July Study Group
Improv Skills and Techniques
The study group session focused on improv exercises, with Carrie explaining their purpose in helping actors develop quick thinking and audition skills. Carrie introduced the basic rules of improv, including "Yes, and," which involves affirming and building upon a scene partner's statements. The group then played a warm-up game called "7 Things," where participants take turns naming items in a category while the rest of the group counts and encourages them, even when they make up names if they can't think of a real one.
Deepening Improv Through Storytelling
Carrie led an improvisation exercise focused on building relationships and giving meaningful gifts in scenes. She emphasized the importance of adding backstory and familiarity to conversations, contrasting with transactional exchanges. The exercise aimed to encourage deeper, story-driven improvisation rather than purely transactional or superficial interactions.
Improv Exercise and Feedback Discussion
The group discussed their experiences with an improv exercise, where they played scenarios involving a carnival and a mother's role. Carrie provided feedback on the exercise, emphasizing the importance of not asking questions unless it's part of the game, as questions can sometimes hinder the flow. Brooke shared her observation about the challenge of shifting into a motherly role and the difficulty of saying "no" versus "yes" in improv. Gerald, who was new to improv, expressed his enjoyment of the exercise and his willingness to continue practicing. The group also discussed the TV show "Bluey" as an example of improv-like behavior in a scripted context.