Here is a theory.

There are two types of improv teacher. There are the leaders and there are the fellow travellers.

Of course, actually, there are many more types of teacher than that but for the purposes of this article I want to focus on this particular dichotomy. Here is a rough thumbnail sketch of each type.

Leaders know where they're going and how to get there. They lead by example. They've been everywhere and done everything. They are probably already successful performers and have a style of play which serves them well. They have systematised how to teach that style of play to others. Most of their workshops are variations on a theme - they sell places because people want to spend time in a room with them and hear what they have to say. They are the rockstars of the improv world (which is a very funny image in and of itself).

Fellow travellers would probably prefer to call themselves facilitators instead of teachers. They are interested in multiple disciplines within improv and don't really lay sole claim to any of it. Their workshops reflect their current interests which change regularly. Travellers tend to note positively and don't have set ideas about what improv is. They aren't trying to make you a particular type of improviser either. They may not be particularly well-known performers in their own right, more often they play with a respected ensemble, adopting a support role to the more extroverted members of the group.

I'm trying really hard to present these two types as dispassionately as possible but I know I'm not really succeeding. You can already guess my clear preference. I think, early in my improv career, I was taught by a fair few leaders and for many years I internalised that way of doing things. Even though it's at odds with a lot of what we teach about improv - make your scene partner look good, don't hog the spotlight, find the emotional truth - it's incredibly beguiling to soak up the wisdom of a leader. But I think it's ultimately unhelpful because there's no one way to do good improv - it's whatever works for you.

And, let's be clear, because of who I am and what I look like - it's incredibly easy for me to set myself up as a leader - people have been socialised to listen to me and accept what I say. I can't deny there's a thrill associated with a group of people hanging on your every word.

But as I've progressed through life, I've become more and more drawn to the path of the fellow traveller. Someone who says "this looks exciting, let's explore it together". I think the discoveries you find when you adopt that attitude are revelatory. There's safety in teaching something the same way - over and over again - reaching for the same stories and examples, polishing them until they shine but, for me, the real work is walking into the unknown. Walking beside the people in your class and allowing them to try, fail, try something else and ultimately create new approaches to improv.

So that's what I'm going to try and do from now on - I don't want to be out in front, walking the same paths I've walked a million times before - I want to be up in the high ground, scrambling over boulders, unsure of our destination - because that's the adventure and that's the art.

<aside> 💡 Hey, my name’s Chris Mead. I write an article about improv almost every week. You can get the latest in your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter. Or check out the archive.

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