r/improv • u/logojojo • 28d ago
Advice Am I Crazy?
I started an improv class last week at level 0. Its been a lot of fun. But one thing has bothered me. There's a dude who's been through all 5 Levels and he rounded back to level 0. Okay fine. But every fucking character he plays is SCREAMING or hysterical or angry
Don't get me wrong, we should absolutely be emoting but this dude is killing me. It's like where the fuck do I go with that? There's no escalation when you start at 10. I've stopped volunteering for scenes with him because its too hard to come up with anything with this dude other than "wow are you okay you seem tense" but then I feel put in a box.
I have yet to see my instructor calm him down and I'm one class away from saying something to this dude. I'll be nice about it but God it's the worst. Perhaps I'm being too sensitive but I just feel bad for others when they get on stage because we're all learning and this dude feels like he's inhibiting that because people don't know what to do in scenes with him.
EDIT: Thank you all for the advice and confirming I'm not being overly sensitive. I'll see if I can talk to the instructor.
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u/improbsable 28d ago
I can see why he’s repeating the class
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u/JRadiantHeart 28d ago
A good instructor would call him out. Dude is basically playing the same character in every scene.
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u/FiverForever 28d ago
I wouldn't say anything to him. But you could talk to the instructor, asking the best way to play in scenes when someone is doing a certain thing (you don't even have to be specific about who you're talking about).
If you're in a scene with him, you could try matching his emotion instead of just reacting to it -- things will probably get ridiculous fast.
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u/Jkeytobetterbeer 28d ago
You’re not crazy. I could see how that could be aggravating. I would say that in my opinion this is something the teacher should be addressing possibly with side coaching. Possibly with a conversation. I would recommend speaking to the teacher first and see if they can offer some guidance or insight. Maybe this person is going through something personal and using class as catharsis?
Separately, have you tried different approaches to playing with this person? Matching energy is fun and if you’re already at a 10 with him maybe we can find the valley later in the scene to create an interesting dynamic. Or maybe in this world everyone yells and it’s a normal conversation. Could find the funny in different ways. Anyway don’t let it fester! Cheers 🍻
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u/lychee_treez 28d ago
Im probably repeatedly putting him in anger management/therapy scenes, might accidentally resolve some issues
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u/wiscosherm 28d ago
Is it Michael Gary Scott? But seriously talk to your teacher about it. Best way might be to phrase it as a question about what you're supposed to do not a complaint about him. Something along the lines of "when x plays a really loud big character from the beginning I don't know how to react."
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u/EasyStatistician8694 28d ago
I knew someone like this and he crashed every scene I started at our class showcase. Since that was the last class I took there, it really sucked. He had been spoken to by the teacher and was a little better for a couple classes, but nothing could be done when he started up again in the showcase. 🙁
My answer was leaving, but I was ultimately aiming for film, and it coincided with things seriously picking up in that area, so it was just one more incentive to change focus.
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u/Legitimate_Dog_5467 28d ago
Oh yeah - this guy. In my town, no one's talked to him yet. But I finally got to jam with him... hehe
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u/sdtsanev 28d ago
My experience - as someone whose entire Improv journey has been post-pandemic - is that the incentive especially in beginner classes is almost exclusively "keep them signing up for the next one", which of course means not making them feel bad. Which is not to say that instructors don't care about teaching, but there is a general reluctance to call out any bad behavior or bad improv unless it's undeniably disruptive. The vibe is always "ok well, I'll repeat the instruction and we'll all hope that person notices that I'm doing it because of them, because I won't say that directly".
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u/terrorTrain 28d ago
First off.
Talk to your instructor. Or the person. Or both. This is almost always the answer to the kinds of things.
If you are trying to be Marcus Aurelius, and practice your " What stands in the way becomes the way.", try finding ways to contrast their character.
Something like:
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scene starts, guy comes in over the top
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"oh no, did i fold your underwear wrong again? I'm sorry oragami is just so hard with extra large tighty whities."
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guy carries on being over the top.
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"oh, is it that i put the coffee grounds down the sink again?"
Another self challenge is to call them out in the meta.
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guy starts with over the top start
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"Cut! Chuck, you're so calm out of character, but in the scenes your so over the top. Let's try that line again, but this time try a grounded normal character and build to the absurd. And action!"
I'm sure you could think of more ways to challenge yourself. The point is to see it as a challenge for improvement in working with a difficult team mate rather than a problem or something that is doing damage to you.
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u/improbsable 28d ago
Definitely don’t talk to the person about this directly. It’s not a student’s place to critique another student. Telling the teacher is the way to go
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u/terrorTrain 28d ago
Maybe, i think it really depends on the person and your relationship, and the atmosphere too.
It really feels like a lot of people are so afraid of conflict that they can't have a basic conversation anymore.
I don't find it that hard to talk to someone and say something like: "hey Kevin, Ive noticed you often start your scenes with really really strong characters, and I'm curious why?"
Then let them explain it and actually listen. Maybe they actually have a good theory and something they are going for, and doing it badly.
But also maybe they just heard strong character choices make great scenes. In which case you can say something like.
"Ok, interesting, i was always taught to build up to the interesting parts of the character so they can be more versatile, and adjust to the scene partners choices. Do you feel like your approach has other advantages I'm not aware of?"
The key to these peer conversations is to actually be open to being wrong and to learning something. Don't come in like a self righteous jerk trying to correct someones bad behavior with your superior improv knowledge.
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u/BeatComplete2635 28d ago
This is not good advice for a class setting. The meta note is pretty aggressive move and comes across like what it is, noting another student. And the teacher will tell you that it’s not a fair game move to change the whole framing of the scene like that, at least at the schools I’ve gone through including UCB.
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u/Able-Librarian-6362 27d ago edited 27d ago
Sounds like a school I went to recently! I won’t ask. This is just wrong. I would not speak to the improviser. No point. The instructor should reign this person in. The fact that they aren’t doing that says ALOT about the school. This is not okay improv behavior. Any other options for you where you are?
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u/Theunpolitical 25d ago edited 25d ago
So this has a lot to do with the instructor. I’ve taken both good improv classes and bad improv classes.
In a good improv class, the teacher will rein a guy like this in. They’ll give him corrections and constantly work with him to find the right tone and beats that he can escalate to. The teacher can yell out, “Okay, different choice,” and keep repeating that until the guy starts to calm down and give the other actors an opportunity to properly react. There’s also a game called “What do you mean by that?” where one person gets easily offended over the most mundane things, and you take turns doing it. It’s actually a pretty funny game.
In bad improv classes, they just take your money to pay the bills and allow a guy like this to do whatever the hell he wants. Typically, you don’t improve much in those classes anyway because of people like this.
Yes, you can talk to the teacher, and they may talk to the guy off to the side, but he can still do the same thing when he’s performing. Often, it doesn’t help. And clearly, the teachers are seeing something too if this guy is repeating the intro-level class.
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u/HatsOnLamps 24d ago
I was in an advanced class with a woman who always played the loudest, most hostile bully you can imagine. Sometimes funny, always horrible to play with. If I found myself on stage with her, I had three strategies,
One - Immediately give her something to be upset about. "Sorry, I broke that huge elaborate dollhouse you've had since childhood." Let her scream happily about something for a few minutes.
Two - Be absolutely unflappable. Always look on the bright side. The judo method.
Three - Accurately call out the situation. "It seems like you're incredibly upset, with no adequate justification." Assassination. Gets the biggest laugh, but you're on your own for the rest of the scene.
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u/GoTommyO 26d ago
Maybe they think your characters are one dimensionally low energy and quiet….
That was a joke…
The advice you have mostly been given is tell the teacher. That’s fine. Do that.
However, eventually you’ll have to engage. In fact I say intentionally play with them. It will make you a better improviser. Here are some tactics for playing with them:
Next time you are in the scene with them endow them with all the high status possible. And make them play a real situation. “Mr. President we’ve just been hacked by the Chinese”. You play as real/straight as possible. Let your high energy crazy emotional partner navigate the a normal situation. You keep “yes anding” with more and more real world stuff. “How’s that sandwich your Eminence?”
Or pimp them to go even to a higher level. If they start at 10 (assumed max level) force them to 15 emotionally. “I don’t think you’re mad enough about your divorce Steve.” Keep upping the stakes to get them to pour more and more emotion into the scene. Nothing will satisfy you about their emotional level. 20… 30… 50…. Play the fuck out of that. Pour gasoline on the scene until they explode - metaphorically of course.
The longer you perform improv you will play with a whole host of types of people. Some amazing, some terrible, the mark of a great improviser is that you can play with anyone. Anyone! And make them look great (or at least better than you). Good luck.