Improv Vocabulary
A-to-C — refers to employing free association with the ideas generated in an opening or by a suggestion improvisers should move from "A," the initial idea collected, skip past "B," the first thing that occurs to you after thinking about this idea, and finally use "C," a third idea, when initiating a scene. (UCB)
Accepting — Saying “yes” to the reality presented by other performers. Doesn’t mean always literally saying “yes”, saying “no” can be a way of accepting an offer and advancing a scene. (HI)
Agreement — Accepting offers made by improvisers to create a reality, without knowing their full plan. Especially the agreement about location, relationship, character or activity. Opposite of this is denial. (HI)
Backline — When improvisers line along the back of the stage at the opening or when not in scene. Tends to popular with fast paced long-form as it gives quick access to stage for tag outs and edits. Less popular in improvised musicals and narrative as the stage looks cleaner and more theatrical with only active characters on stage, so in those forms off-stage is usually in the wings or crouched down near the front out of view. People on the backline love rolling up the sleeves of their hoodies. (HI)
Beat — A unit of action in a scene or item in a series of connected scenes. For instance, a Harold is generally composed of 3 beats. Also helpful for learning Game of the Scene as the game can escalate through various beats. Originates from Stanislavski splitting plays into “bits” but everyone misunderstanding his accent and hearing “beats” instead. (HI)
Confidence > Perfection — There is no such thing as the perfect reaction, or the perfect character choice, or the perfect anything in improv. Perfection only delays confidence. Be bold. If you don’t know something, confidently choose to NOT know it, boldly. Mistakes in improv are treated like gifts and opportunities, and justifying (see ‘justifying’) mistakes into the scene helps this. Improv is a sport that requires ideas, quickly. Choose confidence over perfection every time. (SIC)
Crazy Town — When everything in the scene has gone too weird too quickly and there is nobody reacting realistically to anything. Still more fun than boring grey sit around don’t do anything town, so balance and variety is best. (HI)
Discover-Announce-Heighten — A three-step approach to any scene. 1) Discover something in a scene. It can be anything: an emotion, an object, a location, a perspective, a character, a theme, etc. 2) Announce it so other players know it exists — it does not exist in the world until it is announced. 3) Heighten (see ‘heighten’) the importance of these elements by making them increasingly matter to the scene. (SC/SIC)
Edit — A way to interrupt or end a scene. Either done by the director or host, or by the players in Long Form. (HI)
Sweep Edit (improviser runs across front of stage to clear stage)
Tag Out (tap on shoulder removes the character)
Voice-over Edit (improvisers off stage shout “cut to…” … or fast-forward, etc.)
Lights Edit (lights go out to end scene)
Swarm Edit (improvisers turn into a sound and movement thingy inspired by something in scene to transfer to other scene)
Game of the Scene — This is a term especially used by UCB. Simply put, it helps to identify patterns and themes in scenes. There are lots of different ways to define game of the scene. There is no right or wrong game of the scene, it is the duty of the improvisers and cast to pick up on something (and collaboratively communicate it) from the many possibilities and play with it. It’s not the Game of the Scene it’s a Game of the Scene. (HI/UCB)
Heightening — Same as Escalating. Adding information or emotions to the scene, based on what’s already happening on stage. Can increase emotions and build characters, and raise the stakes. (HI)
Justifying — Finding a reason for an offer introduced in the scene or justifying a mistake so it becomes a lovely part of the scene instead of a wart. Good practice is in games like Freeze Tag, get into the position and then justify it. Mistakes in improv are treated like gifts and opportunities, and justifying mistakes into the scene helps this. (HI)
Listening — One of the most important parts of improv. Listening to other players and picking up on offers. There are different types of listening for instance listening to what’s said (the verbal offer), listening to how it was said (the emotional offer), listening to why it was said (the motivation) and also seeing the physical offers made. Improvisers listen to everything, not just the deliberate offers but also the mistakes and accidental offers as these can also be used in the scene. Improvisers aim to replace overly thinking and planning with listening in order to stay in the present moment with their scene partner. (HI)
Monologue — A solo speech, often given directly to the audience. Can be true stories (a common way to open long form sets), or done in character.
Object Work — Miming objects used in the scene.
Out of Your Head — Opposite of being “in your head”. Not thinking, just going with the scene. If you are in your head you tend to think too much about what’s going on, and can limit your spontaneity. Out of your head is being in the flow and responding intuitively in the moment. (HI)
Suggestion (from audience) — Question asked of the audience to get some ideas for the scene. For instance “Can we have a genre?”, “Film Noir!”, “Can we have a word?”, “Pineapple!”, “Can we have a household object?”, “Spatula!”. You don’t always have to take the first suggestion. You can say “Can I get a bunch of suggestions of unusual objects” and pick one that will inspire the team. (HI)
Who What Where — The who / what / where of a scene, establishing who the characters are and what their relationship is, where they are and what they are doing. The rest of the scene is much easier to play once this is done. It doesn’t have to be done in the first line, but early on in the scene is helpful. (HI)
Yes And — One of the fundamentals of improvisation. “Yes” accepts the offer and reality presented by the scene partner, “and” adds and builds on to the offer. It’s not “Yes and here’s something completely different” it’s “Yes, and here’s something that supports and expands on what you just did.” (HI)
Source Credit(s):
The Second City (SC)
Hoopla! Improv Theatre, London (HI)
Upright Citizens Brigade, NYC (UCB)
Superior Improv Co. (SIC)