Improv Tips

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 worry about spending brain energy on remembering how to conjugate a verb in Spanish when that energy could be better spent contributing creative ideas to your improv set. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 know for sure what your fellow improviser is going to say, so just let them say it. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 while. Always seek to expand your cache of improv tools. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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. Being mindful of how you interact with objects will help your object work more than any exercise can do. Notice the weight and volume of objects you interact with in real life, and carry those exact same motions onto the stage. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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, but it’s almost always better to work together than to go off on random tangents. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 we weren’t making each other laugh, think, and cry while safely away from one another. Entertainment is important, and your creative energy is valuable. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 conditions of the world. Adapting and overcoming is what being a great improviser is all about, and the best ones aren’t held down by anything happening around them. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 behind us and you once again get to rehearse with your team, or move on to your level three class, or test out that new form that you’ve been putting together in your head for the past few weeks. We will get through this. Don’t get discouraged. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 run the range of energy. It doesn’t make sense to warm up at a frenetic energy level if you want to play slowly, and vice-versa. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.

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 what’s on your character’s mind is a great way to avoid unnecessary confusion in your scenes. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe and stay healthy, and I will see you next time.