Improv Tips

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Most improvisers have performed after having a drink or two. I’ve done it. Almost every performer I know has done it. Some improvisers think they’re better performers onstage after having a few drinks. Almost one hundred percent of them are wrong and just don’t realize it, because they’re tipsy. Improv scenes move quickly and require concentration. Alcohol doesn’t help either one of those skills. The only reason I could even fathom that alcohol would help an improviser perform better would be to lower their inhibitions, so they’re not afraid to do the things their character needs to do onstage. But you can practice having the courage to do those things, and the sacrifice of dulling your wit is almost definitely not worth it. It is fun, though. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. During this patriotic time of year in America, I’m thankful that I’m lucky to live in the birthplace of improv comedy and a massive hub for the craft. But you don’t need to be in Chicago, L.A., or New York to do improv. There seem to be more and more improv communities popping up all over the country. And if you’re in a place that doesn’t have a community, there are still opportunities to take online classes and create your own community. How fresh would it be to build a community in a place where improv had never existed? That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. There’s an unfortunately vast imbalance in the number of white male improvisers versus all other represented groups. Whether you’re a part of that group or outside of it, it’s always a good idea to seek out and audition teammates who don’t look and act like you. Not only does diversity strengthen the improv community and craft as a whole, but it will also help your team immensely if you add a completely new, fresh perspective to your team. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. If you’re having a difficult time investing in the emotion of a scene, pull from your own personal life. If your character is sad and you’re not into it, think about the times in your life you've been sad. If you can't get angry at your scene partner, get mad at an old enemy, and use that anger on the stage. It's certainly better to find the emotion from the scene itself, but cheat if you have to. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. In improv, the only props you have onstage are chairs. They're great for sitting on, but that's not all. They're car seats, couches, hospital beds, giant-creators, staircases, and whatever else the outer limits of your mind can make them into. Those chairs are your only props. Use the heck out of them. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. Since improv requires some element of audience participation, you might find that the house occasionally has a hard time distinguishing when they should be talking and when they shouldn’t. There are plenty of great ways to deal with hecklers or disruptive audience members. My favorite, however, is to make them part of the show. With the permission of your fellow cast members, invite them up on stage. They’ll likely either zip it, or you’ll have a great time proving to them that improv isn’t as easy as it appears. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. It’s likely unavoidable that at some point you’re going to have to play in a scene about a sensitive subject or to play a character that you might find difficult to portray in a sensitive, respectful fashion due to your own limited experiences. Instead of advising you to avoid those situations entirely—which is a perfectly valid option—an alternative is to play the situation as though everyone in the room is currently going through the sensitive situation or is of the same race, nationality, or gender of the character you might otherwise avoid playing. If you have that in the back of your mind, you’ll naturally play with the respect toward the subject or the character that you should. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. You’re bound to get tongue-tied at some point during your improv career. If you do ever mispronounce a word or misspeak an entire sentence, instead of correcting it, consider using it. This entire world you’re creating onstage is invented, so why can’t the language be, as well? What may start as a simple verbal miscue could become a hilarious running joke throughout your entire set. Embrace it, and see where it takes you. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. The improv equivalent of Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule is that it takes about 100 sets just to get competently bad at improv. Once you have 100 sets under your belt, you’ll likely either have figured out—or people will tell you—what you’re good at and what you’re bad at. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not knocking it out of the park, 10, 20, or even 50 sets into your improv career. You probably don’t even know what you don’t know yet. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.

I’m Michael Bradt for The Bit Theater. What sometimes gets lost in the woods for some improvisers—myself included—is that improv is supposed to be fun. I’d rather improvise poorly with my friends than create the perfect set with someone I don’t get along with. Don’t get so caught up in the grind and the stress of progressing and learning and judging and winning that you forget to enjoy the time spent playing. That’s your improv tip for the day. Stay safe, stay healthy, love each other, and I will see you next time.