Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation by Charna Halpern, Del Close, Kim Johnson Read Free Book Online Page B

singles.
    (All agree emphatically.)
    AD EXEC: Okay, we need a name.
    RESPONSE: Dinner Companion Dog Food.
    (Shouts of approval)
    AD EXEC: Great! We need a slogan.
    RESPONSE: How about "When you're lonely, feed your dog?"
    (Group praise)
    AD EXEC: (Repeating all suggestions so far, so that all is remembered)
    Okay! Dinner Companion Dog Food. "When you're lonely, feed your
    dog." Hmmm . . . how are we going to market this? RESPONSE: TV!
    AD EXEC: Yes! Now, who should we get as spokesperson for this type of
    product?
    RESPONSE: How about the perfect conversationalist — Barbara Walters?
    (Screams of delight)
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AD EXEC: Perfect! What's this commercial going to look like?
    RESPONSE: I see a candlelight dinner for two. A beautiful table
    exquisitely set.
    OTHERS JOIN IN: And between the two candelabras is a gleaming silver
    can opener!
    Yes! Seated at the table are Barbara Walters and her dog!
    She is, of course, asking the dog a lot of very personal questions ...
    Which he answers with charm and wit!
    AD EXEC: Wonderful! Is there music playing?
    RESPONSE: Yes! Violin playing "Talk to Me, Like Lovers Do."
    ANOTHER PLAYER: The label of the can will have a picture of a dog
    dressed in a suit and tie, with a boutonniere in his lapel and bouquet of
    roses tucked under his paw.
    AD EXEC: And above that, the words "Dinner Companion. When you're
    lonely, feed your dog."
    Another example was an Ad Game played during a Harold with the theme of "advertising." The Ad Game was used to show the important role advertising has played throughout history.
    The scene takes place between Jesus and his disciples in a brainstorming session for ideas to enhance the number of Jesus' followers. They immediately agree that rumors of a couple of miracles would be helpful, and agree to say that his mother was a virgin (although some resist this idea, thinking it too unbelievable).
    Judas has an idea for a jingle. He sings "Silent Night, Holy Night/We're gonna rock around the clock tonight."
    All the other disciples laugh and chide him for his musical ideas, especially his earlier suggestion for a musical play called "Godspell." He becomes angry and storms out. Trying in vain to get Judas to return, Jesus calls out to him, "Come on, Judas, turn the other cheek!"
    Peter seizes this opportunity to use Jesus' statement as their new slogan. "After all," he says, "It's so much easier to understand than It is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get to heaven'."
    All the disciples agree.
    Now a spokesperson is needed. Simon shouts, "John the Baptist!"
    "Yes," all agree. "There's a man with a head on his shoulders." (The audience groans here set off the Joke Alarm, warning the players not to get too "jokey.")
    In heavy thought, Jesus paces back and forth across the room. He says, "We still need something else. Something big that will sell the crowd."
    Meanwhile, the waitress begins removing the dinner dishes from the table. Noticing that Jesus' plate is still full, she asks, "Is he finished, or is he coming bac k?"
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In unison, the disciples scream with delight, "HE'S COMING BACK!" Using the basic idea of the Ad Game, the players rewrote biblical history.
    KEY POINTS FOR CHAPTER FOUR *Yes, and ... Accept and build.
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CHAPTER FIVE
    Initiations and Game Moves
    Giving Gifts
    Improvisation is like steering a car by looking through the rear view mirror, according to British director Keith Johnstone. You don't know where you're going, you can only see where you've been.
    When two improvisers step on stage, neither one should know anything about the scene they are about to create — they basically start with nothing.
    In improvisation, an initiation is the first information provided by one of the players. This can be a line of dialog, a gesture, or even an attitude.
    A good initiation is vital to the scene, because it provides players with information that forms the foundation ot their scene. The be5st initiations make