Steamrolling is one of those improv topics where everyone wants to talk about the people doing it to them, and almost nobody wants to consider whether they might be doing it themselves. This episode covers both sides.

It starts with what steamrolling actually looks like in a scene (and it probably has less to do with how much someone talks than you think), then gets into the reasons it happens, including some ADHD-specific patterns like verbal processing and dopamine-seeking that can lead to steamrolling without even realising it. There's also a nervous system layer here, because steamrolling can function as a fight response to uncertainty, and getting steamrolled can trigger a freeze or shutdown that makes the whole dynamic worse.

The second half of the episode gets practical. If you're being steamrolled, there are in-scene tools you can try, like pointed questions and well-timed interrupts, and there are exercises to practise both of those with a scene partner.

There's also a solo exercise for building the skill of shifting your character mid-scene. And if you're the one steamrolling, there's some homework about building curiosity toward your scene partners and tracking whether the other characters in your scenes are actually getting to be someone.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Steamrolling is about who controls the scene's content, and it can happen even when both people are talking equally.
• Anxiety and a desire to save the scene cause steamrolling more often than ego does.
• ADHD-related verbal processing, impulse control, and/or dopamine-seeking can create steamrolling patterns without the person realising it.
• Getting steamrolled can involve a freeze or shutdown response, where your nervous system deactivates and you lose access to your ideas.
• The single most effective focus for someone who tends to steamroll is curiosity about their scene partner's character.

CHAPTERS:

00:00 What steamrolling feels like from the inside

01:27 Why steamrolling is about scene content, not volume

03:01 How to tell if a scene was steamrolled

06:10 Patterns vs. one-off big scenes

07:19 Why steamrolling happens

09:22 ADHD and steamrolling

11:43 The nervous system perspective

13:43 What to do when you're being steamrolled

17:48 Exercise: the direct redirect

20:41 Exercise: getting your voice in

23:05 Solo exercise: the character shift monologue

25:31 Homework for steamrollers

RESOURCES:

• E46: Processing feedback/notes (referenced directly in the episode): https://improvupdate.com/receiving-improv-notes-and-understanding-how-your-brain-rewrites-the-feedback/
• E47: Page for THIS episode with all of those things to consider about steamrolling: https://improvupdate.com/steamrolling
• Downloadable Guides all about notes and feedback in improv (for students and for teachers/coaches): https://improvupdate.com/notes

RELATED EPISODES:

• E29: Improving Communication Skills So You Can Improvise With Anyone https://improvupdate.com/improving-communication-skills-improvise-with-anyone/
• E28: Mind Blank on Stage? A 3-Step Reboot for Your Brain https://improvupdate.com/mind-blank-on-stage-a-3-step-reboot-for-your-brain/
• E33: 3-Step System & Exercise to Manage Self-Criticism in Improv https://improvupdate.com/3-step-system-exercise-to-manage-self-criticism-in-improv/
• E46: Processing feedback: https://improvupdate.com/receiving-improv-notes-and-understanding-how-your-brain-rewrites-the-feedback/

Downloadable content

Download the Free Post-Show Reflection Guide: Sent to your inbox when you subscribe to either newsletter (and added to the footer to each message if you're already subscribed).

NEW! Comprehensive guides all about getting notes as a student, or giving them as a teacher. Two guides, big discount if you get both! https://improvupdate.com/notes

Get a booklet with six exercises to help you get reps in challenging scenes called "Exercises to Ruin You"

Get more downloadable booklets here: https://improvupdate.com/downloads

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About

This podcast was created, written, and is hosted by Jen deHaan. Jen has certifications related to healthy communities (Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy), nervous system regulation and soon teacher training certification on community resilience. She has a BFA in teaching creative arts to adults. You can find her full bio here.

This episode was and edited and produced by StereoForest.com.

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