Improv Tips

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . The more detail you can use in your scenes, the better, and don’t be afraid to be wrong about those details. Remember that you’re inventing this improvised world, so a technically incorrect, but specific reference to your Chevy F-150 or Toyota Ram could lead you to a much more interesting place than a reference to your generic, boring truck...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . On Star Wars day, I’m reminded of something that Harrison Ford once said to George Lucas when they were shooting A New Hope . That George could write this—let’s just say—dialogue, but Harrison couldn’t say it. Don’t worry about your improv dialogue being as formal as stage dialogue or any written dialogue. Your dialo...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . You might be a guest in a show with a format you’ve never worked in. “Yes, and” the format the same way you would a scene. It’s okay that you don’t know the format as well as your hosts do. You likely wouldn’t have been invited to guest if they didn’t think you were capable of rolling with their format. But con...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . A show for children in the middle of the day at a Catholic school could and should feel different than a midnight show at a dive bar in Chicago. Similarly, you may find yourself in a show with set after set of frenetic energy, and you might want to either play opposite that energy or to play with that energy. I don’t ordinarily encourage folks to...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Improv rules were written to be broken. Theater rules were not. Respect the rules of the place where you’re performing. That goes the same for the rules of show producers, teams you might join, teachers, coaches, and shoots. Learn the rules in advance, and obey those rules. If you think the rules are silly, don’t perform there. Go somewhere...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . It’s really hard to hear improvisers when they don’t project their voices, because most stages you’ll perform on don’t have microphones. You need to project your voice. It may be a boring skill to practice, but it’s  one that is essential to your improvisation. You may never be known as the improviser with the great v...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . You don’t need to have all of the answers in improv. You’ll face far too many situations to expect yourself to be prepared to respond to all of them. Not just challenges with the art of improv, but things like figuring out how to promote a show or knowing how and when to talk to your teammates about inter-team issues. So don’t worry a...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . One of the wonderful things about improv is that you never know when a scene is going to end. But what that means is that you can’t improvise toward an ending. The scene you’re in is going to last as long as it lasts. The problem with improvising to an ending is that if you reach the ending during the scene, where do you go from there? Impr...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . There is, indeed, truth in comedy and comedy in truth. But there is also plenty of comedy to be plumbed in crazy. Audiences laugh at the relatable instances of comedic truth. But don’t forget that crazy can also be very funny. Put your judgments away, and don’t be afraid to take your scenes to new, strange, crazy, unexplored places. And don...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Someday, you’ll find yourself in a scene in which you don’t know a pop culture reference. Don’t panic. Remember that the improv world you’re living in doesn’t actually exist, even if that world seems a lot like our world. That means that the pop culture reference that everyone knows in this world means whatever you decide...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . It never hurts your improv to be up on your pop culture references. When Hamilton was first ascending to the wild popularity that it’s reached but before I’d ever even heard of it, I was lost in an improv scene that was absolutely filthy with Hamilton references. I have also been in Pokemon scenes and Last Airbender scenes. At least I think...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Don’t stop for coffee after you just found out your house is on fire. If someone pulls a gun in a scene or slaps someone or gets elected governor, that’s not the best time to address the fact that they forgot to take out the garbage last night. Make sure you focus on the most important thing that’s happening in a scene, and don’...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Make sure that you improvise to the suggestion, not to the ask-for. Let me explain. If you ask the audience for the topic of their most-recent nightmare, and your first scene is about a nightmare, guess what? You’re cheating. The audience didn’t suggest a nightmare, you created that suggestion for yourself in your ask-for. As best as you ca...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . It’s up to you and only you to improvise your way out of bad situations. If you find yourself in an uncomfortable scene with a scene partner with whom you don’t have chemistry, you must not bail on that scene. You cannot rely on anyone else to save you from your situation. Go back to the basics. Focus on what’s happening in the scene,...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Improvising is acting. If you get a chance to take acting classes, you absolutely should. The art of improvisation evolved from actors trying to improve their abilities on stage in all sorts of scenarios. If you have a chance to take traditional acting classes outside of your improv classes, do it. Improvisers are actors, and any additional acting know...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . It’s occasionally tempting to prove how smart you are onstage. Or to take advantage of that bachelor of science you’re not using in your level three improv class. But just because you know how to speak a foreign language or diagram a sentence or sequence a DNA molecule doesn’t mean you need to prove that you do on stage. Don’t w...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . One of the worst habits you can get into as an improviser is trying to finish other people’s sentences. If you’re constantly trying to finish your fellow performers’ sentences you run the risk of denying them their idea, because you might take the sentence in a whole new direction that they weren’t intending. You don’t kno...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . The more tools that you have in your improv toolkit, the better-prepared you’ll be for any scene. If you know you’re not a strong character player, spend time working on your character work. If you generally play with low energy, try playing with high energy for a while. If you never initiate scenes, try initiating as much as you can for a...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . It shouldn't be hard to do object work. If you've moved around in life and interacted with things, you know how to do object work. If you find yourself struggling with convincing object work, start paying attention to the little things you do every day. Pay attention to how you type, notice how you drive, swing a softball bat, and cook dinner....

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Randomness can be the enemy of improv. The best improv sets I’ve seen and performed are when the performers are on the same page as one another creating something brilliant together. Randomness is the opposite of this cohesion. You may--and probably even WILL--get plenty of laughs by shouting out random things in the middle of an improv scene, bu...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . One sentiment that I keep hearing repeated as everyone is hopefully sheltering at home is folks’ appreciation of the creative arts. Let’s face it, everyone would have snapped by now if they didn’t have reruns of Whose Line is It Anyway? or The Office to stream. If people weren’t creating funny statuses and games on Facebook. If...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . One silver lining to the frightening state of the world has been the response by many of my favorite podcasts and improvisers to the pandemic. Podcasters have conducted remote shows, improvisers have hosted fun virtual events, and all sorts of folks used to normally entertaining in person or in a group with people have adapted to the changing condition...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Now that we’re a couple of weeks into our world getting flipped upside-down, you might have had at least one show, audition, class, or rehearsal cancelled. Just last week, the class I had been having a blast teaching was officially cancelled. As trying as this time is right now, try to focus on how great it’s going to be when this is all be...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . Warm up the same way that you want to play. If you have a team that plays in a very high-energy style, make your warmups reflect that style by picking warmups with a high energy. If you have a team that plays with a slower, lower energy, let your warmups reflect that playstyle. If your team is all over the board, pick a range of warmups that similarly...

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater . It would be very handy in improv if you knew exactly what your scene partner was thinking and if they knew what you were thinking. Unfortunately, you’re not mind readers. The more clearly that you can communicate your premise to your scene partner, the better. So let your character speak their mind and state things as plainly as possible. Saying...