Improvise.: Scene from the Inside Out

asked by borat on November 26, 2006 6:53 AM

For more than 20 years of directing, teaching, and participating in improvisation, Mick Napier has watched thousands of scenes. His experience as founder of the acclaimed Annoyance Theatre/Annoyance Productions, as well as Resident Director and Artistic Consultant for The Second City, has led him to continually question why and how scenes work or don't work and what one must do in order for a scene to be successful.

In this book, Napier takes an irreverent, but constructive look at the art and practice of improvised scenes. He covers such topics as:two-person scenesgroup scenesentering scenestechniques to achieve richer, more layered scenesauditioningsolo exercises for practice at home.Napier also challenges the conventional wisdom of the rules of improvisation, examining what's behind them and how they came to be in the first place.

Get helpful, tangible guidelines for bringing strength and direction to your scenes. Just Improvise.

Buy this book

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Reviews

If you want to break down basic scene work, this is the best book out there. Napier is brilliant in the way that he cuts through the BS. No matter where you are in your improv career, or what kind of improv you want to perform, you will get something out of this text.

reviewed by reviewer on November 27, 2006 9:40 PM

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So far I've read Chalma Halpern's "Truth in Comedy", Viola Spolin's "Improvisation for the Theater", Keith Johnstone's "Impro", and now this book, and I would say this one has the most useful information as far as *becoming a better stage improviser" goes. What I mean is that it is full of tips, advice, and useful things to consider, and seems meant for someone who has already knows a little bit about the BASICS. Mick Napier asks the reader to rethink some of the "rules" that the basic improv teaching lays down, while adding some important insights of his own.

In this sense, I think that "Truth In Comedy" is the best INTRO to improv, for someone just starting out. Then, I'd recommend "Improvise: Scene From The Inside Out" as a necessary followup, and then Keith Johnstone's "Impro" as a whole new viewpoint and also a deeper insight into the philosophy of being in the moment. (By the way, I would avoid the Viola Spolin book - it's written in a strangely stilted, boring, hard-to-read style, and really contains no memorable information).

Particularly useful in Napier's book are the "Exercises To Do At Home", which is something I've been looking for - most other books have exercises which are meant to be practiced in a group setting.

I found the chapter on "Improvisation & the Second Law Of Thermodynamics" to be unnecessary though - it didn't really add anything and seemed to be sort of a weird tangent. Luckily, it's short.

Anyhow, after reading this book I really do feel as if I understand a lot more about what separates a "great" improviser from a merely "good" one. Now comes the hard part - PRACTICING & GETTING UP THERE AND DOING IT!!!

P.S. I was recommended this book by Dustin Sharpe, my Improv instructor at the Acting School of South Florida, and also a member of the awesome improv group Mod27. Thanks Dustin!

reviewed by bethness on November 28, 2006 9:18 PM

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This was my first book purchased to learn more about Improv -
Make this YOUR first! SO excellent!
Biggest thing I walked away with was, "Just do something!"
Words to live by, my friends...

reviewed by costa on November 29, 2006 8:59 AM

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add a new book!