A tweet storm about teaching improv:
Recently, I was asked what I like to teach, and it felt like an oddly probing question. I know what I teach, but what do I like to teach?
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to teach improvisors to make surprising choices, to indulge weird impulses and irrational reactions, and then to make sense of them.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to teach improvisors to pay attention to the behavior of their scene partner, not just their words.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to teach improvisors to react with their body and with gestures, not just respond with words.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to find the types of things that frequently happen in plays but don't happen in improv and get improvisors to try them.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to teach La Ronde because I think it's the improv form that best taught me how to explore characters and their games.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to teach Monoscenes, because it forces improvisors to really own their choices for more than a 90 second scene.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I also like how through Monoscenes I can teach improvisors to advance into new territory without editing the scene.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I like to teach Harolds because a great opening can be funny and joyous and thought provoking and weird and smart all at the same time.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
I also like Harolds because so few other improv forms encourage players to create group games. Group scenes maybe, but not group games.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
Few forms require the discipline that Harolds do. In other forms if a scene bombs, you can forget it. Harold requires 2 more beats.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
And finally, I like teaching improv students that the rule their level 1 teacher told them can and should be broken.
— Kevin Mullaney (@ircmullaney) April 27, 2017
