what kind of person does it take to be a good improvisational performer?

Question

I've been taking classes doing improv off and on for the last year.
2 levels since last august then am doing level 1 over again b/c i was bored and wanted to meet cool improv people.
the first time i went through, i was ok..but this time i've been "on" more
however. ive also made my first huge mistake.
ive repeated a character premise twice.
something ive NEVER done.

now, the thing about me is that i usually value friendships w/ people who i can have good comedic debate..which means people i can throw an idea out there and they come back with an improved premise on the idea and so forth.
which seems to be basically improv.
growing up,my sister and i usted to challenge each other with coming up with original ideas and not using the same one twice.

but..lately the friendships i have made are not people i can have good comedic debate with..but are good people to knowi feel dried up by the time i go to improv class.

by "comedic debate" I mean putting an idea out there and have the other person build on it..make it better/funnier and then me coming back with one better/funnier,etc.

whenever i talk with my friends, i get a good friend conversation...like about life and decisions about what major to really go after in college,etc..who you really are and what kind of people you like..
but like with this one chick i know..when we do have a good comedic debate..it usually goes for a little bit but it usually ends with her saying " nice!" and thats it then end of it.
i keep seeing all these people who went through my improv classes last semester and were like really open and talkative and dress up as characters..but it takes me a while to open up with people and i don't do a lot of characters..

so im wondering do i have to be like them if i want to be a performer?

i do end up feeling dried up..but it's not b/c i am hiding anything.. i just get the vibe that i can't joke around like i usually do..so i don't try.

i think i usted to be good at pantoming.

when i was younger, we went to san antonio, and we were listening to this mexican indian band performing authenthic music.
everyone was kinda bored but was enjoying the moment.
i was bored and wanted to do something.
so the idea was to do charlie chaplin.
so i created this whole pantomine on the spot of cutting a slice of pie and having it drop on the ground, show the emotion and pour myself a glass of milk.
before i knew it, everyone around us was watching me doing it.
and i amazed both my parents-including my dad who didn't think much of my acting.

Answer 1

Frankly, it sounds like you're thinking too much. Yes, you should prepare when possible, but it should be with the goal of being able to let go and trust your instincts. Upright Citizens Brigade's motto is "don't think," and that's very good advice. Watching people think isn't very entertaining, but watching them react is.

So what does it take to be a good improv performer? For starters, you need an utter willingness to make a fool out of yourself in front of people, and the ability to let it go if you do. (I'm constantly amazed at how many people want to look good in improv. Good gets boring really quickly, for the audience and the performers.) You also need the dedication to work at learning the basic principles of improv, and the ability to get them so ingrained that you don't think about them anymore. And when you're on stage, you need to be able to take whatever happens and work with it. One of my teachers would say, "every mistake is a gift," and it's true: things you don't plan for are what organically open up a scene or character.

For what it's worth, I don't think that it's a crime to re-use character attributes. No, you shouldn't get stuck in a rut -- but if there's an attribute that really works, why not see what else you can do with it? Classes should be a safe space to try that kind of thing.

If the program you're in is stressing you out this much, perhaps you should look into another. There are so many different approaches out there, and one of them might suit you better. Many improv theaters have cheap or free jam nights, where anyone can show up and play and/or watch. These are great opportunities to check out other styles and meet new people... and they're fun!

And, really, having fun is the most important part. If it's not truly fun for you, then you might want to experiment with sketch comedy. It uses many of the same elements as improv, but you can rewrite and revise to your heart's content. Think of it as improv for people who think too much. :)

(Hey, I resemble that remark...)

Answer 2

From your description of yourself and your interests, it sounds like you would be a great improvisational performer. I'm not sure I understand the question, but I think its important to remain true to yourself.

Do you feel "dried up" after hanging out with your non comedic friends? If so, is it because you are hiding who you really are (by not being as funny, or throwing out random debate topics, etc)

Only you can tell if these new groups of people are supposed to be in your life. But hey, worse case scenario- by hanging out with them you will have a great example of someone with no humor to impersonate.

Answer 3

very quick thinker, very creative, very good listener, very intelligent, very well read, very well educated. Excellent pantomimist.