Improv Comedy

by Andy Goldberg, John Ritter (Foreword)

Improv Comedy - 20th Anniversary Edition by Andy Goldberg Includes exclusive interview with Emmy winner Bryan Cranston IMPROV COMEDY is a must-have book for any student of comedy. It is an invaluable collection of classic scene setups and exercises along with a toolbox of useful advice for building engaging characters, plots and funny situations. This 20th Anniversary Edition of Andy Goldberg’s classic textbook, originally published by SAMUEL FRENCH, is a welcome update to what has become the “modern bible” of improvisational comedy. Widely used by students, teachers, professional actors and even corporate trainers, this book is a treasure trove of exercises, games and fundamental wisdom about building characters that can help anyone become a better actor, writer, performer or communicator.

194 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful guide for anyone wishing to get started in the fun field of Improvisational performing, particularly comedy improv. Clear, concise descriptions. Not an extensive amount of information, and there could have been even more improv games/exercises listed in the final chapters, but considering that the book came out back in 1991, and Improv has exploded in the subsequent years, it was still a useful book.

[Sheena P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am an improviser. The first part is really useful about things to think about when creating a character on the spot. Some of the tips do seem dated and I find it odd for improv because it's planning the characters to play and how the flow of the story will go before going up the stage. He does say it's a choice to do that or not.
The exercises in the last part are a lot but hard to visualize how they can be executed because there are no examples, it's just really a quick list.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a book from 1991, still holds up pretty well. A few conventions have been mostly phased out however since then, such as recycling characters, wearing costumes and using real props.
Explains every asset of basic improv. In fact, it's only flaw may be in that it tends to over-explains the rules.