This Next Step is ReVolting

~ PART 10 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes ~

We’ve spent a lot of time going over just the first phase of the RV method – the ReVeal, but remember as I said in earlier posts, this is the most important phase. It sets the groundwork and the foundation, which allows the scene plenty of fuel, ready to power it into and through the Act II of the improv scene, on its way to the climactic moment. I’ve offered some great tools, skills and techniques that can help you get your scene set up successfully. Now your story and your stage has a good deal of substance to it and is ready to progress to the next phase. Now is time to really get in to the excitement and conflict of the scene or story.

But wait! (Don’t you just hate that? Things are ready to launch forward and someone yells – wait! As an improv director I see this a lot. Why are the actors so reticent and hesitant to get in to the most interesting and compelling and exciting part of this experience?) Well, after that parenthetical diatribe, I’m embarrassed and ashamed not to take my own advice, but I must digress just momentarily for a very important announcement: ReVolt! (at least my digression is an exciting word).

At this point in a story or scene we need something actional that will launch us in to our Act II.

Styles of Reveals - ABE (Good heavens, another acronym?)

~ PART 9 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes ~

To wrap up this topic, let's talk about different styles of revelations at your disposal. Again, another acronym if you're a person who needs those kinds of mnemonic devices - ABE. Your offering can be the revealing, introduction, description or endowment of an Attribute, a Behavior, or an Event.

For example as a Confession - or revealing something about yourself, it could be that you have a broken arm, that you suffer from indigestion, or that you're no longer a virgin (Attribute). As a behavior, you might reveal that you smoke, or can't say "no," or you're addicted to love. Or perhaps you reveal information about an event. You've just eloped with your girlfriend, the feds are after you, the rain has stopped.

I want to offer examples for each version of the matrix, so you can see that the possibilities are truly endless. But you can hopefully and easily see that with all these possibilities at your disposal. You can trust that when the time comes for something new to happen or be revealed, your creative brain will quickly and easily serve you. All you really have to do is be open to whatever instinct or spontaneous creative idea that comes to you.

The CAD Method

~ PART 8 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes ~

Now let's open the spigot even more. Let's talk about the kinds or types of ideas or choices at your disposal. The CAD method is an acronym for Confession, Accusation, Discovery. When unsure of what to offer the scene at the point where you organically feel that "something" needs to happen to further the story or the scene, you can inspire yourself with this tool. It's time to reveal something to the scene - among the many choices you can add or declare - something about yourself (Confession), something about your scene partner (Accusation), or something about the environment or your immediate vicinity (Discovery).

Continuing with Image Trickle Down

~ PART 7 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes ~

As promised, let’s get to the details of the tools described in the previous post.

Image Trickle Down is a simple method of going one or two steps down the association track to further define or refine the visual. If asked "what image do you see?" and the answer is "a fireplace," a number of progressive questions could be asked and answered.
Now, the initial image of "fireplace" might be more than enough to go on, and the improviser could now incorporate (reveal) a fireplace into the scene. Sometimes the initial image is not so defined or is quite large - a parking garage. That's simply an image that came into my head at that moment. If our scene is just starting - perhaps that's where the scene might take place. But if I desired to go a little deeper for an image, I would just ask - "what do you see in the garage?"
Again, I guarantee there will be a follow up image or visual from this. It can be anything - I see a car (or truck, or elevator, or painted lines, or someone dropping their car keys, or I hear a car alarm).

How To ReVeal

~ PART 6 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes ~

Now, a post (or several) on the topic of adding "stuff" or reveals to the scene. The exercises I will suggest are only necessary to get you out of a "stuck" place. For example, if you're in a place where you feel "my mind is a blank," or "I can't think of anything," these will be techniques you can employ immediately with successful results all but guaranteed, or your money back.

Some coaches and teachers may take offense at the inorganic-ness of these suggestions, to which I would reply: if you've got something else that works better - use it. If offering even greater focus on your partner and your partner's character gets you results, do it. If doubling down the commitment to your character gets you out of your jam or stuck place, you're in the pink. I think at heart I prefer the organic route even myself. But I see a lot of scenes where solely focusing on your scene partner(s) or super-committing doesn't inspire performance-worthy results and is frankly just -- boring.