Improv Notebook » General, Improv Exercises, Teaching Improv » What do you do: Improv or Improvisation?
What do you do: Improv or Improvisation?
Which do you do:
- Improv
- Improvisation
- Impro [in certain parts of the world]
A Google search suggests that Improv is a theatrical term and Improvisation is a musical term.
In talking with companies in the US and abroad this is what I’ve found.
If you use the word IMPROV in the title of your show
the audience will expect ‘comedy’.
Christian Utzman (The Un-Scripted Theater Company in San Francisco) discovered this on his own. Christian always takes his marketing material into the center of San Francisco’s shopping district, Union Square and asks tourists what kind of show they expect based on the flier he shows them. If their answer is different from the show they’re planning, they redesign the flier. Christian says, ” sometimes we have to shoot a different photo”.
One thing he’s learned is that if the show is not a comedy show, they don’t use the word ‘improv’. When they promote their Shakespeare style show (Shakespeare Un-Scripted) they will us will use either improvisation or improvised (as in ‘A full length improvised Shakespeare play.’).
Which do you prefer? And why? Thanks in response for your comment.
Written by William Hall
William Hall is a founder of BATS Improv in San Francisco and has been bringing Improvisation to theatre companies and business around the world since 1986. He is the author of The Playbook: Improv Games for Performers a fun guide to improv games and formats. [http://www.ImprovPlaybook.com] He trains and coaches executives in leadership communication. He improvises and performs regularly.
Filed under: General, Improv Exercises, Teaching Improv · Tags: impro, Improv, improvisation, markeing, promotion
6 Responses to "What do you do: Improv or Improvisation?"
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Hey there, great blog. Just wanted to let you know that I posted about you guys on my teams’ improv blog today and we’ve permanantly linked up to you over at http://www.ussrocknroll.com.
William & Rich –
Thank you for this blog!
I use improv, improvised, and improvisation interchangeably, just as I use comedy and theater interchangeably. However, my goal, when improvising on stage, is almost always comedy. I think it’s a great thing to be able to market comedic and dramatic improv differently to different audiences. However, what I’m sensitive to – to a fault sometimes – is the notion that I often find in the Bay Area that theater and comedy are different, i.e. theater = high art and comedy = low art, which I resist wholeheartedly.
sam
Sam,
Perhaps we (who perform and produce) do not get to choose whether it’s comedy or theatre…or whether it’s improv or improvisation.
The audience has expectations from the moment they hear about a performance until the performance itself.
If the expectations match the experience then it’s win-win.
William
(did you see my post here: Bravo or Tip your waiter?)
William –
I did see your Bravo post. I guess my point is that it’s a false choice. Comedy IS theater. I apologize that I’m a little sensitive to this issue. I’ve been improvising long enough to remember new batches of longform improvisers who would call games “artless”.
Of course it’s important to adapt one’s show to the venue & perceived audience, and there are some instances where you know your audience better than others..But since there’s a thousand valid approaches to improv, and a thousand ways for it to be appreciated (that often contradict one another), it’s almost impossible to anticipate what a general “outside your mailing list” audience wants. Except for the general expectation that they want to be entertained and that it be worth their $$$.
I can do a beautiful Harold and call it longform; an audience member accustomed to the story-driven longform of Un-Scripted or TFM might not enjoy it as much for its lack of story. However, an audience familiar with the IO/UCB approach might appreciate it more for that very same lack.
So the only thing I can hope my troupe strives for is to perform joyful, in-the-moment improv.Regardless of the formats we do, or what we call ourselves, if that is our goal and we hit it, I’m certain we will meet – and the surpass – the expectations of our audience.
Sam
Sam,
no need to apologize – in an artistic community everyone has passion for their work and how it is described. Thanks for the discussion – you’ll see lots of our posts that are asking questions so we can hear it all.
I think you hit on key idea that interested me in the post – “what does the general public expect” when we use any of the terms that as artists we might debate.
I know there are lots of people waiting to express how right their views are. As for me, more improv is more improv. The more and varied, the better.
Thanks all….yep…it’s all theater. No question about that.
I am interested in the perception of the words we use to promote the performance [marketing].
Years ago I heard that the stand up comedy club The IMPROV (in NYC) wanted to Trademark the word ‘improv’. Whew…I”m glad that didn’t happen….it’s a stand up comedy club. I’d guess we’d have to find another word.
But..hey…if you have audience and are happy –then no worries. But if you’re interested in marketing then…it might be worth it to do some testing.