How To Start Your Own Improv Comedy Group

by Paul Johan Stokstad, 1stworld Library (Editor)

What if all the theatre books in the world taught people how to rehearse but not how to perform? Nothing on presentation. This odd situation exists in the genre of improv theatre books, where there are quite a few published tomes providing improv training, but nothing, really, on how to perform it in front of a live audience. This book gives all the tools that a reasonably competent adult would need to understand improv theatre, train others, form a performing group, and keep it together as long as possible. The unique element of this book is it's focus not only on improv concepts and games but on practical guidelines for creating a viable performing group and staging improv games for live audiences. The book includes an extensive game list with staging comments.

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Corina Anghel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book for beginners. It offers some teaching tricks and some basic workshop plan ideas, but it also focuses on logistics. For example: to take into account both the content and the marketing "strategy", how to deal with "management" issues etc. It puts things in a perspective so that you can have a bigger picture and read more on the topic where you need more info.

[Dan Richter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein paar anständige organisatorische Hinweise, ein paar Games. Alles nett geschrieben. Aber Stokstad kann sich nicht recht entscheiden, ob er ein Schauspiel-Impro-Handbuch schreiben will, eine Anleitung, wie man Games spielt oder einen Ratgeber für Ensemble-Leiter. All das gerät ein bisschen durcheinander.
Dennoch lesenswert, vor allem für beginnende Profis.

[Jesse Stoddard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has some great practical advice that lives up to the title. It is by no means exhaustive or extensive, but it delivers on the promise sufficiently. The author even responded to an inquiry I made. I love this simple book.