ABSTRACT
The Improv Dictionary: An A to Z of Improvisational Terms, Techniques, and Tools explores improvisational approaches and concepts drawn from a multitude of movements and schools of thought to enhance spontaneous and collaborative creativity.
This accessible resource reveals and interrogates the inherited wisdoms contained in the very words we use to describe modern improv. Each detailed definition goes beyond the obvious clichés and seeks a nuanced and inclusive understanding of how art of the moment can be much more than easy laughs and cheap gags (even when it is being delightfully irreverent and wildly funny). This encyclopedic work pulls from a wide array of practitioners and practices, finding tensions and commonalities from styles as diverse as Theatresports, Comedysportz, the Harold, narrative long-form, Playback Theatre, and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Entries include nuanced definitions, helpful examples, detailed explorations of the concepts in practice, and framing quotes from a leading practitioner or inspirational artistic voice.
The Improv Dictionary offers valuable insights to novice improvisers taking their first steps in the craft, seasoned performers seeking to unlock the next level of abandon, instructors craving a new comprehensive resource, and scholars working in one of the numerous allied fields that find enrichment through collaborative and guided play.
Each significant entry in the book is also keyed to an accompanying improv game or exercise housed at www.improvdr.com, enabling readers to dig deeper into their process.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
letter |24 pages
A
entry |3 pages
Abandon
entry |2 pages
Accepting
entry |3 pages
Accusation
entry |3 pages
Acting
entry |1 pages
Action
entry |3 pages
Active Listening
entry |1 pages
Activity
entry |2 pages
Advancing
entry |1 pages
Agreement
entry |2 pages
Ambiguity
entry |2 pages
Antagonist
entry |1 pages
Antecedent Action
entry |2 pages
Approval
entry |4 pages
Archetype
entry |3 pages
Ask-For
entry |2 pages
Assumption
entry |3 pages
Audience
entry |2 pages
Auditions
letter |13 pages
B
entry |1 pages
Backline
entry |1 pages
Backstory
entry |2 pages
Balance
entry |1 pages
Blackout
entry |2 pages
Blocking
entry |1 pages
Bravery
entry |1 pages
Breaking
entry |3 pages
Breaking Routines
entry |3 pages
Bulldozing
entry |3 pages
Bulletproof
entry |3 pages
Button
letter |38 pages
C
entry |1 pages
CAD
entry |3 pages
Callback
entry |3 pages
Caller
entry |1 pages
Calling Your Shot
entry |3 pages
Canadian Cross
entry |1 pages
Canceling
entry |3 pages
Cartooning
entry |1 pages
Censorship
entry |2 pages
Change
entry |1 pages
Chaos
entry |3 pages
Chapter Two
entry |3 pages
Character
entry |2 pages
Check-In
entry |1 pages
Circular
entry |2 pages
Cleverness
entry |1 pages
Climax
entry |3 pages
Comedy
entry |3 pages
Commenting
entry |2 pages
Commitment
entry |2 pages
Complementary Action
entry |3 pages
Confession
entry |3 pages
Conflict
entry |3 pages
Connections
entry |3 pages
Consent
entry |2 pages
Corpsing
entry |3 pages
Crow
entry |3 pages
Culpability
entry |2 pages
Curve Ball
entry |1 pages
Curve of Absurdity
letter |11 pages
D
entry |1 pages
Deadpan
entry |1 pages
Deal
entry |2 pages
Decider
entry |1 pages
Denial
entry |1 pages
Denouement
entry |3 pages
Deviser
entry |3 pages
Discovery
entry |3 pages
Drama
entry |4 pages
Dramaturgical Improv
letter |19 pages
E
entry |3 pages
Edits
entry |3 pages
Emotional Truth
entry |1 pages
Empathy
entry |2 pages
Endowee
entry |1 pages
Endower
entry |2 pages
Endowing
entry |3 pages
Ensemble
entry |2 pages
Entrances
entry |2 pages
Environment
entry |2 pages
Erasure
entry |2 pages
Exits
entry |2 pages
Should I Stay, Or Should I Go Now?
entry |3 pages
Experts
entry |2 pages
Exposition
entry |2 pages
Extending
letter |18 pages
F/G
entry |1 pages
Falling Action
entry |2 pages
Fear
entry |3 pages
Focus
entry |1 pages
Follower
entry |2 pages
Forgiveness
entry |2 pages
Freshness
entry |2 pages
Gagging
entry |4 pages
Game of the Scene
entry |1 pages
Get
entry |1 pages
Ghost Character
entry |3 pages
Gibberish
entry |3 pages
Give
entry |1 pages
Good Faith
entry |3 pages
Groupmind
entry |1 pages
Gut Check
letter |14 pages
H/I
entry |3 pages
Handle
entry |1 pages
Healing Arts
entry |1 pages
Heat
entry |3 pages
Heighten
entry |1 pages
Hoop
entry |4 pages
Hosting
entry |1 pages
Ick Check
entry |1 pages
Ignition
entry |3 pages
Improvisation
entry |3 pages
Inclusiveness
entry |1 pages
Inherent
entry |3 pages
Initiation
letter |13 pages
J/K/L
entry |1 pages
Jokes
entry |1 pages
Judging
entry |2 pages
Justification
entry |2 pages
Kindness
entry |2 pages
Levels
entry |2 pages
Linear
entry |1 pages
Location
entry |3 pages
Long-Form
entry |2 pages
Looking Backwards
entry |3 pages
Looking Good
entry |3 pages
Love
letter |12 pages
M/N
entry |1 pages
Make Matters Worse
entry |1 pages
Mapping
entry |3 pages
Material
entry |1 pages
Mischief
entry |1 pages
Mime
entry |1 pages
Mistakes
entry |1 pages
Motivation
entry |1 pages
Move
entry |3 pages
Mugging
entry |4 pages
Music
entry |3 pages
Names
entry |1 pages
Naming the Game
entry |2 pages
Narrative
entry |2 pages
Negating
entry |1 pages
Negativity
entry |1 pages
No
letter |9 pages
O
entry |3 pages
Objective
entry |1 pages
Obstacle
entry |2 pages
Obvious
entry |4 pages
Offer
entry |1 pages
Opposites
entry |1 pages
Overlay
entry |1 pages
Overload
entry |2 pages
Over-Originality
letter |19 pages
P
entry |3 pages
Parallel Action
entry |3 pages
Passenger
entry |1 pages
Patterns
entry |3 pages
Physicality
entry |2 pages
Pimping
entry |1 pages
Player
entry |1 pages
Platform
entry |2 pages
Plot
entry |1 pages
Point of Concentration
entry |3 pages
Point of View
entry |2 pages
Postmortem
entry |2 pages
Postponing
entry |2 pages
Presence
entry |2 pages
Problem
entry |1 pages
Process
entry |1 pages
Prompt
entry |1 pages
Protagonist
entry |1 pages
Punching Down
entry |3 pages
Punching Up
letter |12 pages
Q/R
entry |4 pages
Questions
entry |1 pages
Randomness
entry |3 pages
Rehearsal Etiquette
entry |2 pages
Reincorporation
entry |2 pages
Relationship
entry |1 pages
Revelation
entry |3 pages
Rhyme
entry |2 pages
Rising Action
entry |1 pages
Routine
entry |1 pages
Rug Pull
entry |1 pages
Rule of Threes
entry |1 pages
Rules
letter |44 pages
S
entry |3 pages
Scene Painting
entry |1 pages
Second Support
entry |4 pages
Secrets
entry |2 pages
Selfishness
entry |3 pages
Shape of Show
entry |1 pages
Sharing Focus
entry |3 pages
Shelving
entry |3 pages
Shining
entry |2 pages
Shivving
entry |2 pages
Short-Form
entry |3 pages
Showing
entry |3 pages
Sidecoaching
entry |3 pages
Side Support
entry |1 pages
Silence
entry |1 pages
Solution
entry |3 pages
Space Objects
entry |2 pages
Speaking Your Truth
entry |3 pages
Specificity
entry |3 pages
Split Focus
entry |1 pages
Spontaneity
entry |1 pages
Stage
entry |4 pages
Stage Picture
entry |2 pages
Stage Violence
entry |2 pages
Stakes
entry |1 pages
Starting Scenes
entry |2 pages
Statement
entry |3 pages
Status
entry |1 pages
Steamrolling
entry |1 pages
Step Out, Step Back In
entry |1 pages
Stereotype
entry |2 pages
Sticky Feet
entry |3 pages
Strangers
entry |1 pages
Structure
entry |3 pages
Subtext
entry |1 pages
Suggestion
entry |1 pages
Super Objective
entry |1 pages
Surprise
entry |2 pages
Sweep
letter |17 pages
T
entry |1 pages
Tag
entry |3 pages
Take
entry |2 pages
Talking Heads
entry |1 pages
Target Rhyming
entry |2 pages
Teaching Scene
entry |1 pages
Teamwork
entry |3 pages
Technicians
entry |3 pages
Telling
entry |1 pages
Theme
entry |2 pages
Third Act
entry |2 pages
Third Thought
entry |1 pages
Tiebreaker
entry |1 pages
Tilt
entry |1 pages
Tip of the Hat
entry |3 pages
Transaction Scene
entry |2 pages
Trust
entry |3 pages
Truth
letter |10 pages
U/V
entry |2 pages
Upstaging
entry |3 pages
Urgency
entry |1 pages
Vagueness
entry |3 pages
Verbal Skills
entry |3 pages
Volunteers
entry |3 pages
Vulnerability
letter |9 pages
W
entry |2 pages
Waffling
entry |2 pages
Warm-Up
entry |1 pages
Wearing Your Character Lightly
entry |2 pages
Weaving
entry |1 pages
What
entry |3 pages
Where
entry |1 pages
Who
entry |3 pages
Wimping
entry |2 pages
Winning
entry |1 pages
WWW
letter |7 pages
X/Y/Z
entry |3 pages
X-Rated
entry |1 pages
Yes, and…
entry |1 pages
Yes, But…
entry |1 pages
Yielding
entry |2 pages
You
entry |4 pages
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