A Horrifying Example, Science Fictionally Speaking...

PART 5 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes
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Let's take a look at a movie example - Act 1, the set up. I'll dissect one movie here but this can be done for pretty much any movie you have seen or will see. One great things about movies - you can be certain that anything and everything you see or is revealed in Act 1 is important and integral to the story in some way or other. Nothing is wasted. Everything you see in every frame has a purpose. The entire set is built and decorated only with stuff relevant to the story. Why? Because there's no time to waste and no point in paying for something on the set that isn't integrally important. Okay, let's take a look at one of my favorite action and sci-fi movies, "Alien." This list is not exhaustive, but look at all the details that are revealed in Act 1.

Response to Comment on Revelation Revealed

In a comment on post: Revelation Revealed

Mark wrote:

So what should you do when your scene partner says something or makes an offer that introduces conflict too soon, without blocking or invalidating what they've said or done?

I have several thoughts, so I thought I'd just make the comment another post.

Mark - what you do is tell your partner, in fact, yell at them from the top of your lungs "STFU! Didn't you read Dave Russell's blog?"

Okay, don't then. My best advice is don't try to force anything. Be patient, be nice and still love your fellow improviser. Remember, these dynamics I'm talking about and introducing in this blog series are rampant among improvisers. You'll see it most among younger, less mature improvisers for the reasons you have illuminated - fear mostly. But you'll still see me doing it from time to time and I have a self-professed displeasure with such things. Plus, I've been improvising for 105 years, and it still happens.

Here are 4 useful tips to help you over this hump:

Reveling in Revealing

PART 4 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes
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Okay let's get into the nitty gritty. Reveal, reveal, reveal. That's what we're talking about here. Hang on because I'm about to combine 2 or more metaphors and illustrations. First, I want you to think of the most delicious bowl of stew you've ever tasted. Yummy yummy with lots of good things all mixed together for a tasty and savory sensation of a meal. Hearty, robust and fills the kitchen (and whole house where I live) with wonderful and tantalizing aromas. Then when you eat it - how satisfying and delicious. Consider your improv scene in the same way. Now imagine if you take a pot and put it on the stove, add some beef broth, bring it to a boil, simmer it for an hour - and serve it. I know, your mouth is watering just thinking about it, right?

Well, suppose you added maybe a bay leaf. Nobody wants just beef broth. Sound tasty yet? In a sense, that's what a lot of improv scenes can be like. We start with such limited ingredients - when you bring it to a boil, there's only so much that can yield from such a mixture.

Is it food? Technically, yes. Is it something we'll savor and enjoy? Probably not that much. But when you add herbs, spices, vegetables, and some meat - and let it all cook together - oh, what a feast you'll create.

Contrasting Improv Ideologies?

PART 3.5 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes
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I'm marking this post as 3.5 because I feel the desire to slide it in at this point, although it is not the intended succession of the original flow.

I wanted to speak about a talk my wife Morgan and I had regarding improv in general and this "method" of training in particular.

Morgan and I taught an improv workshop this past weekend and later she said to me "you know, I think we have different philosophies on teaching improv." On further discussion, I might say she's right - and that's okay! Even better was the realization that I think we are both in agreement on our philosophy of the performance of improv.

Her comment stemmed from my forwarding of the very "method" or "process" I am discussing in this series. I think she prefers a more organic approach to the instruction process, where the 2 improvisers are putting their concentration on each other and the unfolding relationship between them.

I'm actually in agreement with that philosophy - especially in performance, but I did have to reflect a little in my head about the statement because she's right - I don't really teach that.

Revelation Revealed

PART 3 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes
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Let's discuss revelation. In the Bible, revelation comes at the end. Actually, I would submit that it is a chapter of the new beginning. Genesis is what I'm talking about here. That's the Act 1 of the Bible Story. What I'm talking about is the set up of the story, the building of the story foundation. Stories told well are full of reveals, strategically crafted so the story has all the power it deserves. Most of the reveals are right there in Act 1, during the story set up.

That's what I would like to see improvisers do as they build a scene. Consider this initial portion of the scene or story as a sequence of "reveals" that will help tell the story.

Let me start with a little insider information straight from Hollywood and some simple math.

I'm sure everyone is aware of the Hollywood "formula" for blockbuster movie making. Please keep in mind this will be a little over-simplified but will help set the tone for our purposes here.

I like the comparison and connection with the Hollywood blockbuster movie for improv because we are talking about a highly active and visual form of storytelling, especially when we are talking about action movies. If you've heard me talk about the "science" of improv and improv scene building, you've heard me refer to the start of an improv scene as two improvisers standing on a stage with nothing. It's not actually nothing, though. I restate that they stand there with nothing but potential. There is great potential for something wonderful to happen from this apparent "nothing." It just seems like nothing to the outside eye. The goal of the improvisers is to get to something actional, or kinetic. We want to convert this potential energy to kinetic energy, and thus move the scene forward. Because the audience has nothing to see, hear or experience from the stage or scene except what the improvisers offer, it is incumbent on the improvisers to provide that. In a stage play, you have the help of sets, costumes and other special effects that have all been planned and organized to help tell the story for the audience. In improv there are no such luxuries. That is one reason we must create as much action as possible, to bring the scene or story to life for the audience. That's why pantomime is so important in improv - improvisers need to create the environment for the audience as best they can to make the scenic experience as real as possible.

RV and the 3-Act Structure

PART 2 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes
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A quick review of the 3-act structure for storytelling, first credited to ancient philosopher and playwright Aristotle. 

According to Aristotle, who authored “The Poetics” circa 350 B.C., all stories follow a simple three -act structure: 

 Act I, also known as the beginning, also known as the set up. 

Act II – also known as the middle, where the hero or protagonist experiences obstacles, triumphs, setbacks, ups and downs on the way to the climactic moment and ultimately to victory, and…

Act III – also known as the resolution, also known as the end.

The RV Method of Scene Building

PART 1 of the Series: ReV up Your Improv Scenes

After experiencing thousands of improv scenes, I often come away with (or am distracted by) the sense that the improvisers didn’t get all they could out of the scene. Many times it is manifest in the fact that the scene never really gets going to begin with. Other times the scene loses momentum along the way. 

The following multi-part series will explore some of these dynamics, but more importantly will offer an exciting and easy to employ set of strategies and techniques that can quickly get your improv scenes underway in a hurry and help play them out to exciting, fun and satisfying conclusions.

First, a little backstory to set the stage. I have an associate who has a very wild and fun seasonal tradition I have coined the “conflagration celebration.” If you’re someone like me who likes setting stuff on fire and watching it burn, you’ll appreciate this.

Each year in early January he invites several friends and their friends to his lakeside “fish camp” for a post-holiday party. They are all invited to bring their recently de-decorated Christmas trees.
Everyone throws their contribution into a big pile by the lake and the host sets them on fire just after sunset. As you can imagine, these trees that have been cut weeks ago and have since been drying in someone’s living room aided by the slow and consistent heat of a thousand lights will provide a glorious blaze for all to admire. That is certainly true and those trees never disappoint. The popping, crackling and spitting is always a wonder to behold. But after the first year, my friend had to make some modifications in his set up and delivery of excitement. The trees were so wonderfully dry that they did indeed blaze up immediately, but the excitement was over almost in an instant with little or nothing to follow. It did not make for an experience that would last through the night’s festivities.

To Question or Not To Question That is the Question. Isn't it?

Questions Are Bad in improv, Right?

Yes. I mean no. I mean, what’s the question? By that, I mean it depends. What’s the question? I spend a great deal of time encouraging improvisers to avoid questions. Why do I do that? - It’s a sure way to get some specific information from your scene partner into the scene, isn't it? That is true. The problem is, too many times the scene partner doesn’t do that – offer specific information. Three things can happen when you ask a question: 1. You might get a specific answer. 2. You might get a nothing answer, where no new information is revealed – a neutral or passive answer. 3. You might get a question as the response. With your question you have a greater than 60% chance that no new or specific information will be revealed. In actuality, choice number one is not in my experience played one third of the time as it should, so statistically there is more than 60% chance no new information will be revealed.

If, however, you avoid a question and make a statement, which reveals new information, there is 100% chance that new information will have been revealed. That’s a much better ratio. It guarantees that the scene will move forward from that moment rather decreasing that chance to 20% or 30%.
My point is, why ask a question that requires (or hopes) that new or specific information will be revealed when you can be the one to reveal new or specific information?

The one exception in my mind is if the question in part reveals new or specific information. As an example – "What are you doing?" Is an open ended question that leaves the scene stalled from progression until the scene partner fills in the blank and makes a specific choice. “What are you doing with that can of dog food?” – has offered some specificity to the scene and now allows the scene partner to fill in more information. This in my opinion is the ideal because it relies on and benefits from both participants while building and discovering and revealing the information that will help this scene move forward.

Living in Denial

I often get into a discussion with improv students over denial in scenes. The conversation (argument?) usually circles around to "I'm creating conflict!" Conflict is all well and good for the improviser but I like to encourage improvisers that to create conflict does not mean that you take the opposite side, view or perspective at the first opportunity while building a scene. That will just lead to an argument and rarely lends itself to building. "Let's build something before we knock it down," I coach. Isn't it more fun and interesting to knock down a sand castle after the turrets, drawbridge, moat and keep have been built than just after the foundation has been smoothed out?

I am, however, a fan of denial in scenes. Does that sound contradictory? Of course. (Unfortunately, improv is full of contradictions). Let me explain what I mean. I believe there are two distinct levels of potential denial at work and I think it is important for the improviser to know this distinction and to be able to work it to their benefit.  I believe it is possible to deny the accusation or premise a fellow improviser sets up while accepting the underlying truth or reality of the premise or accusation. For example, if the offer from one improviser is an accusation such as "You drink too much," it is fine for the other improviser to insist "I do NOT," so long as the other improviser accepts the underlying premise that they drink too much. This can be further developed as the scene progresses in how the second improviser acts and speaks. Perhaps the second improvisers insists further - "you always make such infuriating accusations! I need a drink!" Or better yet, the second improviser pantomimes making a stiff one while saying so, followed by "can I get you something?"

Denial is part of the fabric of life and the human condition. So we play that. It is not, however, a part of the fabric of improvisation (in its true 'yes, and' form).

Let your character deny, but let the improviser take it on!

Quantum Improv Back in Session

A new session of Quantum Improv begins this weekend, October 23rd at SAK Comedy Lab. Looking forward to moving forward with Quantum Improv and the Quantum Vision. The class filled to capacity in just 2 hours - very exciting. As the class start approaches I realize I feel like a little kid going back to an old toy box as I feverishly try to remember where I put all the pieces and materials for the Laws of Motion demonstration.

My handy visual aid (I'm now recalling in the 11th hour) takes a good bit of time to set up - and I'm still looking for ways to streamline the process and the demo so it can pack up easier as well as travel more easily. I can't wait to get back into it. I'll be doing a more condensed version this time around to make sure we get done with the class well before the Christmas holiday rush of things begins. This will be a 6 week course.

Positive - Negative Charge

Last post I discussed the inhibitor/promoter pair. I want to extend the discussion on that to talk about energy. Remember, one of the foundations of Quantum Improv is that we look to move forward in our scenes. When we move forward, we have a positive energy. When we move the other way, we have negative energy. Notice, however, how these energy exchanges work in our natural world. If we have a sufficient positive force or energy, we are moving forward. If the next energy introduced is a negative energy, then we move backward, right? Not at all. First the forward momentum from the initial positive energy introduced must be diminished - down to nothing before we will be going in reverse.

Ever try reversing the direction of your ceiling fan? When you hit reverse, it doesn't just automatically go backwards, even though the energy introduced is completely reversed. I've put the machine in reverse, but it still moves forward, albeit slower - and slower - and slower, until it stops, then slowly starts in the other direction until it is going the other way with as much momentum as it was moving originally.

We've experienced a transfer of energy, from positive to negative, from forward to backward.

Now let's look at how this can relate to an improv scene. Setting our common language, we are looking to build something together, between two improvisers let's say, and we are looking for our scene to move forward. We are looking for positive energies to be built on positive energies in order to move our scene forward. For the purposes of this discussion, positive means that which moves the scene forward, negative inhibits forward movement.

Here is an annoyingly general statement. I believe most improvisers are too quick to introduce negative energies into their scenes. I do not champion the idea that there should never be any negative energy in a scene. Obviously you can't have conflict if you don't offer some negative energy. Conflict, obstacles, trials, challenges - these are the things drama is made of and we must have them if we desire to tell a story. I'll go more into detail regarding that idea in future posts.

So I'm not against offers that add conflict. I do feel however, that many improvisers think that simply taking the opposite view will be the best road to desired conflict. Another quick play is the opposing perspective, or the challenge to the offered perspective. Although I think this style of interplay definitely has its place, I think it is too often used prematurely. When used prematurely, the desired effect is lost - that is, moving the scene forward. Let me go back to the energy transfer model to explain why and how this might be happening.

Two improvisers Carl and Sarah are building a scene. Carl makes an offer (positive energy). Sarah immediately challenges (questions) Carl's perspective. The trouble with this is there was not enough positive energy built up before the negative energy was introduced. There was minimal momentum developed from the positive momentum. What will happen is the positive energy will be quickly diminished and the pair will find themselves stalled with no forward progress. What they will have to do is start again with some sort of positive energy. If Sarah makes a new offer and Carl immediately takes a conflicting viewpoint, we're in the same place once again - going nowhere. Too many starts and stops like this will not have a positive effect on your audience - or your playing together dynamic.

This is why I advocate more positive energies built on one another, especially at the top of the scene. How many scenes have you seen or been in that you would feel just didn't get the momentum built? You gotta get those fan blades going first, then when you add a negative force or energy, you won't stop your forward movement - now you're creating drama, now you're creating art.

And once you get those fan blades going using your promoters, you can weather an inhibitor or two. But we must keep a watchful eye and mind of the overall energy. Too many inhibitors can grind us to a halt. In fact, since we're looking to move forward, we should be mindful that our inhibitors don't slow us down too much. When we do this and do it correctly, you will see that your "conflict" offers and responses actually have the impact of moving the scene forward, making it more exciting and impactful, and not just stalling it.

How can this be, you might be asking. Isn't that the negative energy you're talking about? Well, technically it is, but we're using it as a tool for our benefit, to make the scene ebb and flow, transferring between positive and negative energies - with the constant that there are not too many inhibitors piled on or pressing too heavily on the forward motion.

Look at professional golfers, who have taken the science of inhibiting energies in their natural world and used them to their benefit. Tennis players use this dynamic too. They call it backspin. A backspin is the ball or object rotating in reverse - backward - negative energy. Fortunately there is a strong enough force moving the ball forward at a velocity that the backspin seems to have zero effect. But when the ball hits the ground, the value of that inhibiting force is realized. It helps the golfer from suffering the natural result of all the forward momentum he has forced on the ball. When it lands it doesn't just stay in forward motion with nothing to stop it. It hits and the inhibiting energy takes over, now able to overcome the original velocity. This effort gently moves the ball from past the hole more slowly towards it. A much more controlled approach than hitting before the hole and continuing to roll towards it at what will amount to a speed that is too high.

Inhibitors & Promoters

When improvisers begin classes - especially at SAK, but surely anywhere you might take classes, one of the first lessons is the classic "NO Blocking." Its compliment is "Yes, or yes, and."

This is the classic and foundational inhibitor-promoter pair in improv. Many weeks are spent on developing the yes mentality. But generally we start with the "No Blocking."

Something that begins in us very early in life develops this blocking mechanism. I used to think that as children we are free of this and that as we progress through life the pressures and demands of the world and the people around us squish and squeeze the yes freedom out of us.

But when I had kids I realized how early quickly and easily the "no" factor becomes apparent. It seems to be ingrained in us somehow. A core human condition. I believe it is a survival instinct based on fear.

I have observed that there are two basic reasons people give the no so quickly and both relate to a loss of control and generally involve feelings of safety and security.

It seems the no is either a play for power or a play for safety - a survival instinct. The survival instinct is the most common. I'm afraid I won't know where it will go so it is better (safer) to stay put. Many times we even think we are willing to adventure, but the no comes very quickly and very definitively. There is also a lack of confidence that if I let it go somewhere (without dying or getting hurt) that I will have the wherewithal to get out of it or get on to the next thing.

The problem is we end up doing nothing, or vacillating back and forth between doing nothing and almost doing something, but then actually doing nothing.

The power play is actually two-fold, one being equally fear-based. That is the notion that I don't trust where you might go with it, or that it will be fun or fruitful, it is better for me to send us forward.

The problem is we end up doing nothing, because in improv you can't have just one partner making all the moving forward choices. It has to be a partnership between two people. Partner. Partnering. (See the key word?) Unfortunately some think there is partnership in follow me, I know exactly what to do, but there is not.

The other, more unfortunate part of the power play is still fear based, but not survival fear based. I don't want to follow your stuff. I want to follow my stuff. I don't want you to get accolades, I want to get the accolades, the glory, the credit. This selfish motivation is still fear based at its root because it says I won't (or can't) survive if I don't get the glory.

The problem is we end up doing nothing, or we do something but it is very stilted and one-sided, and doesn't look like co-creation (because it's not).

The first thing an improviser needs to learn to do is let go. Relinquish control. Stop blocking. (Isn't it ironic that to progress in improv we have to block the instinct to block?)

Once an improviser learns to do this, the skill will develop into an ability to do amazingly more than they every dreamed, and in fact far more of what they want in the first place.

Herein is described the improv inhibitor of the highest magnitude. An improviser who is able to minimize this inhibitor has made a major breakthrough. The Master improviser, however, will learn to minimize many other inhibitors. What are those inhibitors? Undoubtedly you can think of several yourself. Others will be discussed in future posts. But we won't just focus on inhibitors, although minimizing them will clear a great path for improv success - we will also look at promoters. Skills and techniques that will super charge the improviser and arm them with awesome tools ready to help them advance to the next levels of creativity and improv prowess.

As always your questions and comments are highly encouraged.

Newton's First Law of Motion

Here's the bulk of science behind Quantum Improv. The idea is that improv scenes - starting them, building them, and playing them out mirror the energy transfer of objects in motion in our universe. By looking at that scientific model, not only can we build a wonderful language and vocabulary which we can use to describe and analyze our improv scenes, but we can also see how energy transfer as discovered and studied in our real or natural world mirrors very similar dymanics at work in an improv scene.

This is especially true and relevant for improv scenes that desire to build stories that progress and move forward. For a physical demonstration of Newton's First Law of Motion, check out the accompanying video.
Why Newton's First Law of Motion? And what exactly is that one? As mentioned in the previous post, Newton's First Law of Motion states or suggests that a body at rest will stay at rest until some force puts it in motion. Conversely, or in addition to that idea, is the notion that an object in motion will stay in motion until a force acts upon it to stop it.

As we look at objects in motion, we see that there are many forces that are able to stop the object from its forward progression, once a force has put it in motion. Some of these are natural forces in our universe which we cannot control. The two most prominent and familiar to us are gravity and friction. But there are many other things that can stop, impede, hinder or inhibit forward progression.

This is a great lesson for our improv work. If our scene is the "object" we desire to be in motion, "motion" for us means a scene moving forward, progressing, building.

There are things we can do which inhibit the forward progression of our scenes - our most common and familiar is "blocking." There are also things we can do in our improv work to promote forward progression or movement in our scenes. The one we all know so well is "Yes!" followed closely by "...and."

The scientific logic behind Quantum Improv suggests that we can reach the greatest potential in our scenes (and as improvisers), converting that potential energy to kinetic energy (action, progression, etc.) by minimizing those choices that inhibit forward progression in our scene.

[Blocking is only one such inhibitor. More will be discussed in subsequent posts]

If we did only that, logic suggests our scenes would build and progress faster and more efficiently. If we add to that practices that maximize the promotion of forward progress we can do so even faster and even more efficiently.

Quantum Improv does both of these things to empower an individual to transform into an extremely dynamic and successful improviser. Not only one that engages the audience and brings pleasure to an improv performance, but one who other improvisers will kill to work with. An improviser who not only gives, but one who grabs - not the attention, but the potential. An active, exciting, dynamic, playful and imaginative improviser, never at a loss for ideas, connections and creative imagery, masterfully weaving in and around stories. Wouldn't it be great to improvise with that kind of gusto and confidence all the time? That is what is meant by Quantum Improv - using the science of Quantum Mechanics for Improv Success!

More Quantum Background

We are in the second term of the Quantum Improv workshop. There is some great work being done and some great learning, not just for the students, but for me as well. Last post describes what exactly is meant by Quantum Improv and its connection with science (and physics) thus, the Quantum in Quantum Improv.

To give a little more background on what Quantum Improv is all about, I will describe further a scientific theory that is at the heart of Quantum Improv.

Much of this work began to fester in my head several years ago, while considering and analyzing what makes improv work - and more importantly what makes it work well.

I kept hearing a phrase in my head - "nothing but potential..." From motivational speakers we hear all sorts of encouragements to reach your maximum potential, or highest potential yield. I remember hearing the phrase in movies - "that kid's got nothing but potential." It made me think of the improv scene. That too starts with nothing but potential. I then remembered a high school science lesson about the transfer of energy from potential energy to kinetic energy.


Again my mind was drawn to the improv scene. This is our ideal of the improv scene - something that goes from potential to kinetic. As we progress our scene, we strive to find action (something that moves, in other words kinesis, or kinetic) in the scene. We make offers - something happens. We say yes to the offers - something else happens. If nothing happens the scene is boring. If something happens, it is interesting and again ideally, exciting. If not exciting in content, exciting in how the improvisers worked together successfully to build something out of nothing.

In my next post I will discuss a scientific model that wonderfully parallels what we are trying to do in improv scenes. This scientific model is base on Newton's First Law of Motion which basically states "A body at rest stays at rest until a force puts it in motion," and the other side of that natural law, which posits "A body in motion will stay in motion until some force stops it." This is a scientific parallel to the basic improv 'rules' "Yes, and..." and "No Blocking."

I'll explain more next time...

What is Quantum Improv?

Quantum Improv suggests we can become better improvisers by studying some of the smallest elements at work in an improv scene. These boil down to the choices improvisers make. It is true and I agree with the opinion that if you get too technical you lose some of the spontaneity of the work and that's what it's all about, isn't it? There are no rules. If you make hard and fast rules that improvisers are supposed to follow they will not be "in the moment," as an improviser should.

I'm not sure I totally agree. I believe it is like learning and playing a sport. There are techniques and skills that are learned, relearned and drilled every day, even during seasons of performance.

Everyone agrees that the beginning improviser needs to learn to build with their fellow improviser. We call this the yes, and rule. We teach beginning improvisers how to open up their spontaneous minds so the creativity can flow, and then how to say yes.

But I see 4, 5, even 6 year or more veteran improvisers struggling on a stage to build a scene with their partner(s), to keep a scene going, and to move a scene towards a conclusion - let alone be interesting and/or entertaining enough for themselves and especially for an audience.


Quantum Improv concentrates on developing skills and techniques the improviser can use to do all of those things, starting from some of the most basic and simple building blocks of scene work.

This blog will be a place to generate and develop theories and practices that can help this happen for the improviser. I will use it as a forum to introduce techniques for better improv, discuss and comment on topics I see and hear in the improv community, and whenever the energy hits to rant and rail about this or that choice I see improvisers make and habits they form.

The first several posts will introduce a scientific model as a foundation for the work to be discussed and developed in Quantum Improv. This model will not only serve as an analogy for the work to be done, but it will also suggest some correlation between natural laws in our world and their effects on objects in our world, and natural laws of energy in improv that shape not only the work accomplished (the outcome) but the work set forth (the beginning).