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Hi, there. I’m necessarily discussing some harsh topics this week around violence, sex and harassment. Just a heads up before you read further.
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As I’ve said before, improv has enhanced my life in numerous ways.
Creatively, it’s allowed me to express myself regularly in a joyful and satisfying manner.
Socially, it’s given me a huge community of friends spread out all over the world.
Practically, it’s made me a more capable human being.
I am so happy I found it and so invested in all the incredible benefits it can provide. Which is why I get so uncomfortable every time improv is used to demean, bully or exclude people.
We’ve all seen shows where improv crosses the line into something terrible. Most of us have been in those shows too. Over the years, I’ve built up the following list of behaviours I find unacceptable in an improv context.
A short disclaimer: I believe that art can tackle any subject. But with that freedom comes a responsibility to act with care and intention. The things I mention below can absolutely be explored by a cast who have worked together to create shared tools and language to engage with the topics.
Stage combat requires training. You have to put in the hours to create something that looks even vaguely realistic on stage. I’m willing to bet that most improvisers haven’t taken the time to learn those skills. So even at a base level, there’s an issue of safety. It’s pretty scary to have someone suddenly windmilling their fists towards you in a bid to get laughs. It derails the whole scene - and an audience that is worried is not an audience that will be laughing anyway. I put deliberately endangering yourself in this category too - balancing on the edge of chairs, throwing yourself against walls, picking people up - it puts everyone in a heightened state of worry and it doesn’t help the show. On top of this, issues of violence have sadly touched a lot of people’s lives. It’s not something to be used lightly. If you must do it, use slow motion and check in with your scene partner at all times.
No one wants to watch people simulating sex on stage. And vanishingly few people want to be in that kind of scene either. And, if they do, that’s an immediate red flag. We’ve all seen people initiate these scenes just to get closer to fellow performers. It’s not ok. People should not be objectified against their will and every improv team should be aware of each other’s physical boundaries before performing together. If it’s a jam situation (where people don’t necessarily know each other) then I would argue it’s best to have a clear policy that everyone has to agree to before participating. This in no way excludes scenes where characters flirt or fall in love - in fact a clear idea of each others’ physical boundaries absolutely enhances these scenes. If you know that kissing is absolutely not going to happen then it actually empowers other choices that are often more naturalistic and theatrically interesting.
I don’t believe that punching down on people who are perceived as different or marginalised creates good comedy. I don’t think it’s comedy at all. Anything that is core to someone’s identity - and that might include things like gender, gender expression, sexuality, race, age, religion, disabilities, neurotypes and anything else with which someone might choose to define themselves - is sacrosanct. It’s who they are - it isn’t something to be joked about or questioned. Especially in an improv class or show. We need diversity and representation in improv - it allows us to tell better, richer, more nuanced stories with authenticity. We will never get anywhere near that high bar if we continue to use other people’s identities as punchlines.
<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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