#object work

[incomprehensiblebi]

whenever i get around to writing my first object show i'll put as much transgressive content that would still be meaningful to the narrative exclusively to make osc twitter mad

could it exist without that content? of course it could, but it would be a far more boring and less creatively satisfying work for it. i already planned for it to be "mature," (what does a mature object show even look like) so fuck it

[thinkingaboutimprov]

COMMITMENT

You’d be forgiven for not truly knowing what commitment means in improv. I think the seed of the confusion begins in early level 1 classes. You're doing some big emotional reaction exercise, and you started really going for it. Your teacher got excited for you and yelled “YES, COMMIT”. That caused you to really up the ante and you started crying like a clown and they rewarded you for it by cheering you on, over and over, with that word; COMMIT. I believe at this stage, what was being cheered for, was the fact that you were committing to this class, you were committing to this exercise, you were breaking out of your shell and it was excellent. This is all valid. 

Later in upper level classes, you’re working on chunky sized scene work, your teacher asks you to commit and you become one of two people. The first is the person who responds to that note by beginning to perform some sort of cousin of the clown like emotional response that was rewarded in Level 1, that is loud, and weird and absolutely untruthful and makes no sense in the context of the scene. The second, is the person who does nothing and hopes they get away with not applying the note. 

I only just recently became conscious of how vague this note is to receive. 

I’ve been asking improvisers to commit forever. But a few weeks ago, I finally asked “do you know what I mean when I say commit?”. I was met with blank stares. 

I mean any number of these things - and golly, way more.

Exist in the space like it is REAL. Exist like your name is not {{ Sarah }} and you are not {{ improvising }} and you are not in {{ Improv Class }}.  You are {{ Judith }} and you are in a {{ meeting }} in the {{ board room }}.

Care about the other person like they are REAL.

Hold objects and use them like they are real and not just some wishy washy thing you think is required to make a scene but is really just making you look like anxious salmon. If you’re sweeping - HONOUR THE BROOM, BABY!!

For real, object work is not mandatory to make a scene work. But if you’re going to do it, do it for real! It goes a long way to whisking you & your audience away on a magical journey to another world. I’d absolutely prefer ZERO object work, to anxious salmons. 

React truthfully like the junk being said to you is really happening. 

And so much more...

Heres the thing, the more you commit, the easier improv gets. You won’t miss your opportunity to frame and react to unusual things... you won’t find yourself scanning every line of dialogue worried you’re going to miss it, because it’ll smack you across the face, because you are Judith, in a meeting, in a board room and what was just said to you was WILD!

Thanks for your time. 

[the3rdfloorimprov]

Boris

A short form game where 2 players play an improvised interrogation where one player is the interrogator and the other the suspect. To start this game, the suspect will leave the room and the interrogator will get the suggestion of a location and a crime that the suspect could have committed. Usually it is best for this to be a unique crime that lives outside of the world of regular crimes. Once the suspect is called in, the interrogator will randomly give unconnected hints of what the suspect is guilty of. The goal of the suspect is to admit what they did correctly. For example if the suspect “Stole vintage baseball cards in Miami” the interrogator might hint that the suspect really loves tropical weather or sports. While the suspect is guessing the interrogator can call in Boris who is a gigantic, invisible, improvised, thug of an assistant to the interrogator. When the interrogator calls in Boris, the suspect should be afraid of him and have big reactions to Boris coming in. Then the suspect will improvise as if Boris is beating them up or torturing them until the interrogator called Boris off. The interrogator can call on Boris whenever, but should pace it for comedic value and use it when the suspect guesses wrongly.

In this scene the interrogator never want to directly tell the suspect what they are guilty of, the suspect will always mime being tortured by Boris,  and clues should be given one at a time with location usually coming prior to the crime committed.

[the3rdfloorimprov]

Chain Murder (Object Work) (Short Form) 

Typically done with 4 or more players. 3 players will leave the room and one player will ask the audience for a suggestion of a location, occupation, and murder weapon. Once these 3 suggestions are given the player who got the suggestions will call 1 of the 3 players outside to come back in and them mime using only object work and gibberish talk, the location, the occupation, and finally the murder weapon. The player who this information is being given to will tap their own head twice and spin around when they think they know what each thing is and then finally after they think they know what the murder weapon is they will mime taking it from the other person and mime killing them with said object and then continue the game by calling the next player in to re-mime the 3 things, and so on. This game is very similar to telephone and when the last person goes they will kill themselves with said object and the person who started will ask from last to first what they thought each location, occupation, and object was. Side note this game should move quickly with the next person being called in after about a minute and a half or less.

[the3rdfloorimprov]

Scene (Location) Painting (Object Work, Physicality, Stage Picture)

A backline of players will one at a time paint objects into the scene and use object work as well as verbally tell what they are placing in the scene. So 1 player might say “there is a giant king bed in the center of the room” while framing where the bed might be. Then another player would step out and possibly say “there is a coat hanger to the left of the bed with a collection of fedora hats” while framing where this coat hanger is located in the scene. And so on. This can be used as an opening for a long form piece prior to scene work or an exercise to help with establishing a setting or location, but unless specifically working on object work, the number of objects should be limited to around 7. If working on solely object work having players add 10 or more objects into the scene and then use every single object during the scene can help with movement on stage and physicality. While in the scene players should make sure they don’t walk through objects or accidently drop object after using them.

[the3rdfloorimprov]

Physical Start (Physicality, Object Work)

Both players close their eyes and do physical movement or object work and then open their eyes and continue the movement as they then start the scene.

[improvboston]

#TBT Guess the Object Work - A #BCAF2015 Coloring Book Exercise

Another gem from the #BCAF2015 program. #ObjectWork #Improvisors #Ilustrations https://t.co/pbwuE5kzuE

— ImprovBoston (@improvboston)

September 21, 2015

via Twitter https://twitter.com/improvboston September 21, 2015 at 04:47PM

[improvbest]

What if improvisers in real life behaved the way they do on stage?

This video reminds us to pay attention to our object work. While I find that holding an invisible phone incorrectly can often go unnoticed by your audience, walking into walls, disappearing furniture and incredibly fast undressing can ruin in the blink of an eye the illusion of the scene being created.

What’s your best/worst object work?