The improviser is born or made? This question has been on the minds of improvisers, lovers and students of poetic improvisation for centuries. And the answer has almost always been the same: «It is born. “You cannot learn to improvise, because it is an innate gift.” However, the Pimienta Method, with which hundreds of children and young people in Cuba have learned, is an affirmative and contrasted answer to this eternal question. Its creator, the Cuban repentista Alexis Díaz-Pimienta, began at the age of 5 on Cuban radio and television, and has accumulated more than 40 years of repentista experience, more than 25 years of research and more than 15 years of practices teachers in Cuba, Spain and other Latin American countries. This method is completely playful and participatory, effective for learning to improvise in verse, in any strophic form and in several languages: Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Galician and Catalan, fundamentally. All of this… in a brief amount of time. It does not matter if the apprentice starts from scratch or if he has experience and wants to perfect his techniques. Furthermore, the method is designed to learn and also to teach. It includes oral, written, table, playground, blackboard games…

The THEATER PEDAGOGY Collection presents this text on the Improvisation Match as a tool within the field of expression and creativity. Like all Ñaque Editora publications, it combines theoretical depth with the freshness of practice. KOLDOBIKA GOTZON VIO, a student of Georges Laferriére, shares his experience and that of his teammates, D’lmpro Kolektiboa. “EXPLORING THE IMPROVISATION MATCH” is an invitation to enter and enjoy the world of Match: “A theatrical game collective in which, through improvisation techniques, several teams compete cooperatively and where the audience is an active part of the show.” Teams and public are part of a process of growth, fun and pleasure. Prefaced by the promoter of Match in Spain, Georges Laferriére, Professor of Dramatic Arts Didactics at the University of Quebec in Montreal; The book deals with how a Match team can be trained in its early phases and its in-depth study of this work, all seasoned with keys for its pedagogical use. For fans of this game-technique; for actors and actresses; for trainers who wish to apply it in the workshop or classroom.

Jill Bernard, a favorite on the improv festival circuit, shares her method of creating spontaneous characters, VAPAPO. This tiny book is an easy way to get more into the scene and less into your head with shortcuts to fuller, playful characters. This tenth anniversary edition features even more original essays on improv. It measures 6″x6″ and is 20 pages long. Every order envelope features original art by the author, just for you. Only $5 plus $2 shipping & handling. “A must read. This book might change your life.” — Joe Bill “It speaks from the heart and to all the voices in your head.” — Mark Sutton

“Clive Barker’s book is more than just a guidebook of improvisational games for actors: it is, rather a comprehensive exploration of acting techniques” New York Theatre Review “Theatre Games is a massive contribution to the art of theatre…A bulging portfolio of credo, craft, advice and instruction…It is dazzlingly astute and a thrilling read – quite unlike a text-book, rather a long, fascinating chat into the small hours” The Stage Theatre games are a method of training actors that was developed in the 20th century by leading practitioners including Clive Barker, who trained actors at Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop in its heyday. He developed his “theatre games” system over 20 years and proved its effectiveness for teachers, students and actors alike. His famous book combines his philosophy and approach to games, describes how to play them and the acting skills which can develop out of them. The games are arranged in order of complexity and illustrated with photographs and diagrams. This re-issue of this classic and timeless text now includes a DVD with video material showing Clive Barker teaching his games in a studio and contains background information and first hand material from Clive himself. Theatre Games will enable anyone involved…

Free Play discusses the inner sources of spontaneous creation, explains how to learn the skills of improvisation, and suggests ways to overcome common obstacles to creativity.

Improvisation, the art of creating the moment Carles Castillo opened our eyes to mime with his book “Mimo, el grito del gesto” (“Mime, the cry of the gesture”). Now, with “Improvisación, el arte de crear el momento”, he brings us closer, and opens the way to the difficult and precious art of improvisation. In the style of this teaching actor, he takes us into his own reflections, his techniques, his games, the difficulties and the help to give free rein to the most ephemeral art of the arts: improvising. The commitment of the character, the creation of space, the questions, the silences, what I think while I improvise… Prologued by José Mota and limited by writings from students and collaborators of Carles Castillo himself, this book is undoubtedly a luxury tool for anyone who intends to use it. Mota himself warns in his prologue: ‘Those of you who pick up this book with the intention of getting started, don’t let it go! Carles will infect you with his pedagogy forever. And for all of us who believe we know how to improvise, we will be surprised to see how our improvisation work improves significantly with any small suggestion that populates…

In an irresistible invitation to lighten up, look around, and live an unscripted life, a master of the art of improvisation explains how to adopt the attitudes and techniques used by generations of musicians and actors. Let’s face it: Life is something we all make up as we go along. No matter how carefully we formulate a “script,” it is bound to change when we interact with people with scripts of their own. Improv Wisdom shows how to apply the maxims of improvisational theater to real-life challenges–whether it’s dealing with a demanding boss, a tired child, or one of life’s never-ending surprises. Patricia Madson distills thirty years of experience into thirteen simple strategies, including “Say Yes,” “Start Anywhere,” “Face the Facts,” and “Make Mistakes, Please,” helping readers to loosen up, think on their feet, and take on everything life has to offer with skill, chutzpah, and a sense of humor. Listen on audible, narrated by Patricia Ryan Madson

IMPRO is a book that brings together, in clear and concise sheets, 90 creative proposals and games with easy-to-apply variants. It also includes a set of very useful guidelines and practical advice for people interested in impro and its pedagogy: teachers and theater groups, coaches, actors, educators of different levels, animators, students of theater and educational sciences who want to improve their training, as well as future improvisers who wish to develop spontaneity in the classroom and on stage. Its authors, Alfredo Mantovani, Borja Cortés, Encarni Corrales, Jose Ramón Muñoz and Pablo Pundik, are actors, improvisers and teachers with long theatrical careers, specialized in improv, who have come together in this publication to share their experiential background. Inventing and representing stories as a team and enjoying “improturgy”, the original concept of the authors of this work, becomes the core of a fun and pleasant job for actors or fans who want to explore the theatrical event from a playful perspective. It includes “Testimonies”, where Dani Rovira and a good handful of actors and actresses with a recognized background in theatrical improvisation offer us their experiences and reflections on this art.

Improvising is a noble game that transcends the occurrence and involves the person in their entire being; their training, their history, their fantasies, fears and freedoms. A perfect manual for those taking their first steps in theatrical improvisation (Impro), very appropriate for advanced improvisers seeking new horizons and essential for teachers and directors. Through practical exercises, personal experiences and technical analysis, the author offers in this work his special sensitivity about Impro. This book can be obtained in digital format for less than €10

Spolin’s Theater Games for the Lone Actor offers theater games a side coaching for the solo player. Available for the first time, this handbook presents more than forty exercises that allow actors to side coach themselves at home, in rehearsal, or in performance. Building on her seminal Improvisation for the Theater, Spolin challenges the actor to develop an ability to enter present time, “a moment of full consciousness, awareness, continuous time, a timeless moment … with all of your responses awake and alert, ready to guide you…allowing you, the real you, or your natural self, to emerge.”