Courses
Yes, And... How to Teach Improv
by Jennine Profeta
“Yes, and…” is the guiding principle behind all improv. This course will teach you how to teach improv, and more importantly how to give feedback to your students. The course looks at making strong offers and also using gibberish to ironically improv communication skills. You will also see how feelings can safely be used to add flavour and get laughs in our scenes.
Jennine Profeta, Second City performer and theatre educator, leads this course with a clear methodology for teaching and giving positive nurturing feedback. This course will give you all the tools and the insight you need to teach improv with confidence.
Coaching Improv
by Jennine Profeta
Second City performer and theatre educator Jennine Profeta is back and ready to help you take your Improv classes to the next level. It’s all getting students to perform - and how to be a great improv coach who can keep them supported and grounded (and having fun!)
In this course, you’ll learn the golden rules of improv. You’ll learn a bunch of improv games (great for warm-ups, teaching tools, and even for competitions). You’ll learn Jennine’s tips and tricks for what to look for when coaching and how to troubleshoot common issues.
The course is designed to help you improv as an ensemble and give you the know-how to coach with confidence whether it’s in the classroom or on the stage!
Units
Improv
by Anna Porter
Improv is a fantastic method to engage your students; this 3 lesson mini unit is a great way to introduce improvisation.
This unit focuses on learning the rules of Improv, trying games to build improvisation skills, and developing conflict and story line.Through the three lesson series, students will use journals, participate in class discussions, learn six different improv games, and perform for their peers.
Assessment tools include both informal assessment as well as a formal quiz that’s included in the unit.
Ancient Greek Theatre
by Karen Loftus
This unit on Ancient Greek Theatre focuses on the function of the chorus, the choral ode, and the details of the theatre space. It touches on plays and playwrights of the era, culminating in a final project of a modern version of Medea that includes a choral ode.
A rubric is included for the project as long as journal prompts and exit slips. Please refer to the Pacing Guide for more details and ways to supplement with other DTA materials.
Improvisation in Musical Theatre
by Annie Dragoo
Understanding basic improvisation skills will help musical theatre performers understand that musical theatre is more than just singing and dancing. It’s about using all the tools (voice, body, and mind) an actor has at their disposal to create a character.
This unit focuses more on the improv aspect rather than the musical theatre aspects - in fact students need no prior musical theatre knowledge. Annie Dragoo, creator of the unit, uses this material as her first unit in her musical theatre class. It’s a great introduction and will get your students in the right frame of mind to approach musical theatre.
The lessons explore a variety of improv skills such as vocal responses, movement, character study, sensory awareness and culminate in an improv scene and unit essay.
Lesson Plans
Improvisation Unit (Three Lesson Plans)
by Anna Porter
This is a three lesson plan unit on introducing Improvisation.
Part One: Introduction to Improv
Students will understand what improvisation is and how to use the following rules: Trust Yourself and Accept all Offers.
Part Two: Characterization & One Focus
Students explore Characterization and One Focus by participating in activities and playing Ding, Emotional Waiter and Party Quirks.
Part Three: Conflict and Tell a Complete Story
Students will understand what conflict is and how to create it. Students will also understand how to use conflict to tell an improvised story with a beginning, middle and end.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the rules of improvisation through their final performance in Freeze as well as a written quiz.
The Speed Date
by Stephanie-Ann Cocking
Students create a character and maintain that character throughout an activity.
Students create an original character by filling out a form. These characters participate in a speed date round. Female characters sit in an outer circle of chairs. Male characters rotate clockwise through an inner circle of chairs.The characters introduce themselves and talk for one minute before moving on to the next meeting. Teacher pairs students up and in their pairs student plans and present a short improv: The First Date.
Improvisation: The Gibberish Language
by Lindsay Price
Newcomers to improvisation often struggle with quick verbal responses. They get caught up with self-editing, self-judgement, and self-censorship and feel they’re failing at the exercise if they’re not fast enough. The gibberish tool allows students to practice the act of response with intention without the pressure of real words. It gives them confidence to participate in an improvised scene.
Students will create a gibberish language as a group. Focus on making gibberish a language. “Yes, it sounds silly, but treat gibberish as a language.” The words don’t matter. How you say them does. Students will move to small group conversations, and finally improv scenes.
Includes a list of scenarios, reflection, and assessment rubric.
Improvisation: The Rashomon Monologue
by Lindsay Price
Students will learn the Rashomon plot device and put it into practice through improvised character monologues.
Includes scenario sheet, assignment sheet, and assessment rubric.
Character Improv
by Marisa Peck
Students will choose a character and become that character (physically and vocally). They will then collaborate with other characters in the classroom to create and perform an improvised scene.
Students explore known characters, characters based on traits, and non-human characters both physically and vocally before choosing their own. Lesson also explores the principle of "Yes...And."
Main Idea and Story Detail Improv
by Karen Loftus
Improvisation is a great tool for storytelling and getting important concepts across to all students including struggling readers and writers. In this lesson, you’ll use the improv game “Scene Redux” to help strengthen the students’ understanding of main idea and detail as it relates to storytelling.
Duet Improv
by Lindsay Price
Improvising in pairs is an excellent training ground to improve listening and cooperation skills, and to practice exploring character and conflict. Students will read and respond to a Duet Improv introduction sheet, then apply their knowledge
through pairs Improv exercises and reflect on the experience.
Improvisation: Characters
by Jennine Profeta
Characters have a lot of value in empowering your students’ improv. In this lesson, students will start to explore character in improv with the warm up game “Character Walkabout” and the improv game “Hitchhiker.”
Introduction to Improv
by Anna Porter
Students explore how to trust themselves and work with others in improvisation through activities as well as playing games - Story Game, What are you doing?, and Press Conference.
Characterization and One Focus
by Anna Porter
Students explore Characterization and One Focus by participating in activities and playing Ding, Emotional Waiter and Party Quirks.
Conflict and Tell a Complete Story
by Anna Porter
Students explore the importance and types of conflict as well as the importance of telling a complete story. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the rules of improvisation through their final performance in Freeze as well as a written quiz.
Accept the Offer
by Karen Loftus
Students apply this guidelines through the games “Yes and…” “Yes Let’s,” and Low Risk Experts.
Make Choices/Bring Information
by Karen Loftus
Students learn the word “endow” and apply the concept through the exercise Low Risk Endowment.
Take the Active Choice
by Karen Loftus
Students discuss what it means to take the active choice and apply the concept in Quiet Scenes.
Make Your Partner Look Good
by Karen Loftus
Students apply this guideline through the games Cars, Vans, Buses, Blocking on Purpose, Questions Only and Here Comes Charley.
Relax, Have Fun and Don’t Force the Humour
by Karen Loftus
Students discuss what it means to not “force” the humour. They play all the games from the unit in a high risk setting, as volunteers in front of the class.
Unit Project
by Karen Loftus
The final project will allow the students to demonstrate their improv skills in a 2-person scene. A rubric and final reflection is included.
Intro to Improv for Musical Theatre
by Annie Dragoo
Students will demonstrate an understanding of improv guidelines by using them in an exercise. This is an introductory improv lesson that is designed to build upon the actors’ tools in future lessons.
Improv with Vocal Responses
by Annie Dragoo
Students will demonstrate ability to respond vocally by participating in various improvisation activities.
Improv with Movement
by Annie Dragoo
Students will demonstrate ability to improvise movement by participating in a various activities.
Improv for Character Study
by Annie Dragoo
Students will demonstrate ability to develop a character by participating in various improvisation exercises.
Improv Using Sensory Awareness
by Annie Dragoo
Students will demonstrate sensory awareness by improvising an everyday activity while paying attention to as many sensory details as possible.
Improvisation Scenes
by Annie Dragoo
Students will demonstrate ability to use voice, body, and imagination/mind together by planning and performing an improvised scene.
Unit Reflection (Essay)
by Annie Dragoo
Students will evaluate the value of improvisation in musical theatre by writing a five-paragraph essay.
Improvised Arguments
by Rachel Atkins
In this final lesson, students explore two different characters whose opposing points of view or arguments create a conflict. They will identify the objectives or arguments for each character. They will act out a scene between those two characters multiple times, playing both characters. Finally, they will write an argument from one character’s point of view – and support it with evidence.
Resources
Location List
Use this list of locations for improv scenarios and scene work.
Actions List
Use this actions list for improvs, scene work, and pantomimes
Emotions List
Do your students use the same emotions over and over again in scene work or in improvs? Get them used to expanding their feeling horizon with this list.
Objects List
Looking for new objects for students to use in improvs, mimes and scene work? This sheet has over 200 objects to choose from!
Picture Prompt: Awkward
Students sometimes have a hard time with improv because they don’t know where to start. How do I make up lines on the spot? All they need is a little push to get them moving in the right direction. Use picture prompts.
Duet Characters List
Looking for character duet ideas for students to use in improvs, mimes and scene work? Over 85 pairs to choose from!
Duet Scene Scenarios
Use these duet scene scenarios during Improv work or warmup games.
Improvisation Feedback Tips
These tips will help you answer the question: What should you look for and what do you say afterward in an improv scene?
Improv Evaluation Questions
10 questions to use when evaluating improv performances.
Dialogue Prompts
Use these dialogue prompts for improvisation work. Includes characters, location, want, and a first line for each prompt.
Improvising Your Monologue Exercise
Use this exercise in the middle of a monologue project, to get students to the heart of the monologue, using improvisation techniques.
Improv Warm Up Games
This resource has a list and description of six different warm-up games, great for improv groups or any theatre class.
Gibberish
Distance Learning ideas vs Zoom or other video conference platform.
Movie Styles
Distance Learning ideas vs Zoom or other video conference platform.
PLCs
School Startup - Session One
Hosted by Karen Loftus, Matt Webster, and Jennine Profeta
Learn about the most important things for the first week of school - from ice breaker games, to classroom procedures, to setting the tone from Day 1. Watch this replay to learn tips and tricks to start your school year off on the right foot!
Hosted by DTA instructors Karen Loftus, Lindsay Price, Jennine Profeta, and Matt Webster.
Recorded on August 14th, 2015 at 2pm.