The Stage and the SchoolChapter 1:
ImprovisationOverviewTo improvise is to perform a scene or to portray a character without rehearsing or using a script. Improvisation emphasizes spontaneity, creativity, and imagination. It helps actors gain confidence and learn timing, a key aspect of executing lines and actions.
The two basic approaches to improvised storytelling are the character-centered approach and the situation-centered approach. The character-centered approach focuses on a character or a group of characters that faces various situations. In the situation-centered approach, the focus is on the situation itself.
A beginning actor can improvise successfully by learning some basic techniques. Through a motivated sequence, an actor mirrors people’s natural responses to internal or external stimuli. Characterization involves visualizing a character in detail in order to bring that character to life for the audience.
Improvisation may be performed by a group or by an individual actor. Individual improvisation gives the actor room for greater personal imagination and more time to create deep characterization.
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