For The Love of Improv
For The Love of Improv
Aurora Boles | Short Form & Beginner Improv
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Most improvisers start by learning fundamentals through short form games. It is where we can quickly fall in love with the sport of improv and find our communities. In this episode, we talk with Aurora Boles, a co-founder at Reno Improv who also teaches their short form beginner class. We chat about the evolution of short-form into professional troops and its relationship to long-form.
Today's game explores heightening scenes and is a clear example of the this concept throughout the show.
In our history segment, we will chat about The Harold as it forces skills that help us improve, much like short form.
Today's concept is Organic Transformation. Listen to learn how to use this to enhance your improv confidence.
Visit ForTheLoveOfImprov.com for more!
Let's rock and roll.
SPEAKER_06:This is improv we just love it. Hello and welcome to the fifth episode of For the Love of Improv, where we talk everything improv. I'm Jessie Wicks. And I'm Katie Welsh. And today we are here with the amazing Aurora Bowles, who helped found the Reno improv here in Reno. She's been doing improv for, what is it, Katie, eight years now? And she started at a place called Empire, which is now in Bakersfield, California, but it got a start here in Reno, and that's where she got her start. She kind of went through all the Reno scenes. And welcome. Thank you. Aurora for having me.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so before we get started with Aurora talking with Aurora, we just like to do a little disclaimer. Uh we are in no by no means um experts in improv. We just love to talk about improv. We love to do improv. We love to wrap ourselves around like a blanket with improv. We just like to roll in the hay as if it were improv. I don't know. This this is not going well. Anyway, um, but yeah, so so we're not we're not like experts, but we do like to invite people that have more experience usually than we do and talk to them and pick their brain and see what they what their experience is with improv.
SPEAKER_06:It really is kind of a selfish endeavor of ours to have an outlet to learn as much as we can. And so whether you're experienced or inexperienced at improv, we invite you along to learn from all these really interesting people like Aurora. Um, today from the show, I can promise you'll get a few things. You're gonna get some history, you're gonna get um some special concepts and Aurora's different views on it. Um, and we're gonna do a game today.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, it's gonna be fun.
SPEAKER_06:All right. So uh Aurora, to get started with all of our guests, we um we asked a silly question and then we ask a question that we ask everybody. Um, you were actually involved in my question when I answered it back on the first podcast. You'll have to go check that out. Um, what's something that embarrassed you as a child that you can laugh about now?
SPEAKER_02:Oh yeah. Um I uh so I do remember one time I um uh had a little uh uh a form to fill out to um join the Burger King Kids Club. I remember, and I for some reason had was carrying this around with me um and I hadn't uh you know submitted it yes be uh yet uh to get my free uh birthday meal or whatever the benefit is for that. Um and so I had this like loosely in my you know among my personal effects, and it like fell out in front of um a boy in class, and he totally called me out on it and he made fun of me. And I was like, I think I was maybe even on the fence about whether or not I was going to turn it in or join the the Burger King Kids Club. Um so um but I was a decision.
SPEAKER_01:It was a big decision, and uh and I'm like, how is that not cool when you how old were you?
SPEAKER_02:Uh 10. Okay, there's a little bit of a fine line there. Yeah, it might have been a little old from that.
SPEAKER_06:Oh my god. Sweet though. That actually reminds me, you guys, my mom is sitting in on our podcast today. She is brand new to improv. This is her first time, and I thought it was appropriate because Aurora is the newbie teacher over at the Reno Improv.
SPEAKER_01:Not that she's a newbie, but she teaches the newbies.
SPEAKER_06:Yes, yes. She teaches level one. She's she's by no means a newbie. Um, but that question made me think, well, maybe I should have my mom tell an embarrassing story about me from my code.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, I want to go to the mom, do you have, I'm sure you have a whole. Oh, I have so many Jessica stories at Justin's on forever and ever. Do you want to tell one or do you want to tell you?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I do want to just tell a little one, just a real quick one. Jessica, um Jessica loves everything animate and inanimate. And uh we used to call Jessica the tree hugger because she actually loved the hug all the trees in our yard. So every day she was in the stage where she would go outside in our backyard and she would go and hug all the trees in Lawrence, Kansas. Yeah, and we would be looking out the window at her, even in the s in the snow. She'd be out there in her boots and and we'd say, What's Jessica doing? Oh, she's hugging trees, and every now and then, if the trees were really, really nice, she'd give one a kiss. Oh, it's a Jessica.
SPEAKER_06:It's the original tree hugger.
SPEAKER_01:Yes.
SPEAKER_06:Jesse Wicks, tree hugger.
SPEAKER_01:Put that on your resume. And I'm gonna put it on my resume. Thanks, Melan. I think that's pretty adorable. I think that's a super adorbed.
SPEAKER_06:I was totes adorbed. You were totally um okay, so um really good question. Why did you go to your very first improv class and why did you come back?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, um, so I have always had um a lot of social anxiety, um, and I've always had a lot of fear um connected to public speaking. Um, and I've been going to Toastmasters for a while, and I thought that was pretty helpful. Um, but then I'd actually I'd gone to see Sarah Silverman, and I thought, you know what, I want to get into comedy. Um and so I looked up improv classes and I found one. There was a dropping class happening right away. Um, so I went and I checked it out, and I just fell in love immediately. Like I just had so much fun, um, and it was just what I was looking for. So um did you ever end up doing stand-up comedy? I took a stand-up class and um did a set for the class, and then we have our monthly open mic, and I did um at Reno Improv. At Reno Improv, yeah. The first that the one that's happening tonight, which is October 19th night, yeah. Um, so uh I did a couple sets there when we were first starting out, but it's been filling up pretty yeah um fast, so I haven't really wanted to take someone else's spot lately.
SPEAKER_01:What was it? Can you be more specific about like what was there something in particular that you that really made you fall in love with improv?
SPEAKER_02:Or was it just um I I've always loved like make-believe and putting on plays, and like when I was a kid, I would always make movies with friends or make um do plays. I just always loved doing that kind of thing, and um I'd also been doing some like community theater and stuff like that. And um, so I don't know, it's just right, you know.
SPEAKER_06:Um, so you were my very first teacher. Um I took level one with Aurora back um last January. So what it's October, so I've been doing improv for 10 months now. Um, and I think what I remember specifically about taking your class, Aurora, was the very first day everybody went around the room and said why they were there. And I would say at least half of the class, maybe more, said something to do with the social anxiety. And by the end of that class with you guys, there was not one hint of anyone that had anxieties. We were jumping into games. I think the warmups that you did really helped me to kind of, you know, and that's where I fell in love too, is like we're doing these warm-up games, and by the end of these games, we feel like we really know each other and we've made connections with the players, and everything kind of goes out the window. And one thing that personally helped me, and I know I've said it before on the podcast, but it's this whole concept of being present in the moment and it being you have to listen in a way that forces you out of your mind to be present in the moment so you're no longer just turning things over in your head. And during that, you know, two and a half hour window that we're doing improv, all your worries go away, and you don't have that anxiety feeling that a lot of people who have social issues are feeling all the time. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and it's the connection I think a lot of people with social anxiety feel, and you know, that they're what you're saying, like that that dialogue in your head or that anxiety gets in the way of being able to connect with people. And so you go to this two-hour improv class, and then by the end of the class, you feel suddenly connected to all these people, and it's like magic because it's something that you struggle with on a daily basis, and then suddenly it's happened with in within the short time of two hours. So that's what I think is so powerful about that sort of first class, especially for people who have social anxiety or just problems with connecting with others. Absolutely. Yeah.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_06:Uh so our um topic today is short form improv. And we chose this because Aurora teaches short form improv. Um, you know, she told us before the show, she's not an expert at short form improv, but she does teach it and she teaches it very well in a way that has created a community around improv here in in Reno. I feel like that first step through level one really kind of solidifies people in this community, and it's um in the way we were just talking about. So thank you for that.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, thank you.
SPEAKER_06:Um let's check so um at Reno Improv, can you kind of go through the process of why you guys just started decided to start your classes, your beginner classes in short form?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, um, so I I'm not sure about this, but I'm um my understanding is that many theaters um choose to teach short form as their kind of introduction to improv. And I think that's because um it's uh it's difficult, like long form is is a little abstract and it's a little hard to like take in when you're first walking into it. Um the thing about short form is that you have very clear parameters for what the goal is. Um and uh it it just is more accessible and I guess user-friendly than long form. Um and it it just teaches a lot of great skills.
SPEAKER_06:Um to maybe just back up uh since my mom's here and for all the people on the podcast that haven't done a whole lot of improv, can you explain the difference between short form and long form for us?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and um I think the names short and long form, and I think that's a little misleading because it really doesn't have a lot to do with the the length of scenes or you know, whether it's short or long. Um it's that um short form is is clearly defined games and long form is more like scenes from a play. So it could be um they could be the same length. A short form game could take the same amount of time as a long form scene. Um so that that's not really what it's about. It's about like, do you have really clear parameters from the beginning? Um, or do you kind of have that uh space to explore and discover what the relationships are?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so like can you give an example just to kind of flesh it out? Can you give an example of a short form game that provides those really clear parameters that you're talking about?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so okay, so one principle in well comedy in general is heightening, right? Um and so there's a short form game called good, bad, ugly advice. And you have three people standing on stage, um, and then the audience asks a question asking for advice. Um the first person gives legitimate advice that you would actually give a another human being that you cared about, the next person gives bad advice, and the next one gives truly terrible advice that is off the wall, right? Um, and so this is um kind of you're looking for the pattern and then you're trying to heighten. So it's it's teaching the skill of heightening. Yeah. Um, kind of in you know, you're having fun while you learn this skill. Um, and it's something we've all seen. Can we do that, Rafa?
SPEAKER_06:I know we're not doing a game, but um, okay, so um I Do you want to have your mom ask a question?
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, what do you need advice on advice on what do you need advice on, mom?
SPEAKER_04:Here oh man. Um what would be some good advice on how to have a comfortable plane ride with just having a little bit of room underneath and and not overpacking so you have a big old giant backpack and just how do you how do you use it?
SPEAKER_01:So good advice on being more comfortable in a plane.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, I would say, mom, um, just pack a little bit lighter for your carry-on. Go ahead and and check your big bag and pack lighter for your carry-on so you have more leg room under the seat.
SPEAKER_01:What I would do is um when you sit down, you want to make sure that your legs are spread apart as much as possible so that um there's really no room for other people to um claim you know that space and also make sure that you dominate that middle seat um arm chest armrest, because if you don't get it first, um somebody else would will, you know. So, and then just turn up that volume too on you know, whatever you're listening so that um people will kind of want to scoot over so you get the most space possible. That's what I would say. Very good, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And well, so you know that if you lie down in the aisle, you can stretch out as much as you want. So that's what I would say.
SPEAKER_06:Just um I'm gonna hide it one more and that's it, just don't wear deodorant. Nobody else.
SPEAKER_01:Nobody will sit down.
SPEAKER_06:Um, so yeah, hightening.
SPEAKER_01:That works. Yeah, and I love that because uh the I, you know, if you if anybody out there listening wants to uh try improv for the first time, um, you know, level one is such a great foundational class because it's not just it's not only because you're gonna have fun um playing all these games like you know that you see on like whose line is it anyways or whatever, but you're also going to, if you want to pursue it, if you want, if you want to pursue long form, you're already getting the skills, some of those skills that are going to come into play, like heightening, for example. So um are are there other skills that that what other are there maybe some a couple other skills you could mention that you guys cover in that first class?
SPEAKER_02:Um so I mean yes and um so I think no matter what uh good object work is very effective and helpful. So what is object work?
SPEAKER_01:Can you explain that?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so that's um basically so in improv, we the only actual so for the most part, there are exceptions, but for the most part, the only items we bring on stage are yeah the chairs. So it's us and the chairs. So everything else is mimed. Um and the more dedicated you are and realistic you are um with your object work, um, just the more um that's the word. It's it's more obvious. It's a more immersive experience. Okay. It people can kind of forget that they are just that you're that you're miming that they can actually um really good object work is just it's incredible. It's incredible. It is magical and it it really transforms it into um it like lets your imagination um take it.
SPEAKER_06:Right. I've seen some I've seen some scenes that have been mostly object work, very little um dialogue, actual dialogue, and honestly, a lot of them have been with Aurora. Um, I think another guy we had on, Justin Kavanaugh's particularly good at this, where you're doing so much action that it's almost setting the scene like, okay, this is a very passive aggressive scene, or these people are really excited, you know, and and uh you know, kind of you can throw looks at each other that say stuff that you can't really say in words, you know.
SPEAKER_01:And uh I just have to uh confess right now, because I'm terrible at object work. I actually I don't think when I first started that we had a week, I think you guys were still developing that curriculum when you first so we did, I think maybe one day we did it. Yeah, but anyways, um, but I I need to spend more time on on just doing it myself. But I'm the worst at like the two things the gun, you know, where you have your forefinger and your thumb. Like that is you get really criticized if you do that on stage in improv. So yeah, that is not really so so that's not how you hold a gun, right? It's like you hold it with all of your hand, like the way you would hold a real gun. And then the phone, and then the phone, or you do this like for those of you from Hawaii, the shaka, the hang loose, and then that's not how you hold a phone. That's yeah, you hold it like you know, like again, like you're using your whole hand.
SPEAKER_06:So that's uh I I always say that um object work for me is like um rubbing my belly and patting my head. I can't do them at the same time. So true. So I'll yeah, so I'll be like pretending I'm folding clothes or like whatever. But as soon as I start talking with somebody, I stop doing my mic, and then as soon as it I'm not talking anymore, like start doing it again. Like, no, I gotta be able to do both at the same time, but I can't get my brain to switch into that. So true.
SPEAKER_02:And the thing is, like, you probably do it all the time. Like when you're you might be washing dishes and having a conversation with your husband, you're doing this in real life all the time. So if there's a way to kind of imagine it that way, it it might be helpful.
SPEAKER_06:Are there short form games that would help with your object work?
SPEAKER_02:Um, let's see. Um, I think a lot of the guessing games um are great places to practice object work because you're um, you know, you're giving clues to the person. Um, like party quirks, for example. You're you're giving a lot of clues, not just with your um the words that you say, um, but with your body language and the the way you know you interact with the environment.
SPEAKER_06:For those of you that don't know party quirks, you probably have seen it on Whose Line Is It Anyway. It's where people come in and you're guessing what their character is, and yeah, just yeah. You're they're given predetermined characteristics, and then there's one person that doesn't know who this what this person is, so it'd be like an aggravated priest or something like that, and they they'd have to guess the emotion and the and the uh role that you're playing. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Um yeah, and um so we're talking about kind of some uh basic foundational rules of improv. But I think um, and we were talking about this um before we came on air, so I think too what I what I really loved about that first level of improv was um learning kind of what it means to get out of the way of myself and not, I mean, we touched on a little bit with social anxiety, but like you know, kind of letting go of your ego a little bit and trusting those that you're playing with and not feeling so self-conscious. So, can you talk a little bit about that? Because I Aurora was also my first improv, she and Robert, um, they were both my first improv teachers, and I I I thought that you guys did such a great job of just creating this safe space for people to feel uh less inhibited and being able to just play and be in the moment. So, can you can you expound on that?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, um, and I think so it's part of the culture that we want to create overall, um, is having this place and and basically it's a collaborative art form. So it just does not work at all if we don't trust each other and if we don't feel comfortable um being vulnerable in front of each other. Um if if any of that breaks down, this just doesn't work at all. Um, so um, and being self-conscious, it is a block to connecting with other people. Um so yeah, so that's what that first um introduction is. It's all about um letting yourself um be silly, um look ridiculous in front of other people, um, to fail um at full speed and realize that you're not really failing, that everyone else is going to swoop in there and pick you up and make sure that your failure is not a real failure, that it becomes a um a gift, basically.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, actually that reminds me of uh one time Ben came in and he was like, he was like, You guys are playing these warm-up games, just just like you don't care. Like if you're gonna if you're gonna suck at these warm-up games, I want you guys to suck hard and do it together and celebrate it. And and he was like angry. And then all of a sudden, like, and then all of a sudden we're like, okay, we're gonna do this, we're gonna we're gonna we're gonna fail really hard. And and it did, it totally changed the mood of the class, and all of a sudden we were connecting in a way that we weren't when we had first started to play the game.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I always love talking about that game, um uh which kind of for me was a was a huge sort of epiphany or or release, I don't know what to call it, but you know, where it's um, and I don't remember what it's called, it's uh the proud failure. Yeah, the proud failure, where you just go around the circle and you say, Okay, what what did you do that you know you weren't so proud of today? And everybody shares, you know, like, oh, I tripped in front of a bunch of people, and then everybody like uproariously like claps and applauds for your horrible failure. And you know, it's like it's not a big deal. Yeah, and plus it's like outside of your head too, which is nice. It makes it tangible and you can kind of just like throw it away. I don't know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, because those are the things that kind of um for whatever reason you know eat us away and make us um hate ourselves. Really unnecessarily. And once you hear other people sharing those same um kind of mistakes, I guess, um, it it really does make you relax and feel like you're part of the group and you're accepted.
SPEAKER_01:Are there any other games like that that you do to kind of break that break that ice with people or like what what else do students do?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Um or is it just kind of like an overall all of the I think all of the warmups are kind of designed to help you get out of your head, stop um they're they're kind of like um encouraging you to um and I think your mom said uh drop your inhibitions, and I think that is the a a really great way to think of it, um, to um kind of in a way submit to this thing that's kind of I don't know, that sounds like submit to this thing that's greater than you, you know, that's bigger than you. Um that sounds weird, but um just sort of allow yourself to be in this group mind, um, but in a safe place to be vulnerable. To be vulnerable, to be vulnerable. Um yeah, and um, and I think like the like past the sound is the quintessential um it's it's like you didn't cause the sound, like one person, you know, one person is the originator of the sound, but then it just belongs to the group. So it goes and it morphs and it goes around the circle. Um, and and you're not responsible for having created it, so you don't have that weight of responsibility of I did this silly thing and now I feel bad about it. You're just passing it along, and the next person is validating you by taking exactly what you did and passing it to the next person. Right. So that to me is just like the essence of what improv is. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_06:And I think it's you know, I think it's really easy to start talking about um short form in terms of like beginners, but it really is kind of an art in itself, right? So there's people who like the comedy collective I know here in town who's amazing. We'll put them in the show notes again.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, they're performing, I think, on November 1st at the Paraneer Underground, so you guys should check them out for sure.
SPEAKER_06:Right, yeah. They do short form as a um, you know, a very put together piece, and and they're really, really good at it. And over the years, you know, you can tell that they they've got these games down, and it's it's a really interesting show because it it really involves the audience a lot more. Yeah. And you can tell these people are are professionals, and it's um anyway. So I just get maybe wanted to talk a little bit about like what's the difference between short form as a tool for for beginners and short form kind of as it evolves into its own thing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Um, so um, yeah, there like to be clear, like there is no like better, like you no one can say like it's it's all such a personal preference. And um, you know, um either one done well is just incredible and it's is so engaging and fun. Um, so it's not that like level one is short short form because like for some reason it's not as good. That's not at all what you know the implication is. Um, but yeah, it it does teach a lot of um foundational tools um that either can be amazing on their own um as a complete short form show or can be used to kind of teach um just general improv principles that apply and go into um your long form improv.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, yeah. And would you say, I mean, this just kind of reminded me because we're talking about the collective, you know, that short form improv group that performs at Pioneer Underground, like um what like because they what they do is um they have a lot of audience participation, which I think is interesting because we don't do we don't do we don't do really any of that, like very on a very minimal level. We ask for suggestions from our audience, but we don't bring people up to the stage. And I think in some in a lot of um improv where they do short form shows, it's almost expected that that's gonna happen. And actually the audience goes there going, Oh, I'm gonna sit in the front row because I I want to volunteer and be upstage on stage and stuff.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, I mean I've seen just incredible uh short form improv. And I think the um the thing about it is that um either way, the um thing that makes it amazing is that the um that you're a good actor. Uh you still need to be a good actor either way, and you need to be very committed to your character. So if you're um uh if you're clearly committed and you're not joking out or selling out the scene um for a quick laugh, then either way you are, you know, doing it right, you know.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. And I mean, I don't know what you think about because I think you know, you said you said joking out, which some people might might not understand exactly what that means. So, like, I mean, you guys can p, you know, chime in here, but like usually and stand-up comedians usually like when they when they start doing improv, people are like, oh no, they're a stand-up comedian, oh god, because lots of times stand-up comedians, it's always about the punchline, right? They're always trying to come up with the funny. And improv, like Aurora earlier said, it's a team sport, so it's not about you and your brilliant, clever little line that you're trying to come up with. However, um, it does seem to me, and again, this is I'm no expert, and you know, then there might be different opinions about this, but it does seem to me like with short form, um, there is more, I don't know what to call it, opportunity, or it is lends itself more to sort of this punchline type of a thing, yeah, more than say the long form. I don't know, would you agree with that? That's probably true.
SPEAKER_02:Um yeah, because um it's just usually um I mean, and this is such a generality, but um uh uh you might be going for the punchline a little bit um more in short form. And um the thing is like if you are doing a long form scene and early on you say something and I'll say selfish because you just wanted to laugh early on, um, you might like uh reset the scene and make it so that like everything else that was said before that becomes invalid.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Um and that may not be the case. There's there's more um, you know, um generally you're goofier, sillier, that type of in short form you mean. In short form is more appropriate. Um but but either way, you don't want to be um too soon making a selfish move that is like, well, I'm gonna get the laugh at the expense of the scene, right? At the expense of like that can still happen in short form. It could happen in short form.
SPEAKER_06:Right. Like if I like if I hadn't said, you know, if I hadn't said my bit in the game first, your laying down in the aisle wouldn't have been as funny because it would be like I would have you'd been like, just lay down in the aisle, and then if you said, you know, like take up the seat, and then when if I said last, like the least heightening thing, oh just you know, don't pack as much, like it wouldn't have heightened it, and so you would have gotten to the punchline too soon, yeah, and then there's nowhere to go.
SPEAKER_02:And I think one thing, one great thing that comes to mind with that is um just because you're um not doing the kooky thing, that doesn't mean you're not serving the scene. Right. And um, I think that's a huge lesson is you might be saying something that seems kind of boring, but without it, the rest of it doesn't make sense, or it's not right, you know, right. It doesn't have like a lead up to whatever.
SPEAKER_06:What's that one game where like there's two normals and a crazy person?
SPEAKER_02:I call it oddball. Oddball, yeah.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, yeah. So that one is just like there's two people carrying on a regular conversation and then one person's job is to be the weird person. And it the if if it was just a bunch of weird people on stage, that would be the scene. But since you have those two people who are being normal, it makes the weird thing weirder and more funny and more appealing to the audience.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I mean you can even by being even more normal, you're actually like you're saying that's serving it. It's actually makes it funnier because then, you know, you're actually being the logical voice in all the audience's head, like this person's crazy, and then you're you're saying that on stage or not crazy, but you know, is doing some inappropriate thing or whatever it might be.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, and I think Taylor Riedman hit hit on that in our second podcast. We were talking about establishing a platform, and I think that that's that is is you have to have something grounded to jump off of. Very interesting. Yeah, yeah. Um, so we kind of I'm gonna go ahead and jump into a segment if you guys don't mind.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, let's do it.
SPEAKER_06:Let's do a concept of the day. You know, we already talked about failing forward, which is going to be my concept of the day. So I'm gonna ask you a question about something random you guys were talking about before the show. Um, because I don't know what it is. I have no clue, so this is you know, I'm taking a chance here. All right, what the hell is organic transformation? Yeah. We've been talking about that. It's amazing.
SPEAKER_02:Please explain. Yeah. So I love organic transformation. I know, I know something else I mean great as well.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think it's like yeah, that's a great we could do it in the trick sex um workshop. I'm not gonna lead it, but participate.
SPEAKER_02:Um yeah, uh so organic transformations are um are they uh you basically it starts with a group um making um maybe a sound, a gesture. There's there's some kind of movement and sound happening, and everyone is just paying attention to what everyone else is doing and um just adopting other people's um behaviors and activities and gestures and movements, and it's a real group mind, hive mind sort of um activity that it might go on for five minutes, and basically you kind of end up in a flow state where you're just it it feels very primal. Um, you um it can be scenic. Um, and um I was mentioning some um Herald teams use that as an opener, um, and so that would be a little more audience-friendly organic.
SPEAKER_00:So, what do you mean by scenic?
SPEAKER_02:So that might be mean that um uh one that comes to mind is um that um so we might all be in an operating room and we together um like you might be a doctor or you might be a patient, and and someone else lives, you know, is the uh um the operating table. Like so the people make the the room and then that turns into, let's see, somehow it turns into a library. And these are all like objects of transforms naturally into something else. Um, but the ones that I'm most familiar with or have done the most are um uh they're very abstract and they're not like something that you would probably share with like you wouldn't want to watch it, do it in front of other people, and it would just be too weird. Um, but it does put you into this um this very connected flow state together. And um we often do it um to warm up with sensitive people ahead of the show. We'll just do a quick, you know, three to five minute organic transformation.
SPEAKER_06:And it really I didn't know that's what that was, but it's one of my favorite things you guys do.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, cool. Well uh we do it now behind the scenes. Yeah, you don't see it.
SPEAKER_06:Oh who who does that then uh as part of their warm-up? I don't know. What do you mean? Before the in front of the audience?
SPEAKER_02:In front of the audience, like yeah, you they it's not yeah, we um like when we're warming up, we'll you know I thought one of the teams did it in front of Oh, I haven't seen that. I thought it was not one of our teams at Renew Improv, but well, I've seen it done in front of the audience.
unknown:Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's definitely as somebody who has experienced it, like I remember the first time I did it because I definitely had to get over my inhibitions because you feel like an idiot at first doing it. Um, and so you it's a real exercise in kind of putting your ego aside and and and also to just stop judging yourself because you're like, um, this feels like if somebody were watching me, they'd be like, WTF, what are you doing? Like, what's happening? So you kind of, but as you do it more and everybody is starts to get into the groove, it is this weird, like, you know, um, I don't know, it's like this, it's gonna sound very cultish and weird, but like, you know, like you like where you begin and end, like somehow gets blurred to the rest of the group, and you do become kind of like a whole. And it's it's it's really hard to explain.
SPEAKER_02:You really have to experience it to really get what that feels like and and not be like, oh that's weird, like yeah, because you might end up like barking like a dog together, or you might end up like um it and like it might end up being words, or maybe it's just like you know, guttural, or just like a drum circle, kind of almost like a drum circle, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:It's kind of like I'm trying to visualize what you're talking about. I I've done a drum circle before where I had no idea what I was doing, but you start and then somebody does and everybody comes in, and by the end, the resonation of it, it's it's not you couldn't do it by yourself, but you couldn't two people wouldn't be as effective. But when all of a sudden there's a symbiotic relationship that is that you get chills, yeah. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01:And it's it's it's it's the same concept, but you're moving and making noises off of each other, so even your movement can kind of become like this collective, it's very, it's very strange and wonderful at the same time. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And another thing about it is like um you cannot be judging yourself or judging others. If you give someone a disapproving look, then it's it's just like it's too it's like I said, it's too weird. And so if if anyone is judging it from the inside or from the outside, judging yourself, then you're judging yourself and you're really not gonna be able to be in that flow system.
SPEAKER_01:Which is totally applicable to also, I mean, so it's not just about what happens to you individually in terms of putting aside your judgment and your inhibitions, but it's also applicable to that team sport because I think at the beginning of the podcast, Aura, you said, you know, as soon as that trust is affected in a negative way, it's really hard to make a team work and and have team have scenes that are, I mean, we all have scenes that don't work at from time to time, no matter what, but to you know, consistently work well together and have that connection. So, I mean, I feel like that exercise is also like working towards that. Yeah, I I think so.
SPEAKER_06:Well, there you have it, organic transformations, people. That's exciting. Um, so we kind of talked a little bit about short form games and warm-ups. Can you kind of kind of set the barrier of, you know, where do kind of the warm-up games type games begin and short form begins? Because if it's all games, we have games in different contexts. Um, what would you say is like kind of that line between warm-up and short form games?
SPEAKER_02:It can be blurry, but um, and I'll just take like the playground for example. Um, I think that the and that's our weekly drop-in workshop. Um come on down to the Reno Improv every Saturday at 6 p.m.
SPEAKER_06:6 30. Oh I do classes at 6. Okay, so 6 30 on Saturdays. Um, they have a beginner's class, any level is welcome, and then the five dollars you pay for that gets you into the show afterwards. So come on down. And I keep going.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, um yeah. Uh so I think um basically the the exercises that we do in the beginning where we're in a circle, those were kind of maybe more considered the warmups. Um, and then once we go to the stage, those tend to be the exercises that are the games that would qualify as actual performance type pieces. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06:So would like so stuff like past the sound and zip zap and stuff like that would be more warm-up games, uh, where we were talking about doing uh good, bad, ugly, and yes and those are more short form.
SPEAKER_01:Um, and then they can kind of be if you can do it in a circle, it's pretty much well, and I feel like you know, a lot of those warm-up games, and um you can correct me if I'm wrong. Oh guru, master of level one. Um, but a lot of my experience has been a lot of those um warm-up games that I learned in level one. I mean, you care you do them with for the rest of you know, you move on to level two, etc. And then maybe even if you get into a team, you adopt, like you were just saying, you guys do organic transformation as a warm-up with your team, sensitive people. Um, and those also are all, I mean, everything in mprobe is pretty much instructive in some way, shape, or form. So those ones like zip zap zap, it's not just a silly game, even though it kind of is, but it's about listening, it's about focusing on each other, it's about connecting with each other before you're about to go on stage so that you're kind of in that, right? Yeah.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah. Some of the advanced people, I'm talking to you here, um, I've I've known a few advanced people that hate to do warmups and they want to skip the warmups. This is stupid, this is dumb. But for me, and I've only been doing this a year now, but for me, it is so crucial because I'm coming in with the weight of the world from my day. I'm thinking about work, I'm thinking about clients, what other people want from me. And I kind of need just like freaking zipping and zapping and zapping for a while to get me out of my head. And um the perficliano game. Yeah, zoom, zoom schwartz, if you know what that is. That's just like you have to pay attention to like you can't zoom a Schwartz or whatever. And there's certain ways, so you have to really pay attention to get it right, and that's an opportunity to fail. Um, but it's also like okay, if you're not paying attention and you're in your head, you can't like zip zap zap. You can kind of okay, zip zab, it's all in order, but like people, you know, you have to respond a certain way to different things, and it forces you out of your head. And I think I really need that. Sometimes, like we've done it for like 10 minutes at a time, and it's just like, oh okay, now I feel ready to play.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, totally. I think it's important. I really like warmups, and I like that transition from the outside world into you know the improv sanctuary.
SPEAKER_01:Yes, improv sanctuary. I love that. Oh my god. Um it's like, is there such a thing as improv yoga?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, should we talk again?
SPEAKER_01:Like if there's if there's goat yoga, there's improv yoga. Right. Just saying. Oh my goodness. Um, yeah, cool. So um, are we ready for our history segment?
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, let's jump into the history segment.
SPEAKER_01:All right, cool. So um we've talked a lot about short form, but um I kind of wanted to because Aurora, even though she teaches short form and she does it very well and she's done that for a really long time, she's mostly a long form performer. Wouldn't you say that about yourself? Yeah. So um I really also wanted to talk a little bit about long form with you, and so I thought that this um excerpt that I'm gonna read from Improv Nation by Sam Lawson. This is where I get all my history right now about improv. Um, so it's this is basically about sort of how long long form improv was born or introduced. Um and so in this uh book they're talking about kind of some of the iconic uh improv, first iconic improv players coming into the scene, like Belushi and Bill Murray and Martin Short, and all those people started coming in and then um coming into contact with someone who's in the improv world very famous, named Del Close. Um and Del, um, first of all, uh let's see, I'm gonna I'm gonna just read from the book, basically. Um, so he's basically talking about how these guys were just starting to learn from him. And um so I'm just gonna read. Here we go. Storytime. Uh moved deeply. So this is from Del Close's point of view, moved deeply by their commitment to full ensemble scenes. Del Close introduced them to the Herald, and we're gonna talk about that in a second. The still gestating dream of group long form he believed to be the next inhabitable planet of improvisation. Via the Herald, Dell's life work in progress, improvisers could sustain 30 or 40 minute improvisations far more complex than what could be achieved with mere two or three. Three-person sketches and games, forms too often limited by length and scant points of view. Feeding off the imagination of seven, eight, or nine simultaneous brains, the herald promised bigger, stranger results, pulsing with the just just alt truths of communal agreement. The Youngin', there's a lot of lofty uh references here. The Jungian reply to all that Freud, Elaine May, had given him so long ago. So that's kind of a we don't have to get into that part, but um, but uh yeah, so what do you guys think about that? So, first of all, the Herald um is uh a structure of long form where basically it has three beats. So you do one scene and then you have a game, and then the next scene you do is connected to the first scene. Either you could do a time jump, or maybe the characters have changed. Um, and then the last then you do another game, and then the last beat is again um expanding on the second beat. It's kind of confusing.
SPEAKER_06:It's a little yeah, it's a little confusing when you call them scenes. Um beats they're really like acts of a play. So you have you have three scenes that are that make up one act, and then you have a game in between, kind of like an intermission, and then you have another act where you play out the first, second, and third, third scenes as though they're continuations of the first, second, and third scenes. Uh, they can be totally unrelated, but or they can be related. Um, but you do that three times with games in between. And what's interesting is because that you mentioned this because you are doing short form in a herald, but just kind of in the intermission game part.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, you well, there's yeah, so there's there's games, they're just not structured. So whereas, you know, if you're familiar with whose line is it anyway, you know, they do um, you know, like they have like the hat, the prop game or whatever. So that's already like everybody knows how that goes. Whereas in the herald, a game is simply a pattern, really, wouldn't you say? Like it's just recognizing a pattern and then as a group trying to agree on that pattern and then show that to the audience. Um, but yeah, and so I just um I don't know, what do you guys think about that? I mean, basically, what from the point of view of Del Close, you know, what was he was so sort of uh blown away by was that you know, here's this form that you could be doing for 30 to 40 minutes long, and it's the complexity of it is what um was kind of amazing about it. I don't know. What do you guys think about that in terms of? I mean, we don't necessarily have to compare short form to long form, but um I think it's an interesting thing to talk about. Yeah, but we can. But we can because you know we can do whatever we want because it's improv, whatever, nanny nanny boo-boo. Um so so but but yeah, I think it's interesting to talk about sort of the different forms and and and what I mean, what is it that you like about long form?
SPEAKER_02:Um I like that um you can take your time and really figure out what the relationships between people are in long form. Um I love that there's a lot of variety. Like um, the the Herald is um it's not my favorite piece to perform, um, but it is an amazing tool to learn um long form improv. Um how so? So um the idea of establishing characters that have clear relationships with each other is extremely important. Um, and then taking those, whether you're moving the relationship forward or if you're moving it forward thematically, um taking it and going as far forward with it as possible, right? Um so in the that next um group of scenes, um what is the furthest place you could think of? And then and then in the last group of scenes, we're going to either some pe some groups um wrap all of those stories together at the end and some don't. Um so that's up to the the team. Um but it's it's like um making choices, establishing relationships, moving the action forward, and then you know, you know, just like going into that fear of unknown, not not saying I'm gonna save that for later. It's like let's see what how far we can go in that second piece, and then we'll see where that takes us in third.
SPEAKER_06:Bringing it back around to heightening. I mean, kind of like along the lines of what you're saying, is is that's the great thing about a herald, it kind of forces you to heighten in the same way that the game that we played today does. Because you have so you have scene one A, and then you you have scene one B in the second act and scene one C, and in each one, you're taking a theme, a character relationship, or or a time jump, and you're advancing that scene. So by the third act, it's all kind of heightened and commuted, and you're kind of forced into creating those relationships that make those hap that happen. Whereas in kind of just a uh one one-off scene that you would do in a montage, yeah, it might just be gone.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so if you and if you don't in those first set of scenes um create characters in a relationship that we care about, then we don't want to see them back again. And it's not gonna be and that's the challenge.
SPEAKER_01:That's the challenge of the herald, I think, is that is that you have that pressure in those first scenes to make something happen because then if you don't, you're like, oh god, I have to somehow carry this horrible scene to or you know make it come alive somehow. But um, yeah, I think it's a good uh uh sort of um transition from short form to long form because in a way it does have that structure to and that kind of helps you to develop those tools that you'll need in other just you know long form things, you know, to and and I think it kind of has those training wheels on there for you to to figure that out. But it is it is quite at the same time, it's uh to me it can be one of the most challenging forms. Very challenging, it's very challenging.
SPEAKER_06:And it's actually something that uh the Reno Improv has been exploring lately. They just uh they just started level four, which is the Herald class. And uh they have a team that specifically is dedicated to the Herald now. And um, I'm not sure who told me this, but someone did. But I think it was Jim Belushi who uh went right after Dell created it, he did it with I think Bill Murray and some other people, and he literally like ran off the stage screaming, This is better than sex! And so, like if you if you kind of get into it and you're really connected to the people, it can be this like if it's done right and you use the tools of improv to to make it work, it can be really fun. And I've had a few in the classes I've had some really extremely fun heralds, but in the beginning, it is hard to get through, and it's it can be embarrassing at first because you're like, oh, that I can't bring that character back. Like that was I heightened it all the way at the beginning, and now I can't bring it back. So it forces you into these things that like you've gotta learn to be a good improviser. And if you keep doing heralds, you will get better at improv. Yeah, or else you'll just fail at doing heralds.
SPEAKER_01:The challenge I had or and still have sometimes on the Herald is that it instead of getting me out of my head, it gets me back in my head because I'm like, oh my god, what happened? What happened? Okay, wait, wait, what am I gonna do next? How am I gonna hide? Like, I have to, you know, and that's really sort of the unspoken rule that you're not supposed to do that. Right.
SPEAKER_02:Well, so anytime you switch forms, you are going to go through a period of transition where you don't know what you what's going on, and you kind of maybe regress and start doing kind of beginner mistakes, we'll say. Yeah. Um, and that's really normal until you kind of and and that's also normal when you start working with a brand new group of people. You don't necessarily have, you're not gelling necessarily right at first. Um, it takes some time to um to yeah, because you kind of let the fundamentals go out the window, and you're like, I it's like I've never done this before. And and it doesn't matter how long you've been doing it, if you are experimenting with a new form or with new people, you can always go through that period of like regression. Right. So yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_06:And yeah, moving out of the h history segment, let's keep going kind of on this topic. There's this whole idea when you first begin that you know there are no rules and that everything goes, anything you say is right, but at the same time, to really be good and become a good improviser, you've got to kind of go through the rules and know them to be able to break them. Right. I mean I mean, I know, yeah, but like as a beginner, do you tell them that or would you tell them like, hey, just don't worry about it right now?
SPEAKER_02:I think it's a lot of pressure to put on yourself at first, like, okay, wait, there will be rules. Like, I think starting out, it's just it it's like we try not to put too much theory into it or too much philosophy into it. It's just about um having fun, being playful, uh, treating each other with kindness, um, and um respecting each other's dignity. Dignity is a word that came up in a recent meeting we had um when talking about how to communicate um values and expectations in playground and in classes. Um it's really important that everyone's dignity is respected and that people don't walk away feeling like I've been um you know demoralized or yeah humiliated in front of the people.
SPEAKER_00:That I've been humiliated, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:It's it should not feel humiliating. Right. You should be um allowed to do silly things that make you feel maybe a little ridiculous, but you should not walk away feeling humiliated. Right, for sure. Right, absolutely, yeah.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, a lot like a child on a playground, you know, just kind of being in a space that's that's comfortable enough for you just to kind of be yourself the way that you would when you're all alone talking to yourself. I don't know if you guys do that too. Oh, totally.
SPEAKER_02:You never know where people what people's triggers are, and you never know where people's boundaries are, and you might accidentally step on something that that really hurts a person. And um, so that's why it's important that we just kind of treat each other with care. And I think you can kind of once you've been working with a group of people for a while, you can play a little rougher with them. You know people's boundaries, you know when I do this, when I say this to you, I am talking to your character, I'm not talking to you, the human being. So if there's something that feels harsh, it's not, you know. Right.
SPEAKER_01:So yeah, and I think that the that that's come up when in other, I mean in different contexts, but in the other conversations about getting the getting like sort of out of the way of yourself, but you know, it's complicated because it's like we all have our own triggers and baggage and whatever's gone on that day, etc. And so um I think that's what the thing I like, and we always come back to the therapeutic part of improv. That's what I I like improv because it's challenging me constantly to set aside that stuff, which helps me in my own life to set it aside because I'm that's the constant goal, right? It's like to be more in the present, to to be to enjoy, you know, things instead of just constantly, you know, raking them over and over in my brain. And you know, so I feel I that's what I I really appreciate about about improv.
SPEAKER_06:And obviously that's really important for beginners. But what do you think, Aurora, is the threshold of okay, we've gotten past all this, you know, not that we're getting past the respecting each other, but that we're, you know, like we're all comfortable with each other now. Now it's time to get real with each other and you know, give real honest feedback with each other so that we can get better, you know. I feel like at some point. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So I would say, for one, um, it's not generally a good idea for you to give feedback directly to your peers. Peers. No, yeah. So if um if feedback needs to happen, that should fall on the coach or the teacher. And if that's not happening, then um I think it's best to talk with the leader there so that you're not um, I mean, I'm uh there may be times where it's easier to just say, hey, you know, you might feel comfortable and it's easy enough to say, hey, I noticed you do this. Could you, you know. But in general, I think um it's up to the coach or teacher to protect the safety. And if you're feeling unsafe, then um you should definitely speak up and you should definitely address the question. Um, but giving feedback to your peers is usually not a good idea, and that's why we hire a coach that or that's why we have the person at this level so that it's not people, you know, hurting relationships among your teammates so they can still have that cohesiveness together. And that's not a a rule, but it's just a general guideline that you know it's like an etiquette thing. Um but um I would say there's never a point when you have when you get to just stop communicating that because things you could be working together 10 years, 20 years, and something could come up that's a an issue and um or a boundary is crossed or um someone is unhappy with something, and that doesn't mean oh well we've just been working together, so we should just take it. You should always um have that that option to to work through problems, and it's never gonna go with the communication, always has to keep happening, no matter how long you've been working together. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah, and this is an extracurricular activ I can't even say that word. Extracurricular activity. There you go. So everyone here is doing it voluntarily. This is their play, this is this is their time to get out of their state. And most people, I mean, unless you're maybe in Chicago, you're not getting paid to do improv. You're doing it as a love or a pat for the love of improv.
SPEAKER_01:For the love of improv.
SPEAKER_06:So yeah, and in those spaces, we're respecting that this is something that people are doing for oh my god, how rude my phone's going off. Um gotta drink some water. Drink some water. I said I just have FYI friends, always send a reminder to drink water to be hydrated. This is public service announcement. Yes, I um for the love of improvement. Yeah. But yeah, we're respecting people's space as this is their fun, this is their release, this is their play. Yeah. So yeah. I feel yeah. Um, we are getting close to the hour mark. So let's start um asking some ending questions. Um let's see. Uh Aurora, if people wanted to find you and what you're doing, be involved with the Reno Improv or anything else you're doing, what um what Twitter handles or Instagram or Facebook would they need to look up?
SPEAKER_02:Um so I don't personally do anything totally compelling or fascinating. So you can find me on uh Facebook or Instagram, but um the thing I would probably be leading people to would be the um the Reno Improv uh website, uh Facebook page or Instagram account. Um and it's uh pretty easy to find Reno Improv on the Googles. You can also we will put it in the show notes as well. Yeah, renoimprov.com, um Reno Improv uh page on Facebook or um on Instagram.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Awesome. Um let's go into Oh my gosh, I wrote a question down here and I read your question.
SPEAKER_06:I'm sitting here looking at it, being like, what was I thinking when I wrote this question?
SPEAKER_05:I love it.
SPEAKER_06:If um uh final question of the day, and I'm gonna ask my mom this question. If you were an egg, if you were an egg, how would you protect yourself?
SPEAKER_04:Do you have another?
SPEAKER_07:We are all eggs.
SPEAKER_03:I'd get me a condom and I did not think of my own personal egg, and I don't want to be I did not specify what kind of egg.
SPEAKER_06:Um okay, so condoms. I don't know. Um kids, close your ears. Um don't have mom on the influence.
SPEAKER_02:I feel like we're on family feud or something. I don't know if I was supposed to see this ahead of time, but yes, I did see this and I I gave it a little ponder. And um and the thing is like, so an egg is um really incapable of protecting itself, right? So it is um it is completely vulnerable and open to the whims of the world and um whether or not it's um mother or father bird um is watching over it, sitting on it properly, um, keeping predators away. Um so I think what I will say about that is um so I do as a human being spend a lot of time worrying and um fretting about things that I can't change um that are out of my control. And um the advice I'd give to myself as an egg would be um so you're just out there in the world and you're going to bad things are gonna happen to you possibly and you're you're vulnerable. Um but just try to um be in the moment and um and just really experience all that an egg can experience and try to be as healthy as possible. Just that egg.
SPEAKER_06:I love it. Go on your egg, go join till.
SPEAKER_00:Are we heightening taking that? I don't know. Possibly. Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_01:Enjoy, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Just be you egg.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Be your egg. Be your egg. And if you get scrambled, oh god, you could go on. You if you get scrambled, other good eggs. Yes, right. Yeah. You mix up with other good eggs.
SPEAKER_06:Yeah. If you're jealous or envious, you've become green eggs and damn. Sorry, I just I can't help myself. Um well, thank you. This has been For the Love of Impov.
SPEAKER_07:For the Love of Improv.
SPEAKER_06:Um, you can find us on our website at For the Love of Improv or anywhere you find your podcasts. Thank you, and see you next time.
