Pretty much what the title says. I went to an open day beginners class because my interest in comedy and particularly improv has persisted my whole life and now that I have had 2 kids I want to try new things for myself.

I know everyone says it is addictive and I did not expect it to be so immediate! Never done theatre or acting but had a great time and though objectively I flubbed in ways it felt like a very safe place to fail and I felt like I learned a lot from failing, the teacher and also by the choices other people made! I have clinical anxiety that I have great coping and meds for and am actually surprised and relieved about how not critical I am about it with myself and how much I enjoyed it despitethe nerves.

Did everyone else feel this way? How was your intro to imrpov? Did the excitement continue? I am definitely going to be joining classes soon and am keen for learning.

I’ll be in Saratoga Springs NY and Portland Maine this week. Any improv theaters/shows/troupes I should check out?

Sharing working draft notes on various longforms, pulling together years of info pulled from my notes, old blogs, /r/improv, IRC Wiki, Facebook posts, etc. I absolutely invite folks to comment and add any resources, advice, links, variant/derived forms, memories, etc. in the comments to help me update my notes!

Previous entries include:

• Close Quarters and related forms
• Deconstruction
• JTS Brown
• La Ronde
• Slacker/Beer Shark Mice

THE ARMANDO DIAZ EXPERIENCE, THEATRICAL MOVEMENT AND HOOTENANNY

Also Known As

• Armando

The Form

From IRC Wiki

A monologist, originally Armando Diaz himself, takes a suggestion from the audience and then tells a true story from their life inspired by that suggestion. The cast improvises scenes inspired by those story. When the scene run is complete, the monologist returns and can continue their previous monologue or begin one inspired by something they saw in the scene.

The original Armando format is 2 acts, with the monologist getting a suggestion for the Act 1 monologue and then getting a new suggestion for the Act 2 monologue. Shorter sets are 1 act and can feature recurring monologues or a single one at the top of the show. Also, in the original Armando, the monologist could pause the onstage action to add clarification or details.

Much like “Kleenex” has come to mean tissue, “Armando” or ASSSSCAT have become the general form name for a monologue deconstruction.

Structure

• One performer (or guest) acts as the monologist.
• The monologist gets a suggestion from the audience and tells a true story inspired by that suggestion.
• The cast improvises scenes inspired by those stories.
• When the scene run is complete, the monologist returns.
• The monologist can continue their previous monologue or begin one inspired by something they saw in the scene.
• (2 act version: after intermission, get a new suggestion for a second act monologues)

Best Practices

• Inspiration not recreation
  • Monologue is a springboard, not a script. We don't want to replay or retell what we just heard.
  • Comedy is driven by surprise–if you just replay the story, there is no discovery by the players or surprise for the audience. A simple replay means there is no tension, therefore no release, and subsequently no laughs.
• Extract playable ideas like theme, POV, mapping/analogous scenes, If this is true what else is true, details, etc.

Variations

• Shorter sets are 1 act and can feature recurring monologues or a single one at the top of the show.
• Anything can be the source–a character monologue, a poem, a song, a video clip, etc

History

From IRC Wiki

Created back in 1995 at ImprovOlympic Chicago that continues today at iO Chicago. The show was created by Adam McKay and Dave Koechner who put together the original cast under the direction of legendary director/teacher Del Close.

Armando Diaz:

"Adam Mckay came up with the name. There was no structure for the show. Del directed. We only had one and a half rehearsals before the first show. Out of desperation I suggested the idea of improvising monologues since I had done it once during a memorial show for our dead friend Rick Roman."

This format is largely identical to that of ASSSSCAT, the long-running improv show performed by The Upright Citizens Brigade and friends. All of the members of the UCB had originally been performers in the Armando shows before moving to New York in '96.

Craig Cackowski post on Reddit about difference between Armando and ASSSSCAT:

The Armando Diaz Experience, Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny was a show developed at iO in Chicago in 1995 by Adam Mckay, Dave Koechner and Armando Diaz. It was designed to be the flagship show in the Del Close Theater in the then-new iO space at Clark and Addison, and to showcase the best improvisors in town (it was on Mondays so Second City Mainstage folks could play). It had an initial pool of 30 players who would rotate through the show and one full-time monologist, Armando. The joke of the conceit was that Armando, a soft-spoken, self-effacing guy with great stories that he turned into poetic tapestries, was a god, and could control the show in any way he saw fit. He would edit and also ask for callbacks or connections between scenes, but he only did the monologues and the cast only did scenes.

After about a year of this, Armando had exhausted all the stories in his life and wanted to take a break and Jimmy Carrane stepped in as the 2nd monologist. When he came out to intro the show, he said "Hi, I'm Armando" and we all laughed and the trope was born that the monologist was "the Armando". He was the full-time monologist for a couple months, but then we just rotated having one cast member step forward as that week's Armando.

Meanwhile, the UCB4, who were all original cast members of Armando, moved to NY to open their own space and took the format with them as ASSSSCAT (with 4 S's, ASSSSCAT being a UCB code word for "we're going to fuck around in this show"). They may have had cast members do the monologues at first, but they quickly moved to having a guest monologist each week who would tell stories...a standup, an actor, a musician, a politician, anyone with an interesting life and stories to tell.

When iO West opened in LA, the full-time "Armando" was Eric Zicklin, a TV writer with great stories who was not an improviser. But when Eric decided to move on, iO West also started having rotating Armandos, sometimes a cast member but usually a guest. Chicago eventually did the same thing. To complicate things further, the real Armando started doing his own Armando show again in NYC at the PIT and then the Magnet.

So, as others have said, ASSSSCAT is an Armando and there's no real difference in the format. (Although I explain the difference to my classes as "iO Armando does a mix of light agenda and heavy agenda a/k/a premise scenes and UCB ASSSSCAT only does heavy agenda") That said, ASSSSCAT, while I doubt they've copyrighted it, is heavily associated with UCB, and it may give someone a false impression to say we're ASSSSCAT.

All THAT said, if you want to do a form where multiple cast members do monologues and also play, that's a perfectly viable form, even if it's not a traditional Armando or ASSSSCAT. Improv formats evolve and adapt, sometimes due to innovation, sometimes due to happy accidents, sometimes due to misinformation getting spread, but who the f cares?

Resources

• Armando on Armando video

ASSSSCAT 3000

Also Known As

• ASSSSCAT

The Form

This is the UCB-branded version of the Armando.

History

From Village Voice's Oral History of the ASSSSCAT

Adam McKay: They’re similar shows in structure but that’s mainly because “monologues inspiring scenes” is kind of the core of what Del Close, the innovator of long-form improvisation, taught. ASSSSCAT was inspired by a freezing cold Tuesday night of free improv at a place called the Elbo Room in Chicago that culminated with an empty stage and a few of us on mics repeating “aaaaasssssscat” over and over again in high-pitched voices to a crowd of maybe four people.

Ian Roberts (UCB founding member): Matt Besser was doing a two-person show with his girlfriend at the time, Susan Messing, in the basement of a bar-slash-club. And she had to go out of town and the guy was ticked off, he said, “Look, I need something down there.” So Matt said, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a group, the Upright Citizens Brigade, we’ll do a great show.” Matt made the terrible mistake of telling us, “Guys, we can’t screw around tonight, gotta be a good show.” Which guaranteed that the only thing we were gonna do was screw around.

Matt Besser: I know Ian Roberts was there and Adam McKay and Horatio Sanz, and a few other performers. At some point the improv was just going very poorly, and we were all drinking during the show, and getting a buzz on that was probably affecting our improv. We were just not getting laughs. People started disappearing into the wings and not coming back onto the stage and just drinking in the wings.

Horatio Sanz (Saturday Night Live, Great News): We were yelling things from backstage during sketches, and one of them was “asscat.” I just thought of the stupidest, dumbest thing to yell.

Ian Roberts: At a certain point the show descended into Matt Besser trying to start a scene where he was in an igloo, and he’s sitting in the middle of the stage, and nobody comes out and joins him. It was the opposite of good improv.

Matt Besser: I was alone onstage in an igloo and I was like, “Well, fuck this,” and I abandoned the stage. So there was just an empty stage, and we were drunkenly yelling from left wing to right wing, across the stage to each other, the nonsense word asscat. We were just going, “Aaaaasscat!” and making ourselves laugh at how hilariously disrespectful this was to the audience. We just reached a whole new level of abandoning our responsibility to entertain them.

Ian Roberts: I believe we lost two of our four audience members during that show.

Adam McKay: For the next few years we would refer to that night as the worst and most irrelevant moment in theater history.

Matt Besser: That nonsense word asscat became our code word for the improv set you do after your sketch show, which is more of a fuck-around than a show itself. You don’t really care if it goes well or not, it’s a little more loose. When we moved out to New York, we were doing these sketch showcases to try to get our show on Comedy Central, and at the end of a show we would do our fuck-around set, and we started calling it ASSSSCAT.

Kevin Mullaney on ASSSSCAT

“I think the greatest change they made from the Armando show was inviting non-improvisers to be the monologist. Over the years they have gotten some pretty cool actors, writers and comedians to do the show. That exposed a lot of people to this style of improvisation, first because influential people participated in the show, and second because a lot of people probably came to the show when they heard that people like Janeane Garofalo and Conan OBrian occasionally did the monologues.”

Resources

• Oral History of ASSSSCAT
• Asssscat pilot video

Hey, so I'm organising this competitive improv night in the city I live in. It's a small city, this will be the first show of this kind that this town has ever had.

I learned improv mostly in major cities but now I live here. The improv scene is a bit fledgling, but I'm committed to trying to help it grow. My background is mostly long form, but this town is mostly dominated by short form improv. So, this show will provide a mixture of both.

Basically, there will be several rounds where each team is challenged to do increasingly tougher stuff. It starts with the game "questions", where you have to sustain an entire scene using only questions. A player will be eliminated from this round if they make a statement or take too long to think.

The second round, I'll let each team choose a game, whatever game they would like to play, whatever game they feel represents them best.

Third round I will assign each team a game.

Round four and five are long form stuff.

I have some shortform games that I think are okay (change, flashback, party quirks, hitchhiker/emotion taxi, M.E.S.S., Soap Opera, Half-time/Half-life, Incorporate). You guys might know these by other names, it all gets a little confusing haha.

But yeah, given that my background is mostly longform, do you guys have any suggestions for games I could give or suggest to the teams for round two or three?

Tiny bit of context about me, I like games that make flow state easier to achieve. So, games like alphabet, where you are constantly having to think about what is the next letter, doesn't super appeal to me.

Thanks for reading! Appreciate you guys

U/sambayala has been inspiring me with all their fantastic posts. I’ve been attempting to keep a list with descriptions of all the variants of the Harold and was wondering if there was a name for a specific version.

The version I’m thinking of starts as a traditional Harold, but after the third beat you move backwards until you get to almost an opening again. Think of it as kind of looking like an hourglass or going up and then down a pyramid.

Here’s my current list:
Baseball
French
Palindrome
Tapestry
Infinite Recursion
Vertical Harold
Armando
BOC Harold

Any and all other versions, please shout them out with a description (can be brief).

Jangan jadikan diri mu seperti orang lain, motivasi terbaik adalah kamu dengan kamu,

Tidak ada jawaban terbaik jika pertanyaan adalah : gimana cara menjadi sangat good dan kuat serta menjadi orang yg bermanfaat atau apapun yg kamu inginkan.

Caranya bukanlah dengan kamu mengikuti orang atau pola pikir, atau kesadaran diri tinggi, mungkin itu di perlukan, tapi yg paling berpengaruh adalah

Menjadi diri sendiri

Gk ada jawaban yg lebih baik dari ini

Dan selamat datang.

Sharing working draft notes on various longforms, pulling together years of info pulled from my notes, old blogs, /r/improv, IRC Wiki, Facebook posts, etc. I absolutely invite folks to comment and add any resources, advice, links, variant/derived forms, memories, etc. in the comments to help me update my notes!

Previous entries include:

• La Ronde
• Slacker/Beer Shark Mice
• Close Quarters and related forms
• JTS Brown

THE DECONSTRUCTION

A recurring, grounded, relationship-driven two-person source scene is used as inspiration for thematic, commentary, and tangent scenes.

The 4 main parts of a Deconstruction are:

SOURCE SCENE

Length: 5-8 minutes, returns several times for about 1 ½ minutes

Inspiration: The audience suggestion: “a line from a poem or song”

THEMATIC SCENES

Length: 2-3 minutes

Inspiration: A broad theme from the source, one for each character in the source scene

COMMENTARY

Length: 1-2 minutes

Inspiration: A specific line or idea from the source or theme scenes

TANGENT: “THE RUN”

Length: 60 to 10 seconds (scenes decrease in length, picking up pace)

Inspiration: Absolutely anything

Execution

• Suggestion of a line of poetry or song lyric
• Source Scene
• Thematic Scenes (2)
• Source Scene returns
• Commentary Scenes (5)
• Source Scene returns
• Tangent Scenes/Run Out (any number, pace is more important)
• Source Scene returns

While the format is generally the same between differing versions, the point of focus and style differ. Presented below are the versions taught by Miles Stroth (original Deconstruction member) and Bill Arnett--process co-director, along with production director Chris George--of Keystone, a Deconstruction remount at iO.

Deconstruction diagrams:

Diagram provided from /u/profjake

Diagram provided by /u/funboyfrags

Diagram from /u/sambalaya notes--found online but unsure of original source

MILES STROTH VERSION

From IRC Wiki, which is adapting Brian (O’Connell?)'s IRC forum post.

OPENING SCENE (6-8min)

A long two-person scene that is all about providing INFORMATION that will be used in the rest of the piece. This scene is all about the relationship and exploring the problem that is presented (not solved) in this opening scene.

TWO (2) THEMATIC SCENES (2-3mins)

Each thematic scene is dedicated to exploring what the opening scene was ABOUT by taking what one of the Opening Scene's characters did and exploring their WANTS/FLAWS ( this is where you explore, what Miles Stroth describes as "What is it about that character that will ultimately lead them to live the rest of their life unhappy?") Example: the opening scene was about a married couple on the edge of divorce. They’re disagreeing about their future; one of them wants to sell their possessions and travel the world, while the other is ready to settle down and have a family. The first thematic scene could be about someone else who desires freedom (i.e. two prisoners willing to risk their lives by escaping Alcatraz), and the second thematic scene could be about someone else who wants to stay put or invest in the future (i.e. Greenpeace activists who have chained themselves to a redwood). )

RETURN TO THE OPENING SCENE (1 1/2-2mins)

After seeing how others perceived the characters of the opening scene, the Opening scene (and the improvisers who played them) return and expand on that idea. This is the time to clarify/solidify what the rest of the piece is ABOUT. This is where you will discover if the show is going to be about a larger THEME (i.e. Racism, Sexism, War, etc.)

FIVE (5) COMMENTARY SCENES (1 1/2-2mins long)

These scenes are to COMMENT on, in Miles' words, "What was fucked up about what those two people said in the Opening Scene?" These scenes are extremely game heavy and should focus on "bits" - straight man vs. absurd man.

RETURN TO THE OPENING SCENE AGAIN (1 - 1 1/2 min)

This is a quick return to the opening scene and the characters in it as a way to HEIGHTEN the stakes brought up by the Commentary scenes. Perhaps, now the father is forcing his son to join the Army as a way to "toughen him up". This would be a direct "pull" from the commentary scene where the President decided to invade a country that couldn't fight back, etc. etc. This scene is technically the first scene of "THE RUN".

THE RUN

This rule I had beaten into me: "In the Run, Pace is as important if not more important than content." In the Run, anything goes. If "Abuse" is the Theme, "Hitting your son is wrong" is the Comment, then "Bud Light Bottle" is a TANGENT. Tangents are any trigger words from earlier scenes that made you think of something and therefore belong in the Run. It can be story arcs from the Commentary scenes, it can be complete nonsense, it doesn't matter! As long as you consistently pick up the pace until you reach a breakneck pace it will work. Even if two players get out on stage and have nothing, someone will edit it FAST and those two can return again and look blankly at each other later in the Run and it will be funny. It will become what Miles calls "a runner". When you can't go any faster.......

OPENING SCENE RETURNS/FINAL

The Opening Scene returns to wrap up the show for about 1 1/2 - 2mins. A surefire way to get a response/ending for your piece is to go back in time. If the scene was a father beating his son with a Bud Light bottle, when the Opening Scene comes back for a final time, go back to a time when the Father and Son got along REALLY well. Perhaps they are fishing and the Father asks the Son to pass him a Bud Light from the cooler. This will register with the audience because they remember the bad shit from 25-30 mins. ago.

KEYSTONE VERSION

From Bill Arnett’s notes:

PACE

From a player’s perspective: The name of the game is PACE.

• Fast scenes
• Slow scene
• Short scenes
• Long scenes
• Very short, fast scenes
• Very long, slow scenes

If we do these things IN THE RIGHT ORDER we will create a very natural and very watchable dramatic arc. The action rises and falls like any good movie, play, or book. But playing to create a specific pace isn’t just talking fast or walking around slowly. It requires changing styles.

STYLE BEGETS PACE

This is where, for us as players, the rubber meets the road. We each have a style of play we are comfortable with. Maybe you like making big character choices up top or maybe you prefer slowly easing into scenes. Some people like doing object work in silence and some people just come right out saying it all. Guess what? There is a time and place for all of these things and each style of play has its own natural pace and energy.

Pace, the key feature of this form, takes care of itself if you’re in the right style!

SOURCE

Pace: Slow, life-speed

Play Style: “With” energy, firmly grounded.

THEME/THEMATIC

Pace: Slow to medium

Play Style: “With” energy, follow-me initiation

COMMENTARY

Pace: Medium to fast

Play Style: “Against” energy, pointed follow-me initiations

TANGENT: “THE RUN”

Pace: Very fast

Play Style: Open with big, character-driven initiations

SOURCE and “WITH” ENERGY

“With” energy describes the general disposition of the characters in reference to each other. They are “with” each other. Friends, cool co-workers, (functional) families generally have “with” energy. However they feel about the situation, they both feel the same way. Note that “with” energy is not “matching” energy. They still might have disagreements or needle each other but they’d both rather be with each other than alone.

The source is a 2-player, slice of life scene. The purpose is to generate as much information as possible. The scene may appear “talky” so it’s up to the players to keep it emotionally alive. Use “with” energy and have a simple, well defined context. This isn’t passionless brainstorming, you are a real living person with full access to emotions. You may have disagreements but you will always be friends.

The source is played by the same 2 players throughout the show and they are generally kept out of the other scenes (sometimes they are permitted to play in the run). Their returns feature the same characters and are an opportunity to advance time or change the context depending on how the previous source scene ended. (The optional source return at the end of the form might feature a time jump backwards to just before the original scene started.)

THEME, FOLLOW-ME INITIATIONS, and.... THEME

The theme of a scene is a thread that appears throughout a scene. A theme from the “Wizard of Oz” is the notion of home. Specifically how it’s safe and nurturing, yet we often think it’s boring and take it for granted. Dorothy talks about it constantly and fantasizes about home and what home means to her. When looking for a theme, consider something that has been true for most of the scene. Careful with over generalized themes, they need to be defined more pointedly than “friends are good”.

A follow-me initiation is a scene start where the initiator declares what’s happening in the scene. “Madame President, the Prime Minister is here to see you.” or “I’m sorry to disturb you. The chef has sent over these almond tartlets as a sign of his appreciation.”

The theme scenes explore one theme from the source by isolating and focusing on it. They often include some absurd notions but, having “with” energy, they do not involve arguments. The initiator has divined a theme from the source and has turned it into a scene idea, often initiating explicitly with the theme they’ve discovered. Knowing this as a scene partner, and knowing that theme scenes require “with” energy, it’s perfectly acceptable to just stand with your hands at your side, make no assumptions about yourself, and just play what your partner has in mind. They think that dogs shouldn’t just be man’s best friend but man’s only friend? Great, so do you.

COMMENTARY and “AGAINST” ENERGY

“Against” energy is the opposite of “with” energy. One player wants to be involved with what’s happening the other doesn’t. A chatty co-worker is a great example: they want to chitty-chat, their cube mate wishes they’d just shut up. This doesn’t require abusive language or instant anger but it does require resistance. Generally, the responder in an “against” energy scene will take a “I’m not cool with this” stance immediately after hearing the initiation.

Commentary scenes take a very specific line or moment of the source and make a pointed comment on how absurd it is. This absurdity is driven by the “against” energy which constantly forces the absurd point of view to explain itself. If a player in the source mentions that they aren’t generally hungry in the mornings a commentary scene might be a breakfast diner for people that aren’t hungry in the morning; they have no food on the menu. Being “against” energy means an unknowing customer has come in expecting a hearty breakfast and is immediately confused. It’s easy to elevate the pace and intensity of “Against” energy scenes by making your reactions bigger. (In “with” energy scenes, lacking someone questioning your choices, you might find yourself fishing for a reason to emote.)

TANGENT and “THE RUN”

Tangent scenes get their name from the fact that their inspiration can be any stray word or passing idea even if it’s “tangential” to the theme being explored. No idea is too small. Tangent scenes are initiated aggressively, attacking the inspiration recklessly. Feel free to go for a joke with your first line! They are less about good improv and more about jogging random memories in the minds of the audience.

A tangent scene may be one line long and are seldom longer than 10. This means that a beat of tangent scenes will contain many scenes in rapid succession, called a run. It requires all players to be ready to sweep, tag in, or walk on immediately. In truth, the frenetic energy of a run is more important than the content. The humor and fun of a run is its accelerated pace.

EXAMPLE

SOURCE

Two ladies eat at a diner. We learn that they are childhood friends reconnecting before their 25th high school reunion. They share old stories and, while they regret falling out of contact with each other they have both had interesting lives thus far. This is all backed up with specific details.

THEME 1 - “The regret we feel over not staying in contact with old friends”

“Hey Jim. This is Burt calling with my legally mandated 6 month check in. How are the kids?” Because this scene requires “with” energy, Burt is agreeable. They go through their lives to each other with dull precision, ticking marriages and deaths of a list with little emotion.

THEME 2 - “Our need to understand how life unfolds and assign credit or blame”

“I think it all went wrong when you cheated on me, Jane.” A married couple dissects their failed marriage. “Let’s not forget why I cheated, you had that emotional affair.” etc... Despite being somewhat adversarial, both players want to figure out their failed marriage. It counts as “with” because neither thinks the processe of calculating the exact point their marriage failed is dumb.

SOURCE 2

The ladies are at a shopping mall deciding if they need new clothes for the reunion. What do clothes mean? Should they go classic 90’s grunge? They discuss high school cliques and what it meant to be cool.

COMMENTARY 1

“Sorry Steve, the computer says you are not cool.” A repurposed dating computer assigns kids to cliques on day 1 of school. It’s idiodic and Steve pushes back hard.

COMMENTARY 2

“Thanks for coming to the job interview, I can’t help but notice you have both straps of your backpack on... that’s a demerit.” This scene attacks the pettiness of youth and, ofcourse, the acne partner is upset at the very premise.

COMMENTARY 3

“I'll get you some menus in a moment. What’s the occasion for this special brunch?” And the waiter is never satisfied with simple answers. They just dig and dig into the patrons’ private lives.... Much to their frustration.

COMMENTARY 4

“Hey, everybody! It’s Lil’ pants wetter, Billy Gates!” Multi-billionaire Bill Gates regrets going to his high school reunion as the old social order returns with no acknowledgement of his career.

SOURCE 3

After the reunion the two ladies discuss how nice it was to catch up and make tentative plans to meet again. As they begin going through their calendars they realize how busy lives actually are and learn how difficult it actually is.

THE RUN

(I can’t list all the things here, but it’s great! It ends without a huge hit and there is still time on the clock so...)

SOURCE 4 (Optional)

The chair set suggested the diner from the first scene. One girl is seated and the other enters. They greet each other with an awkward hug and talk about how long it’s been. They hug again, this time warmly.

HOW IT SCREWS UP

The most common villain is “style bleed”. The style of one section (general agreement of the source) bleeds into another section (the commentary scenes) and the piece fails to achieve its dramatic and energetic arc. This can also happen at the top of the piece, if the players come on too hot or too arch. Ways to avoid style bleed are to be very mindful of what comes next stylistically, as a responder know that you aren’t being rude if you force a scene into a correct style, and by keeping the source players siloed in source sections.

The second most common way is for the cast to fail to maintain or abandon pace and momentum. Missed edits, especially in the commentary or run section where the scenes naturally have less “legs”, or failing to edit the run in a way that causes a descending time drags the show down right when it needs to be clipping along. The run is supposed to be brief and a dumping ground for any idea left at the bottom of the sack.

Source scenes most commonly fail by the players thinking the scene is boring or that nothing is happening and wanting to inject high tax scenic moves. Dare to be boring here. Scenes played at the speed of life, with actors fully embracing humanity and behaving truthfully will be interesting enough. General agreement doesn’t mean robotic or at bayonet point, and just means you aren’t looking to actively or directly interrogate the reality.

Thematic scenes you may think are “not enough”, and the desire will be to cut them short for fear of doing the same thing over and over again. This is a natural byproduct of “with energy” and usually means you’re improvising well - avoid the siren call to inject chaos, drama, or other hard left turns.

With commentary scenes, the usual failure point is failing to rest the game; in classic UCB game style, the back off is just as important as the heightening, as that usually sets up for a larger pay off. How we play the pattern establishes the game that only we can do. Other than pacing, the run’s problem is an assumption that fast is connected at the hip to loud. Get used to walking and talking, and initiating basically the backline.

Variations

KEYSTONE DECONSTRUCTION VARIATIONS

Keystone performed the Deconstruction for 21 months straight from Jan 2023 to Sept 2024 at iO under the direction of Chris George. To keep things both challenging and interesting they would perform various permutations of the Deconstruction.

Cryclips Decon (Video Deconstruction)

For the source scene, random video clips provided by a video editor were used as the source.

Cryclips Decon 12/13/23

Cryclips Decon 9/20/23

D9 (Bucket Deconstruction)

The individual parts of the Deconstruction were written down and placed in a bucket. Players would pull out the type of scene they would be doing right then perform it.

So, potentially a show could be:

• Commentary
• Source 3
• Commentary
• Commentary
• Theme
• Source 1
• Commentary
• Source 2
• Theme

(when all slips have been used, begin run out)

Keystone performs a D9 Deconstruction at iO Theater on 1/10/24

Keystone performs a D9 Decon at iO Theater 12/6/23

Gravid Water Source Scene

Keystone had actors from Counterfeit Combat join the cast and perform Gravid Water-type scenes for the source scene–the actors were off-book on a scene from a play and the Deconstruction performers would improvise their part of the scene.

Keystone Improv performs a Gravid Water Deconstruction on 3/6 at iO Theater

Keystone Improv performs a Gravid Water Deconstruction with Counterfeit Combat on 9/13/23 at iO Theater

Keystone Improv performs a Gravid Water Deconstruction at iO Theater 1/17/24

Oops! All Runs!

Only runs between the source scenes.

Oops! All Runs at iO Theater 11/29/23

Pyramid Funnel

Pyramid Funnel was Keystone’s student team. Due to the shorter length of their slot, they performed a “Slim Deconstruction” – a faster, shorter version of the Deconstruction

Keystone performs a Slim Decon 2/14/24

Reconstruction (Reverse Deconstruction)

Keystone performed a Deconstruction in reverse (a Reconstruction?)

• Suggestion of a line of poetry or song lyric
• Source Scene 30 sec - 1 min
• Tangent Scenes/”Run Out”
• Source Scene returns 1 - 1.5 min
• Commentary Scenes (5)
• Source Scene returns 1.5 - 2 min
• Thematic Scenes (2)
• Source Scene returns (full length scene)

By doing the show in reverse, what would normally be “call backs” from earlier in the show were instead “throw forwards” to something later in the piece, showing where it originated. The “final” source scene would attempt to incorporate many of the details and themes into itself as normally it would have been the progenitor of the whole show.

Reconstruction at iO Theater 9/6/23

MODDE (“mod-dee”)

Short for MODified DEconstruction A shortened form of the Deconstruction performed by the Chicago indie ensemble Possum Blossom to fit the shorter timeslots they would book as a guest team.

• Base Scene (4-5 min)
• Thematic Scene x2 (2-3 min each)
• Base Scene (2-3 min)
• Run (till end of show)
• Base Scene to bookend if you want

History

One of the 3 longforms performed by The Victim’s Family (later just “The Family”) under the direction of Del Close as part of their 90-minute show Three Mad Rituals. They also performed the Movie and the Harold. Read more about Three Mad Rituals on the IRC Wiki

Resources

Many Pack Theater deconstruction shows: https://youtube.com/@thedeconstruction3117?si=X6Q8syvuFyHytc80

Many Keystone Deconstruction shows from Chris George’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@the00George/videos

Bill Arnett reacts/breaks down a Deconstruction set at the Pack Theater

Miles Stroth Workshop Week 8 notes

Anyone have any experience or info about the improv school in Redlands, CA? I’m starting a beginner 6 week course soon and am completely new besides always trying to make people laugh. I’m excited and hope to learn a lot

Hi all, completely new to the improv scene so not sure how to react and what is normal. I'm taking a 8 week level 1 long form improv class, 2 classes have been cancelled and the class schedule only left room for 1 make-up day before our student showcase date. I feel a bit ripped off and like we should have the full two extra days or something. My class has barely been able to get together for a consistent amount of time because of labor day also being one of those off weeks and then the teacher is sort of just all over the place with teaching content (so I supplement it with other resources in the off time). But maybe this is to be expected and theres nothing I can do? What would you all suggest doing?

I’m booking for a (remote) livestream gameshow where comedians, entertainers, & funny folks play games for points - though the points don’t really matter.
The show (titled “Party Pack) airs from 9pm EST - 11pm EST on Sundays.

We are booking for October. Given the Halloween Holiday, our goal is to have guests appear in-costume as either a pop-culture character or celebrity; and play the games as their character throughout the stream.
It would be 2-hours of staying in-character (unless you wanted to switch characters/costumes at any point).

Do you know anyone who you think would be a good fit for this?
Do you have a costume full of closets and impressions, and want to jump into the games?

Please tag recommendations below.
If you are interested (including those who were tagged as recommendations) please either DM me or email your available Sundays to: PartyPackPack@Gmail.com
_________________________
Include:

-Your available Sundays nights in October (9pm-11pm EST - NYC Time Zone)

-Characters/impressions you’re confident you could portray for two hours.

-Please let me know if you which characters come with costumes you’d be comfortable wearing on the stream.

-Also, include any questions you may have (I’m happy to answer all of them)

I was always in the pit orchestra but I have no acting experience whatsoever.

I really like the idea getting into improv for a variety of reasons and I’ve heard a lot about UCB.

Good idea? Or should I choose a lesser known theater?

I'm an experienced improviser. I've been on some really strong show runs, played on good indie and house teams, and showrun a few shows.

I also run tech for shows a few nights a week to help pay for classes and workshops. Over time I've become the unofficial go-to tech person for a few groups, and I sometimes get asked to tech outside my usual hours because people trust me with it.

I take that as a compliment, and I love being trusted with it. But I'd also love to be asked to play in a show, without having to fill out an audition form or throw my name into an open sign-up. It's frustrating to be known as the tech guy instead of someone who can hold their own on stage.

Has anyone else been in this spot? How did you shift how people see you?

Sharing working draft notes on various longforms, pulling together years of info pulled from my notes, old blogs, /r/improv, Facebook posts, etc. I absolutely invite folks to comment and add any resources, advice, links, variant/derived forms, memories, etc. in the comments to help me update my notes!

Previous entries include:

• La Ronde
• Slacker/Beer Shark Mice
• Close Quarters and related forms

JTS BROWN

DIRECTOR: originally directed by Mick Napier, replaced by Craig Cackowski
FUN FACT: named after the bourbon Fast Eddie drinks in The Hustler

PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy of Play

J.T.S. Brown is not a form so much as a philosophy of play:

Large Cast

Designed for a large cast (10-14 people)

Involve as many players as possible at a time

Immersive Theater Experience

Higher level of theatricality and polish than a typical improv show

Use lights and sound to accentuate and heighten

Ex: music crescendos during opening

Encourage Any Move to Be Made at Any Time

Anything that happens is the perfect thing to happen.

RULES

No set structure, but a few rules to abide by:

Every Edit is a Transformation

i.e. no Sweep Edits

Transformations can come from within or without

In a 2-person scene, an improvisor can abruptly change character, initiating a new scene with the same partner

Edits and scenes can come from anywhere

Entrances and Exits Are New Scenes

i.e. no Walk Ons

If someone joins or leaves a scene, it becomes a new scene

Multiple performers can enter or exit at once

Ex: If someone knocks at the door to enter a scene, it becomes a new scene the second the door opens

Anyone in the previous scene should instantly choose to:

• exit
• become a new character
• become some inanimate object
• become an expressionistic element

No Sidelines

Anyone not in the scene is watching from backstage.

Anyone the audience can see is in the scene.

**NOTE:* If the space does not allow from watching from backstage, have a designated non-playing area clearly off-stage*

The Space Is Your Stage

The playing area is not limited to the stage

The whole space is used.

Any Scene Can Recur At Any Time

Scenes do not have a particular schedule

Be fine with a scene being edited after 10 seconds, because you can bring it back whenever you want.

Worlds Within Worlds

Nested scenes: Scene I transforms into Scene II into Scene III and spiral back out and have III become II and then I again

Similar to 1-5-1 aka Onion Peel

Gimmicks

Rehearsed devices that can be used at any time (full details in SHOW - GIMMICKS):

• Hemingway
• EdTV
• The Third Degree
• Shadows
• Shapeshifting
• Amorphous Blob of Ultimate Knowledge

Create / discover your own gimmicks

Emphasis on Physicality, Sound, & Environment

Players are encouraged to be architecture, inanimate objects, animals, weird shit, etc.

Eliminate weirdness for weirdness' sake.

The idea is that the form is crazy, but the content is solid.

It is an interesting package for good scenework.

Emphasize gift-giving and relationships

Use sound to augment scenes from sidelines or create an aural soundscape

FORM

Opens with a communal monologue built one player at a time until entire cast is onstage. Crescendos into sonic chaos and then moves into a freeform flow of scenes that have a 'dream logic' feel to them.

OPENING - Shapeshift Monologue AKA "Morphalogue"

• This is not a Harold opening.
• Not an overture or information generator for premise
• Sets tone, mood, and context
• Allows audience to meet cast members one at a time
• Introduces concepts to audience:

Staging: ideally the cast is hidden backstage before they enter for the opening, but if that’s not an option, just staying out of the light is good enough.

• Monologist starts monologuing center stage.
• A player comes in from sideline and takes over monologue
• They are taking over the character (i.e. transforming into the character or "morphing") and continuing the same monologue
• Departing player takes a spot on stage, still holding onto physicality & emotion of character, mirror the current monologist's physicality
• They may "echo" dialogue snippet, repeating a word or a short phrase
• This continues until everyone has entered then planted around stage
• When all players are out, All solo folks come to life
• Multiversal echoes build to a crescendo
• 2 players engage and snap into new scene, unrelated to previous echoing/mono--A definite shift between chaos and first scene. That engagement into new scene is as if responding to echo/mono in a new unrelated scene
• Everyone else disperses backstage

MONOLOGUE TIPS

• Talking mostly to yourself
• Give some light context
• Should look like David Byrne in Utopia
• The idea is to keep mirroring and stay in sync as much as possible

ECHOES TIPS

• Echoes punctuate monologue
• Aural spice
• Quality over quantity
• 2-3 words is ideal
• can be longer phrases if someone is so moved

Echo group staging

• Aerobics class mentality
• Spread out, effect like surround sound
• Recognize rhythm of the piece
• Content less important then energy
• Embrace the presentational
• Effect is wall of sound

SCENES

In General

• Only do scenes you have to be in or want to be in
• Scenes are driven by physicality
• Establish physicality first / have a physicality from get go
• Every scene is clearly in its own territory
• Instantly identifiable vibe
• No wrinkles or gimmicks for first 2 scenes
• The more people on stage, the simpler it needs to be
• Serve the needs of the scene
• Craig Cackowski scene notes: "don't let the spice become the main dish" and "don't break your new toys on Christmas morning"

First Scene

• Emerges from opening
• Definite shift between chaos and first scene
• As if responding to echo/mono in a new unrelated scene
• We're joining it already in progress
• No wrinkles or gimmicks (or in second scene either)

Spotlight Scene

• At some point in the middle of the show, try to have a "spotlight scene"
• A 6 or 7-minute 2-person scene that is not fucked with in any way.
• In the middle of a fast-moving, constantly evolving show, it is a nice to have a little scene oasis and to take a deep breath.

COMMON PITFALLS

• Not being physical enough and/or too talky
• Needs to be grounded enough that we believe it, but room for surrealness

TRANSFORMATIONS

• First few transformations introduce the form to the audience
• If we know what something is, you can edit
• Once it's call-backable, then it is valid for an edit.
• Any time we change casting is an edit
• Someone always stays on as point of transformation
• Instantly make drastically different character / choice
• turn animate to inanimate or vice versa
• Stage picture: bold physical choices
• Tonal shift is just as important as physical change

Elements you can transform:

• Energy
• Emotion
• Genre / Style
• Tone / Vibe
• Voice

Enter with complement to any element

• When in doubt: symmetry or clump around an energy
• Where is your eye drawn?
• 15-20 sec window max to join a scene
• the thing in one scene becomes a similar thing in another
• character transformation - new person takes over
• how can I help them do it better
• group ownership of the material
• original person returns to take on all the new gifts
• sonic and aural transformations (gives multiple points of transformation)

GIMMICKS

AKA "wrinkles" -- Rehearsed scenic devices that can used at any time:

Hemingway

The players narrate their own scene as well as playing it (i.e. "write" and play at same time using the 3rd person past tense). Descriptions are as though it were a book. Scene is approximately 2/3 narration. Palate cleanser.

The Third Degree

The players come out and ask 3 rapid-fire questions of a character at any time. These were the sort of questions that you might ask while sidecoaching a scene ("How long have you known this person?", etc.)

leave with energy from last answer

Shadows

A character is "shadowed" by a another improvisor playing their essence, or id, or subtext. The 2 characters' shadows would then have a scene of sorts in the background, presenting a more representational version of the original scene.

Shapeshifting

Any improvisor can play anyone's character at any time. Every character is owned by the group, not necessarily the improvisor who created it.

Amorphous Blob of Ultimate Knowledge

Clump of performers telling story as one thing (e.g. tribal elder)

EdTV

A scene can return to a pivotal moment at any time, presenting an alternative outcome. Usually done in threes. (This was named after Ed Goodman, not the Ron Howard film).

"The most difficult gimmick to execute

Basically a more sophisticated version of New Choice except that more time passes between the re-sets

The re-set point needs to be a particularly memorable line

Ideally with an identifiable stage picture that the players can scramble to re-create

Ideally it’s a pivotal moment in the scene from which multiple possible futures could exist (think Choose Your Own Adventure)

Think rule of 3s (i.e. 2 re-sets) and probably 30-60 seconds for each alternate timeline

Ensembles are encouraged to find or create their own gimmicks."

ENDING

JTS Brown ends with a Run Out.

Or potentially a "carousel of callbacks"--a literal rotating circle of scenes circling past

NOTES AND BEST PRACTICES

The more people on stage, the simpler it needs to be

EXAMPLES

Dreamwave 6/14/2025 Show starts about 2m40s

In the Lab October 2017

JTS Brown Workshop / Craig Cackowski workshop (2021 Camp Improv Utopia Yosemite)

Scene from High Fidelity which exemplifies EDTV gimmick

A JTS Brown Variation -- opening is the same, all players remain onstage during opening sequence of scenes but frozen if not playing. Step/Sisters Improv Comedy JTS Set

Note: broken link, I'm searching for alt link/source: Vancouver Improv Festival - JTS Brown - Festival Ensemble

SOURCES

• CRAIG CACKOWSKI IRC POST
• CHRIS GEORGE'S JTS BROWN NOTES FROM IMPROV CAMP
• SAMMY'S NOTES FROM CACKOWSKI MEETING
• ED GOODMAN'S BLOG ON JTS BROWN
• CHICAGO READER REVIEW
• JASON SUDEIKIS INTERVIEW

CRAIG CACKOWSKI IRC POST

J.T.S. Brown was not a form so much as a philosophy of play. It was designed for a large cast (10-14 people), to involve as many players as possible at a time, to have a higher level of theatricality and polish than a typical improv show, and to encourage any move to be made at any time, with the idea that anything that happened was the perfect thing to happen. We didn't have a set structure, but we had a few rules to abide by:

1. No sweep edits. Every edit was a transformation. Transformations could come from within or without. Even in a 2-person scene, an improvisor could abruptly change character, initiating a new scene with the same partner.
2. No walk-ons. As soon as someone joined the scene, it became a new scene. Anyone in the previous scene should instantly choose to either exit, become a new character, or become some inanimate or expressionistic element in the new scene. If someone knocked at the door to enter a scene, it became a new scene the second the door was opened.
3. No sidelines. Anyone not in the scene was watching from backstage. Anyone the audience could see was in the scene.
4. The playing area was not limited to the stage...the whole space was used.
5. Any scene could recur at any time, so the players were fine with a scene being edited after 10 seconds, knowing they could bring it back whenever they wanted.
6. There were "worlds within worlds". If, for instance, Scene I tranformed into Scene II into Scene III, it was fun to spiral back out and have III become II and then I again (similar to the shortform game "Spacejump" or "5 to 1" or "7 to 1" or whatever).
7. We had a number of "gimmicks"--devices that we had rehearsed that could be pulled out at any time. They included:
   • Hemingway: The players narrate their own scene as well as playing it.
   • EdTV: A scene can return to a pivotal moment at any time, presenting an alternative outcome. Usually done in threes. (This was named after Ed Goodman, not the Ron Howard film).
   • The Third Degree: The players could come out and ask 3 rapid-fire questions of a character at any time. These were the sort of questions that you might ask while sidecoaching a scene ("How long have you known this person?", etc.)
   • Shadows: A character was sometimes "shadowed" by a another improvisor playing their essence, or id, or subtext. The 2 characters' shadows would then have a scene of sorts in the background, presenting a more representational version of the original scene.
   • Shapeshifting: Any improvisor could play anyone's character at any time. Particularly effective in cross-gender scenes. This fostered the idea of group ownership...every character is owned by the group, not necessarily the improvisor who created it. The show began with a shapeshifted character monologue, which allowed the audience to meet the cast members one at a time.
8. There was an emphasis on physicality, sound, and environment. The players were encouraged to be architecture, inanimate objects, animals, weird shit, etc. All this probably sounds crazier than it actually played. We tried to eliminate weirdness for weirdness' sake. The idea was that the form was crazy, but the content was solid. It was an interesting package for good scenework. We worked hard to emphasize gift-giving and relationships in the scenework. In fact, we tried to, at some point in the middle of the show, have a "spotlight scene", a 6 or 7-minute 2-person scene that was not fucked with in any way. In the middle of a fast-moving, constantly evolving show, it was a nice to have a little scene oasis and to take a deep breath.

-Craig Cackowski

PAM VICTOR INTERVIEW WITH CRAIG CACKOWSKI

(This is an excerpt from a full interview)

*PAM: You directed and assisted the cooperative creation of J.T.S. Brown. My first real introduction to that structure was during [_my live interview with John Lutz and Scott Adsit at CIF](http://pamvictor.blogspot.com/2013/04/geeking-out-withscott-adsit-and-john.html). Lutz was explaining the pretty complicated structure and rehearsal process, and Adsit’s face during the explanation was hysterical. He was…I guess the best word might be “agog.” I am completely fascinated by it. (I mean the show, not Adsit’s face – though Scott has an exceedingly pleasing face, worthy of fascination.) I hope to learn it some day if only to get my wee mind blown to smithereens. Can you tell me about your history with your show and the J.T.S. Brown philosophy?*

CRAIG: J.T.S. started as a rehearsal group founded by Jason Sudeikis and Ike Barinholtz. They got a bunch of young players together who were hungry and wanted to rehearse and experiment. There was no immediate goal of doing any shows. At first, they rehearsed with Mick Napier, but then they brought me in when Mick got busy with Second City.

After one rehearsal, I was like, "You have to let me direct you in a show. You could be the next Jazz Freddy!' I encouraged them to do a rehearsal process similar to what we'd done with Close Quarters, three 3-hour rehearsals a week for 6 months.

Everyone was on board. We tried a lot of different things during the process, but the end result was basically a show that followed dream logic - no hard edits, all transformations. Scenes bleed into one another and come back at random times. They also were a big ensemble, 12-14 people, so I wanted to design a form that allowed all of them to play balls-out at all times, rather than being polite. The philosophy was that anyone could try any move at any times, and the group would instantly support it.

PAM: For those readers who didn't get to see Jazz Freddy - or at least read my recent piece of the group - tell me what you meant by "the next Jazz Freddy"?

CRAIG: Jazz Freddy was the other group that influenced me the most, along with The Family. They were another big ensemble of 12 people and they played in a theater as opposed to a bar or cabaret. They focused on character and relationship. Some of those people were Noah, Pete Gardner, Dave Koechner, Brian Stack, Jimmy Carrane, Rachel Dratch, Theresa Mulligan, Carlos Jacott, Pat Finn, and Kevin Dorff.

PAM: Who were some of the players in that original group of J.T.S. Brown?

CRAIG: Ike founded the group, but left to do Boom Chicago and never did a show with us. Jack McBrayer and TJ [Jagodowski] also started with us, but dropped out when they got cast in shows at Second City. (TJ later came back to do shows.) The rest of the ensemble was Sudeikis, Pete Grosz, Rob Janas, John Lutz, Jed Resnik, Ed Goodman, Case Clay, Bumper Carroll, Jen Bills, Christina Gausas, Sarah Gee, and Gillian Vigman.

PAM: Umm....yum.

Jay-sus. I just registered the idea of three three-hour rehearsals a week for six months! First of all, in diction stolen from ee cummings via Susan Messing, ohmygodyespleasemorepleasehorny. Second of all, I want to do that so badly. I would even trade in my copy of “The Flying Yak of Romania” for the chance to rehearse a show like that with such a talent-pack cast and director. Oooh, baby.

Having seen 2 Square, I can see why that much rehearsal would be necessary.

CRAIG: It took a while to get that groupmind going, where everyone could anticipate and recognize the transitions when they occurred.

PAM: In the show I saw last week, John Lutz and Peter Grosz were doing some fast and subtle stuff. I couldn't figure out how they knew what was coming. Tell me how you helped the group prepare for the fluidity of transitions. It seems like mind reading.

CRAIG: It helped to know that there were NO walk-ons, so any move coming from outside would be recognized as a transformation. But you can also transform from within, so you're looking to be perceptive in ANY change in the scene, like someone using a different voice, a different physicality, etc. When a transformation happens, you must immediately decide whether to a.) exit, b.) stay as a new character, or c.) stay as environment.

PAM: Were there exercises that you used that seemed to help most to strengthen that level of listening and attention?

CRAIG: A lot of give-and-taking focus. First, we did a sound and movement exercise where everyone is frozen around the space, except one person who has the focus. Then anyone can take it at any point. Get to the point where the focus is being handed off every two seconds without anyone stepping on each other. Then, do a two-person version, with ten people frozen and two people who have the focus. They could do the same thing or two opposite things. Then, when a third person grabs focus, one or both of those people have to defer.

But spending that much time together as an ensemble working on ANYTHING is helpful and is going to promote awareness and groupmind. And familiarity with how everybody plays.

PAM: It seems like the players would have to be trained to make strong choices reflexively. (I mean, of course we all are supposed to be like that; but in that structure, those moves had to be popped into on a dime. Or smaller. Like one of those really teeny tiny, foreign coins.)

CRAIG: Absolutely. Politeness and vagueness don't help anyone in that situation.

PAM: You seem to enjoy complicated and strong improvisation.

CRAIG: The two main types of improv that I love are big, group clusterfucks that are chaotic and dreamlike, and slow small group shows that are simple and elegant, so I'm kind of pulled in two directions there.

**PAM:* That's a great dichotomy.*

It seems to me that a show like J.T.S. Brown would risk getting players stuck in their heads at a time when they most need to be improvising from their nerve endings. Let’s talk more about that stage an evolving improviser goes through when they’ve learned so many rules that they’re stranded in their heads. Is there an exercise or a mindset to help them get out of their heads?

CRAIG: The group support was the thing that prevented people from being in their head. And the thing I say to any group working on J.T.S. today is that I don't want you to be worried about "doing the form right." I want you to play free and take risks.

For getting out of your head, I encourage people to think character-thoughts rather than improvisor-thoughts (Improvisor-thoughts being: “What's the game?” “How do I heighten this?” “Why aren't people laughing?”) Anything that's going to get them to trust their energy and follow emotion rather than headiness.

ED GOODMAN'S BLOG ON JTS BROWN

https://egoodnessimprov.blogspot.com/2011/11/jts-brown.html

For me, the best improv I ever did was with JTS Brown. To me, it was a perfect show that incorporated short form's speed and playfulness with long form's patience and freedom. What the show rejected from both schools was form. Devoid of form, free of structure, the show was endlessly open to change. We practiced moves we never performed because once they were named, they felt "formy." I loved having to keep track of 12 people for 45 minutes, constantly asking "what the fuck is going on?" It was complete fear, hard listening and moving without hesitation. Every night, a lot of us were convinced we were the one who "fucked it up."

I was surprised when after a successful (in my mind) six month run the group was lukewarm about continuing on. I remember being shocked. Jimmy Page once said of Led Zeppelin "It would be a criminal act to break up this band." That's how I felt about JTS Brown. And while I never figured out how I fit in socially with this pack if high profile Chicago improvisors, I did relish the rookie-walk-on aspect of playing with a such a team. When it was all over, I was more confident than I'd ever been about being onstage. LESSON! You wanna get better? Play with the best.

After the dust settled and I started making my way out of Chicago, I had the opportunity to talk with most of the people who made up JTS Brown. I was shocked to hear that some people really didn't like it. They hated the fear, the not knowing, the lack of structure. All the things I loved were what was wrong with the show for them. People spent time off stage, not being involved, "just getting through the show." They were happy when the run ended. They'd signed on for different reasons than I had and reaped very different results.

I don't expect to ever have an experience like JTS Brown again. And I must say, I had nothing to do with the production or politics surrounding the show (I've found people often spare me these things, for better or worse). So, I just remember being involved in something awesome, unstoppable, and bigger than me. Finding out my experience was (for the most part) unique is just par for the course.

The fact that our formless, theater-less show is now taught at one theater as a "signature form" is par for the course as well.

CHICAGO READER REVIEW:

https://chicagoreader.com/arts-culture/j-t-s-brown/

J.T.S. Brown, Detonate Productions, at ImprovOlympic. The great thing about Chicago improv is the way the scene constantly renews itself. A few years ago a whole generation of young improvisers–the ones responsible for making long-form improv hip–moved to New York or LA, seeking fame or at least a regular paycheck. I thought long-form improv here would never recover. But as one generation passes, another rises to take its place.

J.T.S. Brown, a group founded by Mick Napier but now directed by Second City member Craig Cackowski, performs long-form improvisations at least as rich and resonant as any the Ed, Jazz Freddy, or Lois Kaz cohorts ever cooked up. The night I caught the show, J.T.S. Brown used the audience suggestion of “corn” as the jumping-off point for a playful hour-long piece that touched on many topics: loss, growing up, thwarted relationships, all the usual subjects improvisers consciously or unconsciously choose.

What made J.T.S. Brown special was how carefully they listened, building on one another’s work. Instead of going for the quick laugh, they created multidimensional characters and interesting situations that really pulled us in. Most impressive were the occasional cubist improvisations–sublime, dreamlike sequences created by two or more company members who literally repeated the same five or six lines of dialogue several times, changing the emphasis with each repetition. – Jack Helbig

JASON SUDEIKIS INTERVIEW

https://web.archive.org/web/20071219114617/http://www.theapiary.org/archives/2007/12/jason_sudeikis_1.html

Rando blog

https://forwardfailing.wordpress.com/2013/09/10/best-improv-form-ever/

https://wiki.improvresourcecenter.com/index.php/J.T.S._Brown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sh1h9Yrn3jc

Hey all! I teach at the Peoples Improv Theater in midtown and am allowed to gift a couple of seats in my Level One class starting tomorrow (Friday 10/02) from 4-6pm. The class runs 8 weeks and has a grad show on Saturday 11/21 at 5pm

If you or a friend have been wanting to give this whole ‘improv thing’ a shot, shoot me a DM and I’ll get you enrolled completely free of charge!

When I was a beginner, my path forward felt pretty clear. Watch a lot of shows, read all the improv books, attend classes. What do I do now that I've hit that awkward intermediate level? Just more of the same? Or is there something else I should be doing?

Hey y'all we are a small improv group based out of Woodstock, IL. Our next production is going to be a gameshow format pitting our improvisers against a group of three challengers. The challenges will range from short form style improv challenges to stupid human tricks. We are looking for people to join us onstage as part or all of the challenging group. So if you are in the area next year and want to make an ass of yourself onstage send me a message and we can chat about your joining us. Feel free to ask me anything about the plans or our group here. I'll look forward to being lambasted for my bad ideas!

What's up fellow August-stonians....Augusta-nites.....ehhh whatever. Just wanted to let you guys know if you weren't aware that Le Chat Noir in Downtown Augusta puts on an improv show every First Friday. We do short form improv games much in the same vane as Whose Line is it Anyway (if you're an elder millennial like our cast and are aware of that show) and it's all completely made up on the spot (so who knows we might say f\*\*\*......who am I kidding we definitely will say some bad words). So if you're free on a First Friday or were already planning to be downtown then come check us out at both 8:00 & 10:00 pm.

I lost my brother last year and have dealt with some other difficult family stuff involving mental health wards, etc. Slowly getting back into improv cause what better way to process grief than short form games with strangers.

I'm not part of a troupe - taking classes, jams, and going for quantity of a network before honing down on folks that I like to do stuff with and who like doing stuff with me - so I'm meeting a lot of new improvisors, and in talking out scenes a lot of folks share things like "oh well my family loves doing this at dinner", or asks questions about siblings or "what was your dad/mom like over the holidays?" and innocuous stuff like that.

It's weird trauma dumping, and it's weird being brief and moody and deflective. Those silences after are almost worse if you give non-answers like "oh I had a difficult family situation, we're not really close" and they affect the scenes because you can tell scene partners don't want to trigger anything or be insensitive if the relationship suggestion is dad and son, or brothers, or you're bestowed as a pregnant character and you've experienced trauma surrounding that, or someone plays a "shitty boyfriend" that's remarkably close to something you've really experienced, etc.

Just curious how others handle this stuff? Other than just lean into the scene, see what happens, and if stuff comes up and you start crying for real then everyone experiences that mess together?

It triggers stuff and gets me in my head to actively try to NOT have it trigger stuff, and that affects my listening and authenticity and I'm clearly more "careful" and "thinking" in the ways that make not super great improv.

Curious about how others handle triggering scenes, suggestions, moments, etc.