A Lesson on Improv Technique, with Chris Gethard | Big Think

A Lesson on Improv Technique
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It's easy to treat performative disciplines like improvisational theatre as something people do outside their routine activities — meetings at work, talks with friends and family, romantic encounters, etc.

But New York City improv coach Chris Gethard says that grasping some basic improv skills will improve your performance in all areas of life.

That's because the principles of improve are fundamental: slow down, listen, have integrity, and be positive.
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CHRIS GETHARD:

Christopher Gethard is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is the host of The Chris Gethard Show, a talk show based out of New York City which currently airs on Fusion, and the podcast "Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People," in which he talks to one anonymous caller per episode for one full hour hour and cannot hang up first. Chris has also acted on Broad City, Inside Amy Schumer, Parks & Recreation and more. And he’s the author of the comic memoir "A Bad Idea I’m  About to Do."
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TRANSCRIPT:

Chris Gethard:  I think the key to improv is always listening. It’s embracing. It’s positivity. It’s hearing things and not shutting them down. It’s trying to find ways to make them work. And in the business world I would imagine that’s very invaluable, the idea that it’s very frustrating just to be told no all the time. Improv really revolves around the idea of like whatever you come at me with I’m going to say yes to it. That’s our reality. Let’s get to work. Let’s start there. So just the idea of saying yes to each other and not shutting down ideas, seeing if there’s way to make ideas workable, making that your default setting of like I really want to respect what you’re saying. See if there’s a way to take it somewhere else versus here’s all the things that are wrong with it. I think it’s just a very positive mentality. So I think a lot of people that come across it get very addicted to it because it does feel different, especially the New Yorker. We’re just used to a world where everybody’s kind of grumpy all the time and moving fast. They don’t want to deal with each other. The idea of showing any emotion in public, not good. The idea of slowing down to deal with someone else’s ideas and emotions, not good. Like we’re New Yorkers. We want to get where we’re going. So I think improv really looks at a side of life that’s like well what if we let all that go for a little while and just really work on sort of positively embracing each other’s ideas and really listening hard to what other people have to say. So it’s a pretty beautiful thing when it’s going right.

Very often what you’ll see happen in improv class is when people get nervous about how it’s going is they’ll start saying hey when dad gets home he’s going to be really mad. Or they’ll say like hey, when we get to Reno stuff’s really going to hit the fan. And they start saying like hey this thing that’s going to happen or this thing like hey, remember when you did that thing back then? I’m really made about it. I think one of the things about listening is that it’s always at its most powerful when it’s present, when it’s right here, when it’s right now. And that’s a lesson about improv that I think just made me a much more social person. Like it just made me like when I would go have pitch meetings I was just able to have it better even in my personal life.

I got – when I started really thinking hard about these improv lessons not to get weird but like my dating like just got so much better because the thing I always stress that I think applies to just any conversation I always ask people to answer these three questions when they’re improvising. Why these people? Why right here? Why right now? I always just drill that. Why these people? Why right here? Why right now? Meaning if you’re in a scene and there’s two people and you’re talking about people who aren’t here like they’re not here. They probably aren’t the most interesting thing for an audience to hear about. If you’re talking about a different location than the one the scene is taking place in then why isn’t the scene unfolding there? It sounds more interesting. Why are you teasing an audience? So and another thing to people will often go like hey, you’ll never believe what’s inside this briefcase. And it’s like well that’s invisible. Let’s just talk to each other – us, things we can find common ground whether that’s positive things, disagreem...

[zepp]

Improv always stresses me out because I always feel like I could never come up with something that was actually good.

[monsterbash]

I'm trying to pick up some improv skill because I'm the DM for a D&D group now so I play every non-player character. I've always had social anxiety but I'm trying!

[bulletproofblouse]

Just lean in real close and whisper "I've got a gun".

[atty]

This feels like a life lession. Stay present, focus on the people you are with, where you are and what you are doing. You will be more a positive and intresting person.

[MusixProu]

Dude should give a class called "How to be genuine 101".

[insertyourfeelingshere]

Summary
Accept ideas, the more you say yes the better

Stay in the present don't dwell on the future, only focus on the why and ignore what the audience cannot directly see
Actively focus on the audience, "slow is fast"

[maxwellcooper]

I've never done improv before but this was kind of inspirational. I really like hearing this guy talk about this stuff.

[AussieGirl]

Improve:
- Agree with all statements no matter how absurd and take them further
- Don’t worry about logic

[Idiosyncfilms]

This is great! I think a lot of this advice can be applied to writing and other creative crafts as well.

[brothermanv]

4:17, "Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast" is an old military quote

[kinseymiller]

Bro I hate it when you’re in an improv scene and the other person just isn’t saying anything it’s so awkward.

[andycollier]

I was going to leave a comment just saying how much this guy looked like Jimmy Neutron, but he actually said some really insightful and informative things.

[mussonman]

Gethard is a personal hero of mine. He's been a real inspiration for my improv show on youtube

[wizardofki]

Good communication skills that are useful in any aspect of life.

[jesusofsuburbia]

This helped me in my dnd campaign thanks

[BrickOffAnimations]

This is absolutely brilliant. Applicable to pretty much any facet of life.

[EmbryoMusic]

@ChrisGethard...Thank You! This is SO helpful. I'm a Nyer & you broke it down in a way I can clearly understand....

[emilyphoenixbloom]

good advice! i just signed up for an improv class

[jennygw]

Mosy businesses I have been a part of need to learn this way of communicating.
So many great ideas never get heard because of fear of rejection or drown in a sea of negativity.

[chrisbyerly]

This guy reminds me a lot of my step dad. He was such a great guy, always used to bring out extra large cheese pizzas whenever my friends were over. They all loved him for it. Was really bummed when he sent my mom home in an ambalance though.