{"product_id":"the-improv-handbook-9781350026162","title":"The Improv Handbook","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Improv Handbook\u003c\/i\u003e is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance.First published in 2008, this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new and expanded interviews with Keith Johnstone, Neil Mullarkey, Jeffrey Sweet and Paul Rogan. \u003ci\u003eThe Improv Handbook \u003c\/i\u003eis a one-stop guide to the exciting world of improvisation. Whether you're a beginner, an expert, or would just love to try it if you weren't too scared, \u003ci\u003eThe Improv Handbook\u003c\/i\u003e will guide you every step of the way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCo-founders of the London-based improvisational theater company The  Spontaneity Shop, Salinsky and Frances-White provide a wonderful  addition to the growing literature on theatrical improvisation. The book  can serve as both a scholarly resource, since it covers the history of  improvisation from its beginnings to the present, and a practical guide,  for the beginner and advanced improviser... The authors include  interviews with ten leading international improvisers, and they conclude  with an appendix that details many of the most common improvisational  games used in academic and professional settings. This book is a must  for institutions supporting theater and performance programs. Summing  Up: Highly recommended. All readers, all levels. * CHOICE on the first edition *\u003cbr\u003eA brilliant guide for those embarking on an improv journey, or those with more experience looking to recap and refresh. * Drama Magazine *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eContents Foreword by Mike McShane  Introduction to the Second Edition  Introduction  \u003cb\u003eSection One: What Is Improvisation? \u003c\/b\u003e 1.1 What Was Improvisation?  Antiquity  Viola Spolin  Keith Johnstone  ImprovOlympic  The Spontaneity Shop  1.2 Improvisation in Performance  Keith Johnstone and Competitive Improvisation  Del Close and the Harold  Improvisation On TV  \u003cb\u003eIntermission: “Two Stories” \u003c\/b\u003e #1 “From Innovation to Art Form”  #2 “Two Stories”  \u003cb\u003eSection Two: How to Improvise \u003c\/b\u003e 2.1 How to Use This Section  2.2 Teaching and Learning  2.3 Spontaneity  Pointing at Things  What are you doing?  2.4 Saying Yes  2.5 What Comes Next  The Importance of Platforms  Lengths of Platforms  Keeping Promises  Providing Feedback  The Right Trouble for The Right Hero  Solving Problems  Join The Dots  Committees  Endings  The Magic Formula?  2.6 Status  Introducing The Concepts  What is status?  Status Off-Stage  Still Heads  Status Ladders  High Status Competitions  Happy High Status  2.7 Go Through an Unusual Door  Everything for a Reason  Making Assumptions  Strategies for Breaking the Routine  Variations  The CJ Sweep  Tilting  2.8 Working Together  Word at a Time  Standing Wave  Master\/Servant Dubbing  Over-Confessing  Other Games  2.9 Being Changed  Status Switch  Speaking in Tongues  2.10 More on Masters and Servants  The Chair Game  Fingersnaps  Master\/Servant Double Header  2.11 Twitching, Topping and Paper-flicking  2.12 Playing Characters  What is a Character?  Changing the Body  Hilarious Geisha  Characters From a Hat  Shoe Shops  Opposite, Arbitrary, Extreme  Characters with Depth  Characters with Dimension  What do you Want?  2.13 You Can’t Learn Mime from a Book  Fixed Points  Popping  Making Noises  2.14 Control Freak  Hypnotist magician  Sandy Carroll  2.15 Finding the Game in the Scene  2.16 Continue or Thank You  2.17 Agree, agree, agree  When Harry Met Sally  Photo Albums  2.18 Playing Games  Three Word Sentences  Questions Only  Good Games  Dumb But Fun  Never Play  Freak Show Games  Difficult and Easy Games  2.19 Final Thoughts  PROBLEM: Wimps  PROBLEM: Joker  PROBLEM: Yes-sayer  PROBLEM: Shiner  PROBLEM: Random  PROBLEM: Hard worker  Gorilla Directing vs. Micetro Directing  How to be Directed  Final Words to Students at The End of a Workshop or Series of Workshops  \u003cb\u003eIntermission: THE RULES AND WHY THERE AREN’T ANY... \u003c\/b\u003e Never Ask a Question  Know the Other Person  Never Argue, Always Agree  Avoid Transaction Scenes  Start in the Middle  Scripted vs. Improvised Comedy  How to Improvise a Scene That Incorporates All This Advice  \u003cb\u003eSection Three: How to Improvise in Public \u003c\/b\u003e 3.1 Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway  3.2 Starting a Company  3.3 Nuts and Bolts  What show?  What name?  Frequency of Shows  Rehearsal Space  Finding a Venue  Other People’s Shows  Fliers and Posters  Internet  Press  Selling Tickets  Starting the Show  Music and Lights  Ending Scenes  Getting Suggestions  Using Audience Members  Ending the Show  The Next Show  Festivals  \u003cb\u003eIntermission: THE PARADOX OF IMPROVISATION \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eSection Four: Making Improvisation Pay \u003c\/b\u003e 4.1 Performing?  4.2 Teaching Workshops  4.3 Corporate Entertainment  4.4 Corporate Training  4.5 Corporate Events  4.6 How to Get Corporate Work  \u003cb\u003eIntermission: WOMEN IN IMPROV \u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003eSection Five: Talking to Improvisers \u003c\/b\u003e 5.1 Keith Johnstone—The Innovator  5.2 Neil Mullarkey—The Comedy Store Player  5.3 Randy Dixon—The Synthesizer  5.4 Jonathan Pitts—The Impresario  5.5 Charna Halpern—The Keeper of the Harold  5.6 Mick Napier—Power Improviser  5.7 Dan O’Connor—West Coast Legend  5.8 Patti Stiles—Our Teacher  5.9 David Fenton—Theatresports MC Down Under  5.10 Tobias Menzies—The Actor  5.11 Jeffrey Sweet—Illegitimate Grandfather of American improv  5.12 Dylan Emery—Starter of Showstopper  5.13 Paul Rogan—An English Actor and Improviser in LA  5.14 Mike McShane—Transatlantic Improviser and Actor  5.15 Tom Salinsky discusses the improv show Voices in Your Head and its spin-offs with Deborah Frances-White  Afterword  Appendix One: GAMES  Good Games  Animal Expert  Death In A Minute  Dubbing  Fight For Your Number  Handbag  Hat Game  It’s Tuesday  Laugh And Leave  No S  The Removalists  Sexy Smelly Stupid  Small Voice  Speak In One Voice  Speed Dating  Twins  Typewriter  Dumb But Fun  Backwards Scene  Clap Switcheroo  Da Doo Ron Ron  ID Cards  Inner Monologue  Panel  Paper chase  Pillars  Sound Effects  Thumbs Up Thumbs Down  Never Play  Die  Entrances And Exits  Freeze Tag  Genre Rollercoaster Et Al.  Sign Language Translation  Superheroes  Warm-Up Games  Bibbity Bibbity Bop  Big Booty  Electric Company  Fling Shoo-ey  Greetings  I Am, I Am, I Am, I’ll Take  More Stories Like That  Sevens  Spotlight  Yes Let’s\/Nope  You  Appendix Two: SYLLABUS  DAY ONE: Spontaneity  DAY TWO: Status  DAY THREE: Working Together  DAY FOUR: Telling Stories  DAY FIVE: Being Changed  DAY SIX: Defining  DAY SEVEN: Failure  DAY EIGHT: Characters  Glossary of Terms  Thanks  Bibliography","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48738581086551,"sku":"9781350026162","price":25.64,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781350026162.jpg?v=1720049542","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/the-improv-handbook-9781350026162","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}