Improv bibliography?

[melanie]

Hello,

Pathological doctoral student here,

Can anyone give me a brief bibliography on improv? What are the books (if any) that have influenced your practice?

Many thanks

Melanie

[Jennings]

Truth In Comedy (Close, Halpern, Howard) is very good for those just getting started, although it reads like an infomercial and could be distilled to a single page, double-sided. Still, it has the right list of authors, and should be borrowed and absorbed.

Impro (Keith Johnstone) is my favorite book on improvisation, and should be a part of your library and re-read regularly. The first and last chapters are self-indulgent and weird, respectively, but the middle is outstanding.

I'd also suggest a book on acting, preferably Meisner technique, since that's far more compatible with improvisation than others. I have yet to find a book on Meisner that I really like, though; the book that Meisner penned himself is all right, but there are options, and books on theater seem to be written and edited by illiterates.

Also, read books from this thread: http://www.improvresourcecenter.com/mb/showthread.php?t=11484

Also, read books and watch plays and movies and never miss an opportunity to hear a story.

[Zach]

http://implosionimprov.com/images/mick.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/032500630X/dsitheater-20) http://implosionimprov.com/images/truth.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1566080037/dsitheater-20) http://implosionimprov.com/images/gwinn.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156608086X/dsitheater-20) http://implosionimprov.com/images/shortcuts.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/032500384X/dsitheater-20) http://implosionimprov.com/images/spolin.gif (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/081014008X/dsitheater-20)

Click the images above to buy books from Amazon.com and support the DSI Theater.

Thanks!

[melanie]

Zach,

I am always happy to buy books, particularly if it supports DSI. Can you tell me how DSI benefits from my purchase?

Just curious

[Zach]

We (I) am convinced (somewhat) after reading an online Amazon Associate policy and FAQ that with Amazon purchases made using links which specifically reference DSI Theater (as these links do, check the address), DSI will eventually (who knows when) receive a small percentage (after minimums and whatnot) of the book sales made.

If you can borrow them from another DSI member regularly then please do that, but if you are going to buy them online, then... well... click click click.

Thanks, Melanie.

~Zach

[jesstah]

This book just came out by a Utah improviser. It's actually not bad and I have my little moment of fame cause I wrote the foreword (as did Will Luera from Improv Boston). It's short form/game focused (hey Austin, there are a ton of pics of the Quick Wits SLC guys, esp. Troy).

http://www.utahimprov.com/images/main/bob_book.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0897934245/dsitheater-20/)

I think that link will count for DSI credit.

-Jesster

[jillybee72]

Here's a reeeeeally extensive bibliography. I just noticed my book is on it and that made me laugh:

http://www.lowrent.net/improv/biblio-books.html

If for some reason you can only read three, I say Truth in Comedy, Impro and Freeplay.

[Zack Bly]

If for some reason you can only read three, I say Truth in Comedy, Impro and Freeplay.

i just finished IMPRO this weekend and i thought it was really cool, with some really good and different, fresh ways to have explained some stuff that i've already heard a bunch of times and some stuff that i didn't even think about before. i didn't, however, find any sexist ideology...maybe 'cause i'm a guy? i don't know....

[melanie]

Zach,

I didn't find the sexist bits until my second reading of "impro" in parallel with Johnstone's "impro for storytellers". It's only a couple of references (one in the weird "mask" section of impro, the other in the middle of "impro for storytellers". ) But I found it annoying.

[Zack Bly]

i imagine i saved myself the annoyance by skipping the 'mask' section on jennings' recommendation and my personal experience. i'd read about using masks in commedia dell' arte one time a while back and it was too weird for me, so i figured this would be more of the same....

[melanie]

Yah, initially I agreed with Scott that the Mask section was too weird, but there is some useful stuff in there anyway. Although I wouldn't want to wear an actual mask in improv, I like the idea that if you froze your facial expressions (like Greta Garbo) you could still express a wide range of emotions with your the rest of your body. In fact, facial expressions, like verbal expression, are both used as crutches in social interactions; body language can be more truthful. At least, that is the take-home point that I got from reading that chapter.

[Bill Cochran]

A friend let me borrow Impro a little while ago and I just finished it during lunch.

I thought the status chapter was great, especially for me as I tend to interpret and analyze scenes in terms of status. He put some things that I hold to be true in words that I couldn't which will be real helpful come the next chance I get to teach or direct. He also got me thinking about some stuff I want to start trying out in my scenework; like playing at similar status levels to encourage multiple status reversals within a scene (I think he calls it the see-saw principle of comedy).

I have to admit that I got some good stuff out of the Mask chapter too. The Trance and hypnosis parts. Getting myself in that mindset to instantly make a choice and commit to it without getting thrown by anything is one of the keys to me doing non-horrible improv. I try to use warm-ups and openings to put myself in that mindset and it was cool to see Johnstone expound on it a little bit. The flow state, mother-fucker.

All in all I didn't find it to be an incredibly gripping read, but it did get me thinking and that's about as much as I can ask for. Truth in Comedy flipped my shit the first time I read it, but I think that had more to do with how exciting longform sounded to me at the time than anything else. I reread it this summer and I wasn't too happy with it.

[KatyJack]

right now im reading free play by stephen nachmanovitch. its based mostly in improvising in music, but its about the creative process in general. i love it and highly recommend.

[jillybee72]

Oh Katy I'm so glad, I adore that book.