What is the big deal about improv? It’s fun. It strengthens our imagination, promotes self-confidence, increases spontaneity, promotes teamwork, and it’s magic: it creates something out of nothing. 101 IMPROV GAMES FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS contains the basics: what improv is all about and how to do it, special instructions for how to teach improv to children, plus more advanced training on how to use your voice and body in ways you haven’t thought of before. It has helpful hints for creating scenes and environments out of thin air. All this plus 101 games with simple instructions, from easy warm-up games to over-the-top crowd pleasers such as Fairy Tales, Bizarre Games, On Your Toes and Narrative Games. This is the tenth in the Hunter House SmartFun activity books series, and the first one for adults as well as children. The book is a great resource for educators as well as for the professional actor or the layperson working with improv for fun. The book contains lively illustrations and is easy to use. Improv is about creating something out of nothing, but a really good improviser can create something great out of nothing. This book shows you how.

TAKE IT EASY™ isn’t about a new way of doing improv, nor is it meant to replace your own style or approach. Instead it’s a mindset that can inform your performance and approach to improvisation. “Highly recommended for the beginning improvisor or the seasoned pro trying to rediscover the fun.” – Sam Super, The Second City Training Center’s 2017 Teacher of the Year This isn’t an ‘intro to improv’ book, nor is it a how-to manual. Instead, TAKE IT EASY™ is a collection of thoughts and observations designed to give people a different perspective on their craft, and it also includes games and exercises for people to do on their own or to bring to their group to reinforce the book’s teachings. Web: Ryan Millar – Take it Easy

Improvisation teachers have long known that the human mind could be trained to be effortlessly spontaneous and intuitive. Drinko explores what these improvisation teachers knew about improvisation’s effects on consciousness and cognition and compares these theories to current findings in cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy.

You’re an actor. You know you’re going to have to do it sometime, but the very thought chills your blood, makes your palms go sweaty, and your voice squeak. It’s improvisation – and for many actors it’s a nightmare. Greg Atkins, a member of South Coast Repertory and unabashed improviser, takes the fear out of improv. This friendly, informative book looks at the reasons many actors hate improvisation, while quietly reinforcing the reasons improv is a vital part of acting and of theatre. He offers sensible (and fun!) exercises that can be used by teachers or by actors, to build up the mental agility that is so much a part of improvisation, and that should be part of every actor’s arsenal.

When improv quartet Parallelogramophonograph (PGraph for short) embarked on their narrative improv journey in Austin, TX in 2005, they had no idea they were about to spend over a decade learning and discovering how to create fully improvised plays on the spot. This mini-book is filled with several short essays by members of PGraph – all on improv theories and techniques designed to help make narrative improv more fun, accessible, and attainable.

Clear, everyday language explains each element of an improvised song. Simple building blocks are combined with playing tips to elevate a performer’s musical improvisation to its highest level. Masteryear Publishing is proud to offer MUSICAL IMPROVE COMEDY, the first book of its kind. It is used by students and professionals at The Second City Training Centers in Chicago and Los Angeles, and Disney Entertainment Productions. The instructional CD and Michael Pollock’s clear, friendly writing style make this a truly practical tool for improvisational players: a portable music workshop.

This expanded and revised edition has a new foreword by The Late Show host Stephen Colbert, additional advice and tips for success, and a full reproduction of Mick Napier’s web journal from his time directing the famous show Paradigm Lost for The Second City that included Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, and Kevin Dorff. Renowned improv instructor and award-winning director Mick Napier has been at the heart of the professional improvisation community for more than 25 years. The first edition of Improvise. quickly earned its position as necessary reading for improv students across the country and around the world and gave birth to a new generation of performers who questioned “The Rules” of improvisation. In this entertaining and incredibly informative book, Napier will teach you the essentials of… –Why “The Rules” don’t matter –How to take care of yourself in a scene –Using context to your advantage –Effective two-person scenes –Balanced large-cast scenes –Successful auditioning –Solo exercises you can practice at home

The Improv Handbook is the most comprehensive, smart, helpful and inspiring guide to improv available today. Applicable to comedians, actors, public speakers and anyone who needs to think on their toes, it features a range of games, interviews, descriptions and exercises that illuminate and illustrate the exciting world of improvised performance. First published in 2008, this second edition features a new foreword by comedian Mike McShane, as well as new exercises on endings, managing blind offers and master-servant games, plus new and expanded interviews with Keith Johnstone, Neil Mullarkey, Jeffrey Sweet and Paul Rogan. The Improv Handbook is a one-stop guide to the exciting world of improvisation. Whether you’re a beginner, an expert, or would just love to try it if you weren’t too scared, The Improv Handbook will guide you every step of the way.

The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual is a comprehensive guide to the UCB style of long form comedy improvisation. Written by UCB founding members Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh, the manual covers everything from the basics of two person scene work (with a heavy emphasis on finding “the game” of the scene), to the complexities of working within an ensemble to perform long form structures, such as “The Harold” and “The Movie”. A practical “how to” book, the guide provides exercises throughout to help the reader master each new concept and technique introduced. While the manual is written to be understood by beginners with no previous exposure to improvisational comedy, experienced improvisors will find it to be an excellent resource for honing their skills, clarifying concepts, and generally taking their work to a higher level.

“If it happens in life, it can happen on stage.” With a fresh approach and powerful techniques, the Complete Improviser strives to liberate players from the classic improv rules. While well-meaning, many of the classic rules and approaches to improv (such as always say yes and don’t ask questions) say that certain scenes and choices are improper or completely illegal. Yet many of those illegal situations happen in our everyday lives. They also happen in the lives of characters in books, TV shows, and movies without any problems. When we recognize and play by the rules of life, many of the common confusions and stumbling blocks with traditional improvisation go away. Combining basics with pro tips, actors, improvisers, drama teachers, theater directors and new players of all backgrounds will find tremendous value with this life-first, in the moment philosophy. Though primarily focused on Chicago-style long form improv, readers will find information on relationship scenes, game scenes, and long form strategies with sample forms. Included are exercises with examples.