What is improv ?

What the heck is improv anyway?

At its core, improv means the people on stage are making everything up. It doesn’t mean we don’t rehearse! We absolutely do. Think about it like practicing for a team sport: you have to do a lot of layups in practice so you can be comfortable making the shot in a game.

There are lots of different kinds of improv. Let’s talk about them!

Short-form improv is very interactive and tends to rely more heavily on audience participation. It's often performed as a series of games with rules that the performers follow. (Examples: Game Changer, Whose Line Is It Anyway?)

Long-form improv is a continuous improvised piece that is inspired by a single suggestion at the start. One or more narratives may be explored and maintained. Long-form encompasses a wide variety of performance styles, but is usually funny, often moving, and always one-of-a-kind. (Examples: Middleditch & Schwartz, Murderville)

Freeform improv is kind of halfway between short-form and long-form. It allows the performers to follow the fun while also incorporating many audience suggestions.

Narrative improv is basically an improvised play. This is sometimes performed in a genre and often explores both humor and pathos. Narrative improv pieces tend to be longer than short-form or long-form and can explore a wider range of emotions.

Musical improv comes in many forms! Basically, you can add musical elements to any of the above.

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