ImfunnyInevitably, after one of our improv comedy shows, I hear:

“I’m funny!  How can I be a Jester?”

I encourage them to take improv classes.  (Which of course turns some people off.  They think getting on stage and acting goofy or just saying something funny is all it takes.)

So why take an improv class if you are ALREADY FUNNY??

Here is a list of talents, skills, knowledge that being a REALLY good improviser has to make them MORE than just funny – it makes them a wizard of their comedic performance.  They look at great comedic actors like Steve Carrel, Tina Fey, Chris Farley, Amy Poehler, Jimmy Fallon, and many others, and think all they are doing is saying something funny and people laugh…  The kind of performer (or team) that has their audience eating out of the palm of their hand. The performer (or team) that can snap their finger and the audience laughs.

The expert comedic actors of our time make it look like they are “just being funny” or “saying funny things” is all they are doing, but there’s WAY more to it!!  They make it look easy because they have more fully developed skills that were refined over years through trial and failure.

This list in incomplete – but I hope it gives you an idea of what skills our improvisers have to work on, develop and hone, just so that you can enjoy an improv comedy show:

  • acting skills – at the core of performance improv we are ACTORS – creating a reality and displaying a “slice of life” from these characters, in the moment
  • commitment to choice – we have to commit to what we say and do, even if it’s a bad choice!
  • show emotion – we have to be in touch with our emotions and be vulnerable to share raw emotion
  • draw from real life experiences – you must live a life outside of the theater so that you have experiences to draw from.
  • creative genius – able to think outside the box within a reality that an audience can relate to
  • character development – we are creating a variety of characters each and every show
  • writer / editor / actor – we are full creators of each scene
  • Know everythingall knowing – we must know a little bit about everything:
    • history / current events
    • pop culture / famous stars
    • literature styles
    • film genre’s / cliches
    • human psychology / philosophy
    • international cultures / stereotypes / accents
    • the list goes on…
  • team player – we collaborate together to create something greater than ourselves alone
  • quick mind – we need the ability to think faster than the audience and create a variety of options in the blink of an eye
  • star / co-star / extra – knowing your place in the scene just might mean you are an extra in the background
  • be patient – have the patience to allow the scene to develop or an idea to be explored
  • fearless – to try something with a possibility of failure.
  • embarrass yourself – if the scene asks you to cluck like a chicken, you do it.  No hesitations – no second guessing yourself or your choices.  You do what’s necessary for the scene.

So – does that scare you from taking a class?  It shouldn’t!!  Instead, it should inspire you to take an improv class in which you get to develop a FULL set of life skills that more fully develop your personality and talents.  Not ALL JesterZ improv main stage players are 100% proficient in all these skills, they are constantly working on being the BEST improv performers they can be so that YOU can enjoy an improv comedy show that can’t be matched.

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So, if you are JUST funny, use your skill on dates and at parties.  Make people like you and laugh!

BUT…

if you want to develop to be a full fledged entertainer/performer – take an improv class!

 

**This list in incomplete!!  (if you are an improviser and have MORE to add, please enter them in the comments below).

CLICK HERE for info on JesterZ Improv classes!