Giving Gifts, a widely-known-exclusive-IMPROV-SECRET
The best improvisers I’ve seen can work with anybody and make them look good. This is a skill that comes with years of practice, but can be utilized at any time in an improviser’s career. Giving your scene partner “gifts” will improve the quality of any scene tenfold.
At Second City, they teach the notion that “you are only as good as your scene partner.” While it is necessary to be selfish once in a while, the best thing you can do to make yourself look good is to make your scene partner look better.
“Gift-giving” in improv is embodied in informing one another.
Poor example of informing: “Hey Tim! Come check out this new sweater I bought!” (I’m sure a solid scene could come out of this exclamation, but bear with me here.)
Awesome example of informing: “Tim! I thought you said you weren’t going to wear that sweater after the accident.”
By directing attention outwards in a scene, both partners can hop on the same page, and confusion as to where the direction is going can be eliminated. By giving the above-mentioned sweater an emotional value, the partner has something beyond a purely physical object to attach to.
Focusing on a partner and helping them out is sometimes referred to as “Pimping your partner.” Set them up for a big laugh instead of looking out for yourself, they will surely do the same for you.
An added bonus to looking out for your partner’s well being is a guaranteed increase in listening, and consequently REACTING. Honest reactions in scenes are arguably the best part of improv! There is nothing better than watching an improviser naturally react to an event or action in a scene.
When you are less focused on yourself, the desire to be the funny one disappears, and the truth of a scene really comes to light.
Chicago improviser T.J. Jagodowski is the best improviser I’ve seen in my life. Why’s that? He treats every improviser he’s on stage with like he has known them for years, which is often not the case.
The king of gift-giving, T.J. Jagodowski. Source: listal.com
On Wednesday nights iO holds a free night of comedy, where different Harold teams are showcased. There are three teams on each night, with T.J.’s team, “Carl and the Passions” concluding every show.
At the end, all of the teams go back up onstage to perform freeze tag, or dream sequence (an audience member is chosen from the crowd and discusses the events of their day with the improvisers, the performers then create what they believe that volunteer’s dream will be like).
The experience level of the improvisers onstage varies greatly. This does not prevent T.J. from having a stellar scene with a relatively inexperienced improviser. Although they might be scared shitless to go onstage with one of improv greats, the scenes are always well done because T.J. treats them with a heavy dose of improv kindness.
You are only as good as your partner. If your partner is not “good”, make them look great.