The Importance Of Improvisational Theatre

Keith Johnstone says there are people who prefer to say 'yes ' and there are people who prefer to say 'no '. Those who say 'yes ' are rewarded by the adventures they have. Those who say 'no ' are rewarded by the safety they attain. In improvisational theatre actors are taught to always says yes. Which is exactly why Improv should be taught in all schools. Improv is not about the acting or the jokes. It is about thinking fast, being reliable, and confident. Skills all in which a student needs. Improvisation is not only fun, but it is educational and therapeutic. Improv stems from commedia dell’ arte, which started in the mid-1500s in Europe. The troupes in Europe would travel different towns and perform unscripted shows. Every show

It is a way to escape and channel emotions. Just like any other art form. Theatre allows people to put themselves out there. Uta Hagen, theatre teacher and legend, says that it is not about losing yourself in the character, but about finding yourself in the character. Uta Hagen explains in her book Respect for Acting that emotions occur when something happens to people. It momentarily suspends the persons reasoning control and are unable to cope logically. She says to use a release object (acting) to bring out emotions such as triggers or a physical action. Also, she says there is no time to wander through past adventures; one should not be forced to deal with something buried. She is basically saying to transfer emotions into art. Alleviate the pain. This can be done with any form of art. But theatre allows an actor to be someone else and live truthfully in the moment. In a recent interview with G-Star School of the Arts teacher, Brian Edgecomb, he discussed how he has seen theatre heal students and himself. Edgecomb discussed that he lost his mother at a young age and felt alone. He discovered theatre in his teenage years and said he never felt more alive. As if his mother was always right by his side. He took the character’s circumstances and found himself in them. As for students, he says that there are many that come in extremely shy and anxious. They are starting something new and scary for them. After a few months he has seen a drastic change in them. As if they were completely different people. They were outgoing, confident, and fearless. His goals are to push every young student out of there comfort zone, which is exactly what theatre