Study Improv

Fifty years earlier, in a state of agitated anxiety, he [Mike Nichols] had told an interviewer, “I don’t care about being forgotten. I fear getting to the end of my life and feeling I’ve wasted it. I don’t want to get to the end and think I haven’t tasted enough and touched other people enough and had a good enough time.”

In old age, that fear had vanished. All of his desperate urgency had given way to a serenity he had taken a lifetime to find. At one of his favorite restaurants, he had lunch with a friend whose son was about to go out on his own; he was looking for some advice he could share. Did he have any wisdom to offer?

He thought for a moment.

“Well,” he said, “just so long as he knows that things that start out poorly don’t always end poorly.”

He thought some more.

“That,” he said, “and study improv.” -closing passage from the biography, Mike Nichols: A Life by Mark Harris

“The world is a slightly better place for having improvisation in it than it was before. There’s something about it that says something positive about the human spirit, that a bunch of people can get together and by following a few simple traffic rules can create art and can entertain an audience and can thrill and exalt each other. -Del Close

“The rules of improvisation apply beautifully to life. Never say no – you have to be interested to be interesting, and your job is to support your partners.” -Scott Adsit

“Improvisation is the art of being completely okay with not knowing what the f___ you’re doing.” -Mick Napier

“Just say yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards.” -Tina Fey

“No one looks stupid when they’re having fun.” -Amy Poehler

“Those who have learned to collaborate and improvise have prevailed.” -Charles Darwin

I always say that the greatest training for any actor, especially one just starting out, is to study improv. It provides the basic building blocks of listening and responding truthfully under imaginary circumstances. Improvisation is such a valuable tool to have in your acting arsenal. Learn it! Use it!

And I actually think everyone, no matter if they’re in the arts or not, should take an improv class. Besides being incredibly fun–my Chicago years performing weekly improv shows were the most consistent fun I’ve ever had (Long live “The Barking Squirrels”!)–you will learn soft skills like:

Listening. Real listening. Deep listening. (Which in turn, engenders empathy.)

Focus.

Concentration.

Creativity.

Confidence.

Teamwork.

Problem solving.

Decision making.

Thinking quickly on your feet.

Dropping preconceived notions and expectations and going with the flow. (The infamous “Yes, And…” that is necessary for successful improv.)

And many other soft skills.

So, if you’re even thinking about studying improv or taking a class, do it! I promise, you won’t regret it.

P.S. – This Nichols and May improv. (Note: They do violate some of the core improv tenets. But when you’re masters of the form, you can break the rules.)