation Workshop
http://www.sietarcongress2004.de/pdf-workshop/Br%C3%BCck%20KainzbauerNeubauer%20.pdf
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A good summation of the improv experience:
"In one way, improv can be though of as a type of theatre where the
actors come up with scenes and play games from suggestions taken by
the audience. These improvisers employ humor and drama to create
entertainment for the audience. One of the basic principles of this
type of improvisation is that the actor will not have time to think
and will use his/her whole mind, instead of just the conscious part.
The actor draws on an amazing amount of creativity that is usually
obscured. The more basic, less scripted this work is, the more the
effect is achieved. Audience and actors move together as a team to
create theatrical 'moments of truth'. Humor is by far the easiest way
to create these moments. Drama, however, should not be overlooked,
because the 'moment of truth' in drama is very rich and powerful. If
both audience and performers are into the improv moment, the
experience will easily parallel the association one has with an
exciting sporting game, a teary eyed movie, and a ROTFL comedian.
On another level, improv is a way of being. It is a method that allows
for creativity beyond the normal. It allows for confidence and real
emotion to become unblocked. For many improv players, improv is
therapy and knowledge... On an even higher level, improv is reverting
to childhood, to games, to no censors, to ancient behavior. What is it
like to clearly feel the emotions that mankind shares together?"
JE77's Improv Page: What is Improv?
http://home.cc.gatech.edu/je77/64
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An interesting article about the Workman Theatre Project, a
therapeutic improvisational group:
"For the current and former mental health patients who make up the
Workman Theatre Project, acting is a step toward healing?a way to take
control of their minds and bodies...
'I would connect improvisation in theatre with improvisation in life,'
says Dr. Steve Levine, a professor at York University who teaches
psychotherapy and the arts. 'We suffer when we have no room to move,
no free play in a restricted situation. Improvisation teaches us that
we can always find a solution, even when the situation itself doesn?t
seem to offer one.'
Levine says play naturally relaxes and frees people, providing a
healthy distance from problems. Through play, he teaches that, 'the
artist is moved to create as a way of responding to the world,'
performing spontaneous dialogue, gestures and scenes, which in turn
affect how others will receive and react to the information.
For instance, in a game called 'Finish the sentence' WTP members are
instructed to complete their partner?s statement, an exercise that
tests both listening skills and creativity. What they concoct is a
little bit of both...
'Improvisation is about playing the game,' says Levine. 'expanding a
tight existence and conditioned lifestyle by letting go of
preconceptions.' To the members of WTP, improv is more than 12 steps
to becoming sober or 12 steps to becoming famous: They learn real life
skills through improvisational theatre."
This Magazine: This Isn't Summer Stock
http://www.thismagazine.ca/issues/2004/07/summerstock.php
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My Google search strategy:
Google Web Search: improvisation OR improv psychodrama
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=improvisation+OR+improv+psychodrama
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I hope this is helpful! Please let me know if I may assist you further.
Best regards,
pinkfreud |
