|
I once had a student ask me if I
thought he had enough “talent” to take my class.
I thought that was a strange question. I’d never considered “talent”
a prerequisite to learning
anything, especially something that is designed to
bring out people’s so-called “hidden” talents. That started me
thinking, “What is talent?”
Talent is perceived as some
magical gift or ability that only a few “chosen” people
have bestowed upon them while the rest of us are boring, unworthy
and unimaginative.
Furthermore, talent is seen as some genetic predisposition, like
being double-jointed or having a perfect pitch; you either have it
or you don’t.
When I think about a person
having talent, I think of them demonstrating the fullest
expression of themselves; they have overcome whatever barriers might
have inhibited them from that
expression. Some of us have more barriers to overcome
than others such as fear, censorship, judgment, lack of self-confidence,
awareness, fear of losing control, wanting to be “right” or
“clever” and fear of looking
silly.
The fear of looking silly has
always interested me, especially working with actors,
who by definition, want to attract attention and “live fully” in
front of an audience. Part of the
thrill of acting is to communicate and let the
audience live vicariously through the actor’s performance and yet
some actors have a fear of
looking silly. That certainly is one of the self-imposed
barriers I see frequently in people during improv training.
Looking ridiculous in public
seems to be something most people avoid at all costs.
However at the same time, we idolize and pay huge amounts of money
to comedians and performers who are
“extreme,” “outrageous,” “out there,” “over-the-top,”
and “emotionally naked.” People like Jim Carey, John Belushi,
Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson, for example, are famous precisely
because they are willing to go where most people won’t and we love
to live vicariously through them.
Improvisational training
helps break down barriers to the expression of your creativity.
I believe everyone is creative and that creativity already resides
within us. Some people have easier access to it and others have to
work at chipping away the barriers,
but that creativity is in all of us.
I’ve learned never to
predict people’s success in class. I’ve worked with people
who seemed to have it all going in: outgoing, quick, funny, lots of
stage presence. I’ve also worked
with people who didn’t seem to “get it” right
away and struggled with the process for a much longer time.
What I found was that once the
person who was struggling “got it,” often their
understanding was far deeper and their work far more rewarding than
the rather limited glib “one-note”
performance of the student for whom it seemed
to come more easily. Everyone learns in his or her own way, and in
their own time.
Part of improv training is about
releasing yourself from judgment. Part of that
self-judgment manifests itself in how soon the student “gets” it
and how quickly he or she
progresses. Players who judge themselves a lot will often
shut down and give up. This is especially the case when they feel
(right or wrong) that they are not
getting a game or exercise. People sometimes
feel they have to do every exercise perfectly, as if there is a
right way to do it. I often tell my
students that just because an exercise appears
to be simple it doesn’t mean it is easy. If everyone could do this
easily, I wouldn’t have a job.
Sometimes tapping into your “talent”
requires hard work and improvisation is a
skill like any other. You are not responsible for skills you haven’t
developed yet. When players get
down on themselves, I tell them, “Don’t judge
or criticize what you did…diagnose. Look at the scene or exercise
from a distance. Ask
yourself what got in the way, so you don’t repeat it next time.”
It is important to see your obstacles as just that rather than
personal “failings.” Once you
are freed from the fear of failing, censoring and
negative judgment, you will give your natural talent room to grow.
Doug Kassel, November, 2003.
How
to be a Better Improviser- Dan Goldstein
Guide for
improving your improv acting.
Kiss
the Lizard- Doug Kassel
Advice
for
increasing the drama and energy in your scenes.
The Rules of Improv Part I
- David Alger
Some
basic and advanced "rules" to make your scenes stronger.
Making Sense of the Merkle -
Doug Kassel
Free
association and sound games for improving expressiveness.
Register for Audition |