For The Love of Improv
For The Love of Improv
Stage Acting in Improv
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To be or not to be? That is the question that William Shakespeare asked, but in this 7th episode of Season 2 of For The Love of Improv, we are asking: To act or not to act in improv?! Amelia Giles, improv teacher and player at Reno Improv is the perfect guest to answer this question and many more about the relationship between acting and improvising! She is a seasoned actor who began in the theater AND THEN came over to improv so she should know the answer to questions like: Are improvisers actors? Should improvisers study acting to improve their skills? What skills can theater actors teach improvisers? Join us as we talk to Amelia about “Acting & Improv” Afterall, as Shakespeare himself would say: “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players…”
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Improv.
SPEAKER_02:All right. Hello and welcome to another episode of For the Love of Improv. We're your host, Jesse Wicks. And my name is Katie Walsh. And today we are talking with Amelia Giles about the connection between theater and improv. Welcome, Amelia. Thank you for having me. I'm excited.
SPEAKER_00:All right. And I'm going to tell you a little bit about Amelia. So she is, let's see, I'm reading off a paper. Amelia has a diverse stage background ranging from studying acting and stage management at the University of Rhode Island to performing in fully improvised musicals with her team. Some things may happen, the musical. Being lucky enough to learn from many different instructors with a wide variety of disciplines means Amelia's performance and teaching have both developed a unique and personal point of view. She's excited to share that point of view and the joy of improv with all of those who wish to learn. So we're excited to talk to Amelia today because we really um haven't talked to anybody about sort of the comparison, contrasting and parallels and overlapping and all that good stuff of theater acting and improv. So I feel like Amelia has a really good, has dipped both toes, feet, I don't know, her whole body, I'm not sure, into both of those worlds. We'll learn more as we talk to her. But yeah, so I'm super excited to see to pick her brain.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we've got a great show for you guys today. Uh a lot of good value coming up in our history segment and our uh concept of the day. But first, Amelia, before we get started, uh the question that we ask everybody is uh, why did you show up to your first improv class show, whatever it was, and then why did you come back for more?
SPEAKER_04:Um so I feel like there's kind of two answers. I went to my first improv show because um the theater that I worked most closely with uh back east before I moved to Reno had started sort of its like improv chapter um and was just exploring that. And so I had a lot of friends who had made the transition um from scripted theater into learning improvised theater. And so I just had a bunch of friends who were in that show and I was like, yeah, I'll go support that. It was outside, it was like beautiful summer activity. Um and it looked like so much fun. Um and but it did take me a while. Uh the first class that I went to, um, I didn't have the normal like foray into this, like, oh, improv, I want to try that. And like going to my first class and this like magical experience, I really had to get like dragged into it from fellow actors, uh scripted actors who were like, you really should do this. It's very helpful. Um and it took me a couple of times through level one to really get the bug and be like, oh, this is a thing I want to continue to study.
SPEAKER_00:So, what was it about it that you were kind of like, I don't know?
SPEAKER_04:Um it being a scripted actor, uh like that's all I had ever done. And I like that's what I studied in school, and I really had thrown myself into that. And it felt like this um, I don't know, like sacred sort of thing where there's like a whole process, and like, you know, you get to put your own feelings and meanings into the words, but the words are there for you. And as somebody who really relied so heavily on like script analysis to do my acting, it was terrifying the idea to get up there and like not know what to say, right? Not have that handed to you.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I think I think that's actually something that someone who has never done any kind of acting whatsoever coming into improv, it's completely different than someone who does have a background in acting because because there is that comfort level that you've gotten used to of rehearsal and practice. And so it's actually you have to kind of unlearn a little bit um that expectation of just knowing the the punchline, you know.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's like it's like backwards the process, right? So, like when you do scripted acting, you have the words and then you put the movement to it and the two things together kind of create the emotion and like the drive for what's gonna happen in the show. Um, and then for improv, that motivation has to come first. And then what your body is doing and what your mouth is saying are a result of discovering that first.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, so that's really well put. I like that because it's like I I'm trying to imagine because I mean, I did some theater acting like back in high school, and you know, I was kind of a theater brat and did that thing, but I was actually terrified of um forgetting my lines. And that really obvious, I mean, it's and you know, this is in high school, so whatever it wasn't like and it affected my performance, like you know, but it was like it did. I mean, you know, that was like I was it was just so nerve-wracking. Um, but I can see like hearing you describe it, it's like, well, the opposite could be true as well. If you don't have that sort of uh crutch or you know, framework that's already there for you, then it does feel like a free fall, and that's scary too. So yeah, that's that's interesting. Um, so let's just jump right into some of these questions we have for you. Um, so what would you say? I mean, once you caught the bug, as you said, um, of improv? Well, I kind of want to know that story too. Like, how did um that infection to you know, continue with the analogy? Um, how did that all come about? And then um, and then also like once you were into it, like were there things that you picked up from improv? Like, were your theater friends right the first time by saying, like, oh yeah, you gotta take this because this is gonna blow your acting skills away, or I don't know. Like, what did it do for you?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so for the first part, I um I like I said, I took level one a couple of times. The first two times I took it, I I didn't even complete the class. It just like it wasn't the right time for me. Um, I was a full-time student and I was acting in scripted shows, and it just like felt like more stress on top of it. Um, and so and I everybody else who who was really like pushing me to do it was like, oh, it's so fun, and I wasn't finding that joy in it. So I was like, I think I need to just, you know, take it at the right time to be able to find the joy within it. Um, and then what actually happened was I I like shadowed um the theater company that I worked for, all of their theater components of an improvised show were improvised. So um, including sound and lighting. So we had like live music um and the lighting, the woman on the lighting board would like play up, play around in real time and like affect the scene. Um, and so I shadowed her up in the tech booth uh for a show. And my first like four or five improv shows, I was up in the tech booth. I was manipulating the lights. Um, and that is like just as much of an offer as the verbal offers happening on stage. You know, if if a scene gets real dark and dim lit, like that means something completely different than if it's like red and blue lighting or whatever. Um, and so that sort of being able to play from afar without like eyes on me, but still being able to improvise um and do that made me a lot calmer and like more excited to like see the possibilities. Um, and so that was really the bug that got me was like being able to watch it from afar and almost direct in a way, like have this outside input. Um, and then I got back into a level one with a completely new teacher. Um, and he really like made it exciting. Um, and like we just bonded on a different level. Uh, he just like articulated himself in a way that made a little more sense to me in terms of improv. And so that was really exciting. And then the format for the theater that I was part of, um, they really believed in like getting people who were excited about it up and performing like as soon as they were ready to do it. Um, and so we had this sort of like short form uh competition style show. And uh I after my first level one was like started to get put into those. That's the show that I had been lighting, um, but I started to get put in it as a player um pretty shortly after I finished level one. And it's it it is a competition show where they like the audience gives you a score and stuff, but the points like whose line is it anyway? The points don't really matter. Uh, there is like a winner at the end, but the whole point is not like you're not improvising to win, like you don't want to be the best improviser, you're just doing it to have fun um and give this like heightened sense of uh energy to the show. Um, and so being involved in that and like, you know, having that first scene that you do in that type of show in front of an audience really hit and like get some genuine laughter that comes from this place where you're like, you're just living in the moment and you're like, oh, I entertained folks with that. Um, I feel like after that there's no going back.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that's pretty exhilarating for a lot of people. Although Jess will tell you kind of her take on, I mean, she's kind of has her unique uh relationship with improv that doesn't necessarily have to do with the performance aspect of it, right, Jess?
SPEAKER_02:Yep. Yeah, yeah, that's true. I'm I I don't particularly love being in the spotlight. I loved, I loved playing um just in practice. And I found that when I got up on stage and was performing for other people, it it no longer became fun for me. So, you know, I like to go to the jams and the stuff where it's like, okay, I've had a long day and I'm just kind of being in the moment and releasing energy. But I thought it was really interesting how you said, like, all of your friends were having this like experience of like falling in love immediately, and you didn't really have that. It's I don't know, maybe I want to relate it to like an ex-boyfriend. It's it's like you already had a relationship with theater in a different way, you know. And and so it's like, well, this is this is my love, this is what I love over here. Um, and you kind of got a maybe the boyfriend thing is maybe it's like two children, like you love this thing here, and it's hard to imagine that you could love something that's like in a completely different format, but it it takes time to kind of build up. And and uh I mean, would you say you love improv or would you say that you know acting is still your first love?
SPEAKER_04:Uh equal but separate. I I really do love them both, uh, for both the same and different reasons. Like I I love performing uh in any sort of sense. Um, but I I like I like what I get out of both of them, but I get very different things from the performance of each.
SPEAKER_02:They're completely separate, or do you feel like improv has helped you in acting? Do you feel like improv has helped you become a better actor?
SPEAKER_04:I they definitely play off of each other. I think my improv has made my scripted acting stronger. And I think my my stage skills in my scripted acting made coming into improv in a comfortable way easier for me. Right.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, a lot of people don't don't talk about that. A lot of people talk about how like improv can improve acting, but there's a lot of people who are doing improv who have never actually had formal acting training. And so sometimes you have to like you teach them all this and you go through improv 101. And then it's like, wait, we need to back up. Like before we do shows, we need to back up and show you like the these are some basic, you know, acting things you need to know just to to make the show work. Um so it's kind of it's kind of that double-edged sword. It's like, well, the acting can hurt you a little bit. So sometimes it, you know, it actually makes the performance when you do it easier.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_00:Um so actually, um, our history segment is going to talk a little bit about that. But before we get to that, I do want to kind of dig in a little bit about like what is it? Can you can you elaborate a little bit more about what is it that um your acting, theater acting, I mean, we really haven't talked too much about specifically about what um what your background is um in terms of, I don't know, you I mean, we've sort of brushed over that. So if you could talk a little bit about that, but also what is it that you feel your theater background brings to improv? Because, like I said, I I did acting back in high school. I feel like it doesn't really count. Like I should probably take another acting class. And I feel like I've and I've heard other people say that that they've taken an acting class and it's enhanced their improv. So can you tell us a little bit uh about your experience with that? Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Um, first I want to say that is a workshop that I'm currently like lesson planning for is um like stage skills for improvisers. Oh my god, sign me up because I think that is the biggest thing um that my scripted theater taught me for my improv was just like the comfortability on stage and also um what like a stage picture is and how to put things on stage to read to an audience a certain way. Um, so in terms of my experience in scripted acting, um, I've been doing it on and off since I was really little. Um, my first role ever I was seven or eight. Um, and I played an alligator tongue in James and the Giant Peach.
SPEAKER_00:Um, an alligator, an alligator's tongue?
SPEAKER_04:Tongue. Yeah. He like he's carrying around this bag of alligator tongues and he drops it and they all like squirm all over the ground. Um, and so we were all in these like body-fitted like lycra suits, like bright colored lycra suits. And we like came crawling out from under the curtain. Um, but we got to run around the audience, and my parents were sitting on an aisle, and my mom was like, We knew in that instant that you were gonna be a theater kid. Uh, because she was like, You had never smiled like that on the soccer field. Like you're you were just beaming, you were like soaking it all in, you absolutely loved it. So it was pretty obvious from a young age. So, like, that's what I wanted to do. I was gonna be some sort of entertainer. Um, and then it is what I went to college for. So I studied for four and a half years at the University of Rhode Island. Um, and I took, like I said, everything from stage management um through acting, four levels of acting, um, set design, they really make you like learn everything because knowing how everything happens behind the scenes really makes you a better actor on stage, I think, um, when you know how much work goes into everything behind um what makes you look good as the person standing on stage. Um yeah, and I I really appreciated that about that program. Um, but yeah, so I studied that a lot. And then again, I worked for uh a community theater in Rhode Island called the Contemporary Theater Company um for like nine years before I moved out here. Um, and I did over 30 shows with them um and worked with all sorts of directors and everything. So I feel like I had a pretty wide range of uh theater experience. Um and when I first started improvising, that's really what I fell back on to were like just my basic level theater skills. So like it's not some big fancy, like, oh, I studied acting and like all of this like character work and like physicality, like none of that fancy stuff is really the like thing that affected my improv. It was the basics at work. So like projecting, speaking loud enough, uh, sustaining a character, like really understanding what character development means and understanding what it means to act like with an objective. Um, I think that was the the easiest connection for me to make was like when I first started getting into character work, being like, I know what this is already. I know how to ask like myself those questions of how would this particular character react in this instance? Um, and then improv is like taking that skill and just speeding it up a little bit so you're doing it in real time.
SPEAKER_00:Um yeah, and I feel like when you say objective in improv, a lot of times they call it point of view. Would you say that that's kind of like interchangeable? Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. Um, and it's it's just your motivation for what you're doing in the scene, you're like why you are saying the things you're saying, why you are treating the other people on stage the way you're treating them. Um, so that was a lot of my theater work that I think came in handy. And then again, just the basics of like knowing how to move on stage, understanding that like if you stand, you know, further away from the audience, it gives them a different feeling than if you're right on the edge of the stage, right in their face or um movement on stage. So like the difference between timidly walking across the stage in taking, you know, 10 or 15 steps to make it 10 feet, as opposed to traversing those 10 feet in three steps and and how that feels differently.
SPEAKER_02:Uh-oh. Have I mean having all that theater background, was there any frustration for you in the beginning acting with people that didn't necessarily have that or improvising with people that didn't have that background? Is it a structure?
SPEAKER_04:I wouldn't say I wouldn't say frustration because I think if folks didn't have those skills, it really was coming out in moments where they were just being like really grounded and really present in an improv scene. And so they weren't thinking in their secondary, like actory brain, like, oh, am I saying this loud enough? Am I whatever? And so like those moments are still really powerful to watch, um, all albeit maybe a little difficult to hear because they weren't projecting or whatever. But I would never say, like, frustrated. I was almost like envious, but it was like, oh, you you're not your brain isn't running twice as fast, thinking about both like making up the things you're doing and making sure people can understand you and you're standing in the right way. And like, right, yeah. I felt like my brain was going crazy trying to do too much at once where I was like, oh, they can just like give themselves over to this completely unknown thing.
SPEAKER_02:Right. You know, I think maybe that is why I'm uncomfortable. Like that it's not that I'm uncomfortable, it's just I prefer, like when I do my improv, I prefer to do it just with people. Um, but I think that might be part of my frustration a little bit is I don't want to think about all that, I just want to play. Um so you know, because that is it is another part of your brain that you have to simultaneously think about all, you know, are you blocked right? Are you uh are you projecting? Um you know, be maybe being more aware of your your facial features and how you're coming across instead of just like being all in it, um, you know, for the therapeutic reasons that I have. Yeah. But it is it is another level of of understanding and and remembering and and putting skills to work. Um, it's not second nature for me.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I wanted to just revisit real quick the idea of stage picture, because I think that's also an interesting um concept that is the same and also different, whether you're doing theater or improv, because with theater, you have, you know, you have the set and you have the blocking and everything is sort of fixed and planned out, where as in in improv, um, you know, I think, and and we should talk about what stage picture in the improv world is. It's just basically, I mean, it could be as simple as cheating out, which just basically means that you're facing the audience or they can see you, or your back is not turned to the audience. That could be part of stage picture, but it also could be, you know, instead of two people standing next to each other in the corner or whatever off to the side, which is sort of maybe more of a boring stage picture, you know, maybe you're using more of the stage, or maybe, you know, you now the window is, you know, a you know, a fast food counter or a neighbor's window, or you're utilizing different parts of the stage um to make it interesting. And of course, the improv with the the chairs or whatever on the stage, maybe you're creating something. Um, we've toyed with this with sensitive people where we're like, well, hey, why don't we just um take a moment before we even start the scene to put the chairs in a certain way and not really think about it, just put it, and maybe that can come up as an inspiration of where we are or what this is about. So, um, anyways, I just thought we I'd expand on that and maybe if you have anything else to say, um, Amelia, between those two things and being aware of that and what what you did with that in in improv.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I think and I think it's a thing too that for some folks, like it comes kind of intuitively. They understand, like they can, without taking too much time away from their improv that they're doing, like step outside of their brain and see from the outside like how it would appear from an audience. Um, and so creating something dynamic, you know, using depth or Or or distance on stage to like create a very specific feeling. And like sometimes that's intuitive for folks, and sometimes it isn't. And it is a thing that can be taught. And the more improv you watch, the more your class. Yeah, you can take my class. I'll teach it. And it can be a heady thing. So you know, we don't want to like harp too much on it, but um mostly especially in beginning improv, we just focus on not making a muddy picture. So like keeping it as simple as possible and as clean as possible so that everybody paying attention can pick up on the little things that you're adding to your environment and and follow the story more easily. Because the second your audience has to start doing a bunch of mental gymnastics to keep up with what you're building, you lose people. They're gonna change.
SPEAKER_00:That's a great point. Yeah, totally, totally. I love that. Yeah. All right. Um, I think I think this is a good time to transition into our next uh segment, which is our history segment. And um so we um I thought I would bring Rasowski in, and we've talked to him about him before in other episodes, but I wanted to bring him back for two reasons. A because he makes very bold statement. And I have you taken any uh have you taken workshop from Rasowski? I know Tim has your husband. Yeah, Tim has. I I have not because I was in that workshop with him. But um, but Rosowski, and I don't know if you know that much about him, Emilio, or if but he does come out and say, um, like there's so he he has a new book out, by the way. This is the second reason, so I guess it's I should say the second reason first.
SPEAKER_03:Then make it the first reason.
SPEAKER_00:What uh anything's an option in Imbro. Um whole face. Um so his new book, by the way, is called A Subversive's Guide to Improvis Improvisation, Colin, Moving Beyond Yes and by David Rosowski. Um, and one of the things that he sort of declares is that, and he has said this, and he said this in the in the workshop we did was improvisers don't consider themselves actors. They need to study acting techniques. So I thought it would be fitting to bring him in since we are talking to an actor from the top, um, and who is also dabbled more than dabbled in um improv. So um, so yeah, I mean, I feel like we have talked about that already. Like, you know, it's a good idea to take an acting class to improve your improv and maybe vice versa, but we don't care about the vice versa because we're improvisers. Um offense. Um, so I wanted to move on to some of the other things he kind of bullet points um in his book. Um so one of the things he talks about too, which I think would be interesting to talk to you about, Amelia, is he says, and I quote, improvisers have very little understanding, appreciation, or need for quality control or rehearsal. Elements that are imperative for successful scene work. So I think that's interesting because um, you know, I think a lot of people would say, Well, how can you rehearse for improv? How can you have a rehearsal for improv? And what's the point? And even, I mean, obviously, you're not gonna do the same show. Um, that would be cheating. You know, you're not gonna do the same show you did in rehearsal like you do in theater acting or whatever, right? So, what's the point? Do you have any thoughts about that?
SPEAKER_04:Uh yeah, I mean, that's like saying, oh, well, we shouldn't practice this football play because you know it's it's not gonna be exactly the same on the day. Like, no, you practice the skills, it's the muscle that you're working. Um, so when we hold rehearsals, my team, Some Things May Never Happen, um is a musical improv team. So we have two different types of rehearsals. We have straight music rehearsals and then we have improv rehearsals where we're just focusing on the improv. And we really just take a look at like our last show and figure out, you know, what skills, maybe bad habits were used or things like that. And how can we rehearse, like what skills can we practice? What exercises can we do to, you know, improve our skills, improve our bond as a team? Um, because that's another big thing. Like improv is so much about trust and trusting the people you're on stage with. And so even if rehearsal is just like getting together as a group and like eating dinner and talking, um, getting to know those people and really bonding is also a huge thing. But I yeah, I it's silly to me that people are like, how do you rehearse for a thing that's unscripted? Be like, yeah, like you don't have to know all the words to know how to use skills and put them into place. You're not gonna put yourself in the same situations, like the the same scenes are not gonna happen, but the same skills are gonna get used to create a story.
SPEAKER_02:Right. That's great. I love it. I I love how you're saying that just bonding with those people is part of the rehearsal because part of the reason I love improv so much is because of that human connection that you have there. And you can do a play and have it be an amazing play with someone you totally hate, and you're like, F that guy. Forget that guy. But but like in improv, like like you really have to know the people, even if you don't like them, you still have to know them on an intimate level to trust them and to be in that scene and make it really, really good. Um so, and if you in rehearsal are, or like you said, going out to dinner and you're practicing an improv, building a connection with people, and then you take that into a scripted play, and you actually build that connection. Think of how much better those words would be if you really took the time in a scripted play to become close with the people that you're on stage with. Um, you know, just another way, improv helps the world.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I agree. That's one of our big things is eye contact. Um, you know, those moments where you panic on stage, whether it's improv or scripted, um, just to ground yourself, just making eye contact with the other person you're on stage with. Um, and I I think back to so many scripted shows I did where there were cast members that I would purposefully just be like, I'm I'm not gonna look at you. Cause I I don't either I don't care to or I'm scared to, or whatever it is. And just that idea of like, if we had just bonded enough as a cast to be able to like share in those moments of, you know, a little bit of fear, a little bit of terror, a little bit of the unknown on stage, uh, how much better the scripted work would be and how much more honest and grounded it would be.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I love that. And actually, like um, circling back to Rosowski, who by the way I didn't do a very good intro of um David Rosowski for those listeners out there who may not be familiar with him. Um he is pretty famous in the improv world. Um and he did 10 reviews at Chicago Second City, performing with people like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Amy Sederist, Rachel Dratch, who um I those are all pretty well-known people. Um, and then he was also the director of the Second City Hollywood for 10 years. Um he um he's pretty well renowned in the improv world. He also part of his um experience was working in a theater group that went around touring um prison prisons and some pretty um violent uh prisons. And it reminded me just what you guys were talking about with sort of making those connections with people, whether it be um theater actors or improvisers, because he has a quote here from his book about his experience working with inmates, um, where he says, We convinced inmates to leave their egos, personalities, history, and prison dynamics outside of rehearsal. They became equals with no regard to rank, gang affiliation, or plan. Um, the residencies allowed them to break out of the oppressive routines of their daily lives and if only for a few hours, have an outlet for a long repressed feelings. So I feel like, of course, we're not prisoners, but sometimes, I mean, we're not going to compare ourselves to people in prison, but you know, I'm sure we all more metaphorically feel like prisoners of our lives or our routines or our problems. And I know Jess has already mentioned several times how, you know, just being able to take a couple of hours and playing with others and making connections is such a freeing and um such a nice way to just like be human for a second without, you know, all these defenses and everything. And and I just love that idea that, you know, I think that is such an improv philosophy. And maybe you can speak more about the theater. I mean, I just think that I mean, Jess and I have talked a lot about like improv is such, I mean, there's sort of a religious or what if you will, cult. I don't know what it is, but it there there's a there is a philosophy behind it. There's a value system behind it. And I think that, for example, Reno Improv, where both Amelia and I perform, you know, they really try to cultivate that um open community feeling of like, hey, everyone is welcome here. Um, and um, I think that that goes not only so far with a performance, um, but also just connecting with people. And I'm wondering, because you're saying, like, yeah, like in when I was more of a beginning actor, I didn't want to connect with those people. Is do you think that's something that came from improv, or was it more just something that as you did more theater, that just sort of developed?
SPEAKER_04:Um, I mean, both at the same time, because I I've continued doing theater the whole time that I've been studying improv as well. But I do think in recognizing the scenes that like I really connect with, or like when you because you can just feel that, like when you're watching improv happen and like it's so good and surprising and funny and and honest and real, like those moments, like the ones that make my brain light up, the ones that I try and like capture and hold on to, because then I can dissect them later and be like, why did that happen? What was it about that scene that made it this way? And really, it all comes down to the amount of trust in a scene and the amount of trust between those two people to be building this completely unknown thing together. Um, and so in recognizing that, like seeing that continue to come up in scenes that I really liked watching in improv, I definitely took that and was like, I need to apply that to my scripted acting because like it's the same when you are watching live theater or a movie or whatever, those moments where you get completely lost in it and you are believing everything honestly that's happening on screen or on stage or whatever. Um, the whole everything else kind of fades away and you're really just immersed in this honest thing. Um, those moments come from the trust between the people on stage being able to like create this reality together, whether it's scripted or improvised.
SPEAKER_02:And to be fair to scripted acting, um, I did a little bit of that too myself back in the day. Um and there's something, you know, I we hold improv up on this pedestal as being all this stuff, but really it's it it comes down to the humans that are involved there. Um when I was in my high school acting group, we were a very tight-knit group because we're all you know, the weird kids in high school. And we were um we were getting up on stage and being vulnerable together. And that's about and that can happen in scripted acting just as well as it can in improv. And and it comes down to how well you connect with those people. I know it sounds like a broken record because I say this all the time, but really it is it's about that uh connection. And it does happen in in scripted theater too. Um, it's just you can see it more in improv because everything's made up on the spot. It feels like that's more real, but that doesn't mean that those real moments aren't happening in scripted theater too. It doesn't mean that we don't have those bonds as well in scripted theater because we're still being vulnerable together.
SPEAKER_00:Um Jess, you want to do a couple more questions? We're let's do a little check-in.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, we have a little more time. We have we've got a couple more uh you want to just hop into a game? Sure. Hop into the game, get that done, and then we have time for to chat after. Um all right, so the game today is called Actor Switch, and I'm just gonna kind of read how it goes because I'm I'm new to this one, but Amelia can uh give us her two cents because she's done it before. Um, so we have three actors, one, two, three. Um and uh we're each given a situation and a character from the audience. So we're gonna have to be our own audience and don't have actually have one. Um we start a scene, and at some point during the scene, someone calls out switch. Any any of us can call switch, and the three actors have to switch characters. That means we really have to listen to each other and be aware of the other um what the other characters are so they can pick up another character at any moment. Um, also, you know, not redo the same character that other people are doing. Um and the aim is to keep striving for a complete cohesive scene no matter what the situation. So we're just gonna be switching characters, hopefully make some strong bold choices so that you can tell when we switch. Is that is that how you understand it, Amelia?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's a slight variation on the version I've played.
SPEAKER_02:Uh, but yeah, that makes sense. What was your version?
SPEAKER_04:Uh the version I've played is with four folks, and then they each they have one specific character each, and then when switch is called, they rotate through themselves. So, like I would then play your character just and you would play Katie's, and Katie would play mine.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I thought that's what we were doing. We're not doing that.
SPEAKER_04:This one, I think you're just cut playing a completely new character, right?
SPEAKER_02:I think we're given a character, and then when we call switch, you pick up somebody else's character. Oh, you do pick up somebody else's.
SPEAKER_00:Okay. I misunderstood the way I was around. My bad. Uh oh, that's great. Now we now we know. I wanted to make sure I knew what was what the heck what's about to happen.
SPEAKER_02:All right, so let's see.
SPEAKER_00:Um we each give each other a character, maybe? So, like you give me a character, I give Amelia a character, Amelia gives you a character.
SPEAKER_02:Sure. Yeah, let's do that.
SPEAKER_00:Um like uh an emotion. How should we make this easier? I always get nervous about suggestions. I get really like very like scared that I'm not gonna have a cool suggestion. So I'm having some anxiety.
SPEAKER_02:And we just start a scene and then call switch.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, yeah. Okay, so I don't have to overthink it then.
SPEAKER_01:Nope. Okay, good. It's why I love improv. Right.
SPEAKER_00:All right, okay. Should we get some sort of suggestion? I feel wrong.
SPEAKER_04:Maybe like a location that we all get, and then we can take a couple of the best stop.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, best not.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my, look at the time. My Aunt Nina is gonna be so upset that I didn't show up.
SPEAKER_03:Never runs on time.
SPEAKER_02:Um feeling well, there's there's gum everywhere. All over the place. Take one.
SPEAKER_00:I'll just take this one right after that.
SPEAKER_03:The very now, can you please take three steps backward? Thank you. Oh my goodness. Your feet are going to get cold.
SPEAKER_01:I haven't changed it in like a really long time, so I don't guys it makes me all a little bit funny.
SPEAKER_03:Oh dear. Will you put your shoes back on?
SPEAKER_01:Um before the bus comes. The shoes kind of it's kind of falling apart at this point.
SPEAKER_00:You know, you're really burning my nostrils to get back to the fancy.
SPEAKER_03:Sorry, I know we shouldn't have I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_00:We didn't switch a third time. Oh well.
SPEAKER_03:Oh, I'm sorry.
SPEAKER_02:You want to switch a third time? Oh no.
SPEAKER_00:Sure, let's just switch one more time. Or do it again or whatever.
SPEAKER_04:It's kind of hard to do. Can we switch them to being once they've entered the bus, the bus has arrived? Oh, there we go. Scene two. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Um my microphone fell. Uh oh.
SPEAKER_00:Um, so we're did you get that, Jess? We're now on the bus and we're gonna switch one more time. So we're gonna play the one that we didn't get to play. Ready? Okay, all right, and go.
SPEAKER_04:I I take this seat because it's still warm from the last guy.
SPEAKER_00:Uh okay, that's a little weird, but um it is quite disgusting.
SPEAKER_02:Please stay over there away from me. There is there are many seats on this bus, and there's no reason for you to sit right next to me in the cold seat.
SPEAKER_04:You think it's weird that I like a warm one? You want a cold one?
SPEAKER_02:Well, there's the it's only warm because you're sitting right next to me. You're practically on my lap.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, I can see both sides, you guys. Maybe, you know, just let's not fight. I only have two more steps anyway.
SPEAKER_02:Well, I uh uh seem to be getting off at the same place as you. Where where are you going? I'm going to Charles Street to the arcade.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, that's a nice, that's a nice arcade. I've been there.
SPEAKER_04:Look at all my tickets.
SPEAKER_02:Oh my goodness. You have quite a lot of tickets. You're are you gonna you're going to buy out the whole shop that way? You'll put them out of business.
SPEAKER_03:I'm like, get that uh go-kart and scenes.
SPEAKER_00:I'm a little rusty. Well, it's uh it's a little hard on Zoom because you're like, I don't know. It is on a top of your body language. So when you're on a stage, I'm gonna blame it on Zoom, and that's what I'm doing. Sticking to that story.
SPEAKER_02:Have you gotten used to playing and acting on Zoom since all of the no?
SPEAKER_04:Um, no, my husband is really good at it. He like curated a bunch of shows for like a year and a half uh at the beginning of the pandemic, and he like cast and directed all these shows.
SPEAKER_02:Um and If you go back and watch her husband's episode, she he uh he appeared on For the Love of Improv as well. Exactly.
SPEAKER_04:But he didn't he was much more committed than I was. I tried, I did maybe two of them, and I was like, it was just so hard because yeah, I as self-centered as this sounds, like the reason I do it is really for that. Like it's the connection with the people on stage, but it's also the energy that you get from the audience. And so, like not having that real time feedback was like painful.
SPEAKER_00:Oh god, it was so awkward. I still did shows because I was just bored out of my mind, but but it was and it was we did some fun things with trying to like manipulate the screen and like make it look like we were, but it was I With you, man. I just was like, you know, not having that energy was was rough.
SPEAKER_03:It was like go ahead, go ahead.
SPEAKER_04:I was just gonna say doing a normal show is like so exhausting anyway, and then to like put all of that energy in and not get anything back is just yeah, it's so exhausting.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, for sure. Um so I was wondering, just going back to some of our questions, what what makes you laugh? Like what is funny to you? I know that's a broad question. And I'm like, how would I answer that?
SPEAKER_04:I don't know, but uh do you mean in improv specifically or just in general?
SPEAKER_00:I mean maybe we could do both.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:Cause like I um when I first started taking improv, I really like made a conscious effort to find joy in more things, uh, to be entertained by more things, um, and to really try and like laugh more and like you know find levity in a lot. Um I was just at a point in my life where I was like stressed by a lot of things. And so I thought, you know, if I can, if I can use these new improv skills that I have in a real life application, I think it would be to like find joy in these little like surprising moments of life or whatever. Um, and so I really do try to laugh a lot. I I don't have a like highbrow comedy persona at all. Like I think everything is funny, I think fart jokes are funny. I I I think bodily functions are funny. Um I think like people making little mistakes that they didn't mean to make are funny. Um, in terms of improv, the things that really get me are those moments of just like complete surprise for everyone, where like the the player on stage, the people they're performing with, and the audience are all surprised and delighted by whatever came out of their mouth. It's those little things that like when you are like just being present and in the moment and letting things come to you, um, things come out of your mouth that your character means wholeheartedly, but you as a person would never say. And like those little moments of shock and like seeing that on another performer's face, like those are the things in improvs that just absolutely delight me. I I wish they could happen all the time.
SPEAKER_00:Right. Well, I love too like um, and I'm still uh, you know, working on letting go, but um, you know, just because you know, the whole yes and philosophy is is that you know, if if somebody gives you something that you were not or a direction you were not intending to go, or even a character, they give you a character trait that you were not planning to have, or whatever, they give you a line that you have to respond to in a yes and kind of way. I mean, those can be kind of funny too. And I think sometimes you can see the actor being surprised at what's actually coming out of their mouths because they're like, okay, well, I guess I have to yes and this. Usually sometimes it's not great because you're like, I'm yes anding this, you know, dead puppy situation or something like that. And you're like, that sounds okay. But other times it's like it's really fun, and I um I love I love that too.
SPEAKER_04:Then you just get puppy guardian angels and everything's fine.
SPEAKER_00:Yes, thank you. That will now be my go-to for a dead puppy, yeah. Stuck in dead puppy land.
SPEAKER_02:Um yeah, I think that I'm sorry, I lost it. Whatever was in my head, I lost it.
SPEAKER_01:It's okay, it happens. Go in there, it happens.
SPEAKER_00:You blink out.
SPEAKER_02:Ever had that where your mind just goes completely blank? Oh, yeah. You're like crap, I was right there. Oh, I wasn't gonna say sometimes I'm even surprised by what comes out of my mouth because I thought about it and it seemed like a natural response for me, but I didn't realize it was funny until after this, like, because it's it's like sometimes it's the little details that you say. And this is actually something Tim taught in um the class that he taught me. Tim is Amelia's husband. Um, go check out season one. Um, is just add in, just like always be adding in like small details about everything. Just like be very specific instead of saying, you know, it was a red car, say it was a you know, 1997 cherry red Honda Civic, you know, something like that. Because those little details are what can be funny. Um, and so sometimes you don't even realize that you're gonna get that laugh because to you, you're just you know, going through the motions of adding detail. But when you look at it from the big perspective of the audience, it's hilarious. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um that makes me think of a question too, um, for you, Amelia, because you know, like that's uh that's kind of like a rule, so to speak, in improv, right? To add detail, or a rule is you know, listening or give and take, or you know, never say no, or never ask a question, and all these rules. And actually, Rosowski is all about breaking those rules as well. You know, he's like, you can do all that, you're an improviser, you can do whatever you want. So, but I'm curious because you know, I remember in level two, like it breaking my brain and a little bit of my soul because I was like, What? I have all these rules now. This was supposed to be this amazing free form of performance art, and now I'm doing it all wrong. Like that really actually triggered me, um, you know, because of whatever childhood trauma. But um, um, but like be telling that's like kind of what Jess was like saying, it's like I came to improv because I I there were no rules and I could do what I wanted, and then all of a sudden it was like, oh, I'm doing it wrong. So I'm wondering, and then of course, as you go on, you realize okay, you can break the rules and this and that. So is there something like that in theater acting where it's like, oh, you have to learn all these rules, and then as you get more experienced and stuff, you learn how to break them?
SPEAKER_04:Um I don't know. I don't think it's quite as prescriptive of like in order to, you know, like have a good scripted play, it should start with X, Y, Z. I think uh it's almost the same for like uh in scripted theater, you can get away with being like, well, that's the writer's fault because they wrote that in. Um and so like crumpled. Yeah. So like the questions you ask in improv are like, you know, why this instance, why these people, why right now? Um and like that's what makes a cohesive scene and like something people can follow and latch on to. And so I think those questions are still relevant um in a scripted show. And if they're not given to you, then as an actor, like, yeah, discovering what those are. Um, but also a lot of that work does fall on the writer of the show because they should be answering those questions. If it's a worthwhile play, those questions are already being asked and answered.
SPEAKER_02:Okay, cool. Um, let's move on real quick because we are getting close on time. We're gonna get into our concept of the day. Um, and this time I didn't really do something like a hard, you know, we're gonna teach you this term, but I wanted to talk about uh finding your individual improv style. Um and what I mean by that is not necessarily short form, long-form narrative. Uh, I'm more like, are you like finding out, are you more comfortable in that grounded position? Do you tend towards being the silly one? Or um are you focused on emotions or character building um and kind of finding your fit within within your troop or within your group? Um so I guess for for me, I really like asking that question of uh why is this important? So for me, I'm I want to get to that relationship level. Um, I'm more of that grounded character that wants to come up with, okay, this is this is the emotion behind the scene. And then somebody else can make the punchline. Um and I think I kind of found that by, you know, the finding improv for me was like a soul searching type thing. Um, I was trying to get out of my house and it it really was who I was. What would you and you know, Katie came from comedy. So how do you feel like you came about your comedic style and what is it? Katie. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um talking to me. Um yeah, I mean, uh, you know, I definitely did probably for a little bit, you know, try to be the ham and upstage everyone and you know, try to find the punchline a lot of stand-up comics. Um, I did some stand-up comedy before, and um, but I quickly learned that that was not serving the scene. And um, and then I was just got a little lost, like I said, for a little while. I really messed up a lot. I um broke all the rules, and I mean, I think a lot of people do when they first start, um, unless you know, maybe you have some theater background and you're like, I don't know what I'm doing. Um just like but uh but yeah, so I really um I definitely as I went through all the levels of you know one through four, they have it um Reno Improv, go and sign up for classes, people, renoimprov.org. Um, you can take one from Amelia actually, and we'll talk to her about that in just a second. But um, but yeah, so so then um, and then I kind of was on a couple teams and those those were kind of in and out. And then I joined sensitive people, which I'm on now, which has been more of a permanent team for me. Um, but what I noticed, because on sensitive people, we kind of do three beats, and the first starts with grounded scenes, and then the second beat kind of goes to character-based scenes, and then the third is absurdity, so it kind of like it's kind of this uh, you know, starts with grounded and then goes up and heightens. So I noticed that on the grounded scenes, as much as I with I have the best intentions, you know, I find myself all of a sudden doing some weird voice, and so like, you know, and so I definitely, you know, I know myself that that's what I tend to default to and what I need to work on. It's not that I'm not good at grounded scenes or can't be, it's that that's just somewhere where I don't feel the most comfortable. So it's hard for me.
SPEAKER_02:You know, like sorry, sorry, Amelia, we'll get to you in a second, but I think one of the reasons that you and I played really well together is um that you did have more of those strong character things, and I would call out more of that grounded emotion stuff. So I think the reason that you and I kind of really did well together on stage is because we could we could balance each other out a little bit. And I think it's you need those strong character, you know, funny accent people, you need the person to to give the punchline. Um, but it's hard to do that when you know you don't have your your style as the acting kind of set with other people around you.
SPEAKER_00:Right. And and as a as a more of a at the beginning, I was just running people over. Like I I was doing I was doing no service to my scene partner because I was hamming it up too much. And I really had to learn how to listen better and and try to be the more grounded ones every once in a while. I mean, you know, right. Um, but anyways, um Amelia?
SPEAKER_04:Well what's what's I don't even know what my M-Braft style is. I I think um because the first team that I really like rehearsed with regularly and then started doing shows with regularly was narrative-based. Um a lot of my like experimentation came within position play. Um, so like figuring out who the main characters of the story are, and then how can you play secondary and tertiary characters um and still serve the story and move the story along? Um, and then a lot my improv philosophy, a lot of it is just like what is the most supportive and interesting thing we can do to tell the next part of the story?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, and you I find you to be really support. I mean, I've played with you a little bit in short form and stuff, and you're very supportive um player and but also add so much funny to the scenes and stuff. But I um can you you just like throw out all these terms and we do we do kind of uh we do kind of try to be um cognizant of the fact that there might be people that are just being introduced to improv. So like what can you first of all tell, can you tell us a little about what is narrative form and then like the things you talked about with characters, like first characters, tertiary character or how you say that of like what is all that narrative format is literally just storytelling, it's beginning, middle, end, um, discovering a main character and playing through the plot.
SPEAKER_04:Um, my team right now does a musical narrative. Um, so it's that exact same thing, but with songs thrown in um and usually using the songs to move action along um as opposed to just like sitting in scenes for fun. Um and then I mentioned position play, which just means like if you have somebody in a scene who is playing high status, like there are multiple different options of who you can come on and play opposite them. Um, but how do they fit sort of into the ranking? Like, are you gonna play somebody if this person's already high status? Are you gonna come in and try and play somebody above them? Or is it easier or more fun or whatever to come in and play somebody below them and then watch the position play change? Like then have the person who was playing low status all of a sudden somehow gain high status in that scene. Um and then main characters of a narrative just being like the the protagonist and the antagonist really are like the first and secondary characters, and then tertiary, just meaning third, um, are those folks who come in and that you'll probably see like once, maybe twice. If, like, say you're watching a movie, it's like that really smart neighbor who has the exact right thing to say in that moment, and then you never see that neighbor ever again. But they did move the story along in a supportive way.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, that's narrative to me, and I haven't done a whole lot of narrative, but it is I I feel well, two thoughts. First, I think it's it's so like again, going back to my fear of like not saying my lines or whatever, like narrative is like that for me because I have to remember what happened two seconds ago or even, you know, who's what names, like all these details that um that are that's very scary for me. But I feel like that's such um in a way too, it's like such a good, almost like a really good marriage between theater and improv because it does have sort of a more fixed storyline and characters now. In and I'm sorry I haven't I've been meaning to go to your guys' musical, and it's I've heard it's amazing. Um, but um, but uh do you guys play the same characters every time? No, no, no.
SPEAKER_04:We uh we've played around with lots of different ways to like inspire our story, but basically, like all we know going into it is it's gonna be a narrative, it's gonna be a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Um, and then sometimes from the audience we simply get like the name of the play and we move forward and we do that. Sometimes we get a genre to play within. So we've done like westerns and uh pirates and uh all sorts of stuff like that. Um, just figuring out new and different ways to like switch things up for ourselves so that, like I said, you know, you don't want to go out and do the same show every time. Uh, you don't want to get stuck in habits or ruts or whatever. So just trying new things.
SPEAKER_00:That's so fun. That's so fun. Yeah. You every anybody who is in Reno, you guys should definitely check out that show. Um, what's it called again? Because I always mess up the title.
SPEAKER_04:So I'm gonna have you say uh some things may never happen in improvised musical.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. And when do you guys have another show? Do you know?
SPEAKER_04:Um, we are typically the last Saturday of every month. So we are this coming Saturday. Oh, hello. February 25th, I think.
SPEAKER_00:Sure. I think it's I think you're right. I think you're right. Cool. And um before before we kind of wrap this up, I do want to ask you because um I know you just started teaching your first improv class and you're teaching level one right now. So and um apparently there are how many? It's like all dudes or something. Yeah, there are there are 14 men in my class. I believe it. And so can you tell us a little bit about that and like how it's going and what you're learning? And yeah.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, um, it's it's really exciting. So I have like taught improv before. I've done workshops, I've uh worked with children, um, but I've never taught like a curriculum-based, like eight-week improv class before. Um, so this is my first one, and I was so nervous because I love improv so much and I like I don't want to ruin it for anyone. Yeah, and like I didn't have the world's best start to improv. So like I know that not having a great level one can like kind of set your course for you.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my god, already the fact that you're even thinking that is already you're gonna be amazing.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, so just but I was just so nervous. I'm like, I want everybody because I I really truly believe that all it takes to be able to do improv is the want to do improv, whether you want to perform or just use it for life skills or whatever it is. Like, as long as the drive to do it, to like get up and just try it is there, you can do improv. You can learn the skills, you can bond with folks and do it. Um, and so that like terror and fear that you're like to instill that to people, because it is a really scary thing and it is really hard, and it is a lot of like brain work when you're first starting, when you start with zero knowledge or expectations of like what's about to happen. Um, it can be a lot for like your brain. And so the idea of like, okay, I have these 14 dudes that I have to convince, like, A, I know what I'm talking about, and B, I promise it's really fun, but like it's also weird, and like you're gonna look like a fool in front of each other for a couple weeks and like that sort of thing. Um, but really mostly just coming down to like trying to create out of this group of 14 guys, like a group of men who are comfortable playing make-believe in front of each other, like that.
SPEAKER_03:So cool.
SPEAKER_04:If if I have succeeded in that, then like level one was a sick a success. I don't care if they come back for a level two. I hope they do. I want them to all, you know, study, but um just creating a group of people who are free to play with and in front of each other is the absolute goal.
SPEAKER_00:That's amazing.
SPEAKER_04:Beautiful.
SPEAKER_00:I love that goal. And I mean, did you did you was it hard to break the ice with them or was it because I mean, I think I think one of the things that a lot of people, and I know even myself, you feel you have that like, oh, I'm gonna look stupid in front of strangers. I mean, to me, I and I was a language teacher for a really long time and I taught teenagers, and that was also a very hard thing for them to overcome, especially teenagers are so self-conscious.
SPEAKER_04:And so I'm curious to know, like, what and I know what did you do to kind of help them overcome that or um basically my my theory on that was like just throw them into the fire right away. Like, if from day one I can get them acting silly and goofing around in front of each other, then I know we're gonna be okay. Um, and so really just starting off with those icebreakers that are like being absolutely ridiculous. Um, and also I leaned on Tim, my husband, a lot because he's taught a lot of level ones. And so I met with him a lot beforehand to just like kind of get an idea of how to navigate this thing. And he always says, teach with the energy that you want your students to have surrounding improv. And so yeah, if you just jump in full force and are excited to do the thing, leading by example in that way. Um and then yeah, right off the bat, just getting them to like be silly, goofy, crazy over the top on the first day. You've already done half the work for yourself.
SPEAKER_02:I love that. Oh, that's great. That's awesome. Uh where, yeah, where can people go to learn more about your classes in the future?
SPEAKER_04:Um, so renoimprov.org uh will have all the information for upcoming classes. Uh a new level one at Reno Improv is about to start. Uh, it'll be on Tuesday nights from 6 to 8:30. Um, and that will start March 21st. And you're will be the first class. And I am teaching that one. Yep.
SPEAKER_00:Cool.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And and where can people find you online?
SPEAKER_04:Um I don't I don't really have like a uh Reno improv posting. Like I just share all of the Reno improv posts from Facebook and Instagram. That's my whole improv persona online.
SPEAKER_00:When is your because doesn't the each class have a showcase? Does your level one have a showcase that people could come to?
SPEAKER_04:Yes, it's going to be we can put it in the show notes too. I want to say March 9th, but that might be our last class and then it's the next week. So okay.
SPEAKER_00:Somewhere between March 9th and March whatever.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Are there
SPEAKER_04:any uh well we're plugging everything is there any scripted shows you want to promote oh yeah oh yes uh yes actually i am in the Rocky horror show uh with a local theater company called Ghost Light Theater. Uh we're performing both in Reno and in Carson. Um and so Ghost Light Theater on Facebook or Instagram will have all the dates and ticket links for that. Cool. That's so fun. I can't wait to see that. Yes that'll be that opens March 10th is the first one. So coming up. Awesome.
SPEAKER_02:Well thank you so much Amelia for coming on the show and enlightening us with with all things acting and and how it goes with improv. Uh it was it was a huge pleasure to have you on the show.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah thank you so much. Thanks guys for having me it's been like a longgoing wish for me to be able to like talk about my melding of the two. So thank you very much for having me.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah no I'm so glad because I was like oh my god Amelia would be perfect and we haven't talked about that topic.
SPEAKER_02:So yay it worked out all right so you guys can uh go to for the loveofimprov.com to see our show notes um you can also find us on YouTube and anywhere that uh you get your podcasts thank you guys for watching for the love of improv or listening watching wherever you are take care we'll see you next time improv
