Books About Improvisation
Improvisation in the Expressive and Performing Arts by
This book explores the process of improvisation and outlines the ideal conditions for an inspirational creative state. Examining her own process as an artist and drawing on interviews with peers, the author considers how the forces of shaping (intellect-driven decisions) and letting-go (more intuitive moves) interact in improvisation. The book follows the journey of seven performing arts graduates and undergraduates, examining their experiences of improvisation and the interplay of shaping and letting-go. It reveals how the approach and methods of expressive arts can enrich an improviser's experience and spur the desire for discovery.
Location: Available OnlinePublication Date: 2019
Improvising Cinema by
Gilles Mouëllic examines improvisational practices that can be specifically attributed to the cinema and argues in favors of their powers as instigators of unprecedented forms of expression. Improvising Cinema reflects both on the permanence of attempting improvisation and the relationship between technology and aesthetics. Mouëllic concludes preservation becomes even more invaluable in the case of improvisation, as the creative act exists only within the brief time span of the performance.
Location: Available OnlinePublication Date: 2013
Creativity: the Actor in Performance by
Creativity: the Actor in Performance focuses on what it takes to be a creative performer. Many stage-actors succeed in rehearsals, yet under-perform where it counts--in performance. But, as actors know, performance is a thing unto itself--something is going to have to happen out there beyond anything that happened in rehearsals. This book provides actors, their teachers and directors with insights into the creativity of the actor in performance. An historical account of the emergence and development of one of the most generative concepts of our times - creativity - provides a theoretical backdrop to a critical discussion of the creativity of acting - a discussion that includes analyses of Denis Diderot, George Henry Lewes, William Archer, Konstantin Stanislavsky, Michael Chekhov, Michel Saint-Denis, Zeami and Eugenio Barba. Creativity: the actor in performance concludes by offering a detailed rationale for performance-oriented actor training, offering examples of workshop exercises (CREATICS) which focus on developing four main competencies crucial for successful and creative performances: situation awareness, audience awareness, divided consciousness and presence.
Location: Available OnlinePublication Date: 2014
Improv Nation by
"Like the best of his subjects, which include Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray and Tina Fey, Wasson has perfect timing."--Minneapolis Star-Tribune Finalist for the 2017 George Freedley Memorial Award In this richly reported, scene-driven narrative, Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv from its unlikely beginnings in McCarthy-era Chicago. We witness the chance meeting between Mike Nichols and Elaine May, hang out at the after-hours bar where Dan Aykroyd hosted friends like John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner, and go behind the scenes of cultural landmarks from The Graduate to The Colbert Report. Along the way, we befriend pioneers such as Harold Ramis, Chevy Chase, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler, Alan Arkin, Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, and many others. "Compelling, absolutely unputdownable...And, in case you're wondering, yes, the book is funny. In places, very funny. A remarkable story, magnificently told."--Booklist "One of the most important stories in American popular culture...Wasson may be the first author to explain [improv's] entire history...a valuable book."--The New York Times Book Review "Improv Nation masterfully tells a new history of American comedy...It holds the element of surprise--true to the spirit of its subject."--Entertainment Weekly
Location: Available OnlinePublication Date: 2017
Improvisation in Drama by
Improvisation in Drama was the first book to offer a unified view of work central to most drama training. This new edition features new practical examples and includes extended assessments of various practitioners as well as further coverage of women practitioners, non-western theatre, 'long form' improvisation and live-action role play
Location: Mugar PN2071 I5 F76 2007Publication Date: 2007
The Improvisation Game by
Packed with exercises and practical techniques, The Improvisation Game explores how improvisation can be used both to create performance and as an end in itself. It reveals the techniques, structures, and methods used by key practitioners in the field of improvised drama, music, and dance--among them are Keith Johnstone, Max Stafford-Clark, Phelim McDermott, Tim Etchells, John Wright, and Robert Lepage.
Location: Mugar PN2071 I5 J629 2006Publication Date: 2006
The Second City Almanac of Improvisation by
It all began in a converted Chinese laundry on Chicago's north side on a cold December night in 1959. No one could have known that by the next century, The Second City would have established itself as the premier comedy institution in the world. Taking its act north, The Second City would build a second permanent home in Toronto where it would create the Emmy-Award winning television series "SCTV." Pioneering the use of improvisation in developing talent and creating satiric revue comedy, The Second City has become - in the words of the New York Times - "A Comedy Empire." The Second City Almanac of Improvisation - like the theatre itself - is a collection of diverse ideas, viewpoints, and memories, written by a vast array of teachers, actors, and directors who all got their start at the legendary comedy theatre. Fred Willard recalls his introduction to The Second City style in the mid-Sixties; Tim Kazurinsky gives a hilarious visual demonstration on the art of object work; "Saturday Night Live" star Tina Fey talks about re-improvising material as a mode of writing revue comedy; noted director Mick Napier takes on the thorny debate between long-form improvisation and short-form improvisation. Anne Libera guides the reader through each essay by providing a road map for understanding how The Second City method of improv-based comedy has become the industry standard. Mike Nichols, Elaine May, Alan Arkin, Joan Rivers, Robert Klein, Peter Boyle, Harold Ramis, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, John Candy, Martin Short, Gilda Radner, George Wendt, Jim Belushi, Bonnie Hunt, Mike Myers, Ryan Stiles, Rachel Dratch, Nia Vardalos - no other theatre can boast an alumni list of this magnitude. The Second City Almanac of Improvisation provides practical instruction, personal details, and inspiration to both improvisers and their fans.
Location: Mugar PN2071 I5 S43 2004Publication Date: 2004
