Customer Reviews

Improvise.: Scene from the Inside Out

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Improv books tend to fall into three categories:

(1) New ideas poorly articulated (Improvisation for the Theatre for example - the bible of improv that is impossible to read cover to cover)

(2) Books that cover old ground in an easy to read way that is effective for someone trying to learn improv (Keith's second book, my own book: The Ultimate Improv Book [hopefully ;>])

(3) Books with 'improv' in the title that are more collections of games or (worse) exercise-teaching plans without any learning outcomes.

This book does not fall into any of those categories. I'm amazed it was published.

It's a book for people who already know improvisation. But Mick argues that the most accepted ways to teach improvisation are not only ineffective, they are COUNTER effective.

And he makes a great argument.

I had already started on the path he lays out (I've no longer teach 'blocking' off the top, instead concentrating on reducing fear and encouraging failure), but I have not gone nearly as far as he suggests (Not teaching blocking ever). It's a bold step and I am going to try it in the next class I teach.

In short, who should buy this book?

(1) If you are already an improviser. You've been trained (somewhere) and are looking for a challenging new way to look at your crafty

(2) You are an instructor who is looking for a new way to teach (not new games, but new principles)

Who should also buy this book:

(1) If you are buying your first improv book. Buy this book, but also pick up one of the standards - know what you are not learning - if only so you can discuss it with other improvisers (I know Mick would not suggest this, but we don't agree on everything)

(2) If you are set in your ways and figure you know the right way to do improv - buy this book and see if you can open your mind a little. I would be interested to hear counter arguments to Mick's ideas.

I am calling all my improv friends and telling them to buy this book. It's the first book with something new to say in a long time.

Congratulations Mick. I wish you had written this book earlier.

Edward J Nevraumont
Co-author: The Ultimate Improv Book

So far I've read Chalma Halpern's "Truth in Comedy", Viola Spolin's "Improvisation for the Theater", Keith Johnstone's "Impro", and now this book, and I would say this one has the most useful information as far as *becoming a better stage improviser" goes. What I mean is that it is full of tips, advice, and useful things to consider, and seems meant for someone who has already knows a little bit about the BASICS. Mick Napier asks the reader to rethink some of the "rules" that the basic improv teaching lays down, while adding some important insights of his own.

In this sense, I think that "Truth In Comedy" is the best INTRO to improv, for someone just starting out. Then, I'd recommend "Improvise: Scene From The Inside Out" as a necessary followup, and then Keith Johnstone's "Impro" as a whole new viewpoint and also a deeper insight into the philosophy of being in the moment. (By the way, I would avoid the Viola Spolin book - it's written in a strangely stilted, boring, hard-to-read style, and really contains no memorable information).

Particularly useful in Napier's book are the "Exercises To Do At Home", which is something I've been looking for - most other books have exercises which are meant to be practiced in a group setting.

I found the chapter on "Improvisation & the Second Law Of Thermodynamics" to be unnecessary though - it didn't really add anything and seemed to be sort of a weird tangent. Luckily, it's short.

Anyhow, after reading this book I really do feel as if I understand a lot more about what separates a "great" improviser from a merely "good" one. Now comes the hard part - PRACTICING & GETTING UP THERE AND DOING IT!!!

P.S. I was recommended this book by Dustin Sharpe, my Improv instructor at the Acting School of South Florida, and also a member of the awesome improv group Mod27. Thanks Dustin!

This is an awesome new addition to the list of improvisation books currently out there. Mick covers new ground with new ideas and new ways to look at traditional improv thought ie Truth in Comedy. It cleared up so much that I found foggy about my formal training and provided me with so much to move forward with. This book is a must for anyone with a desire for quality work. Well done Mick. My thanks.

Mick Napier has a unique perspective on improvising and a strong, smart, convincing and hilarious voice with which to explain it. In many ways his book is a response to Halpern's Truth in Comedy, which reads like a guidebook with interspersed tales of people who have reached celebrity through mastering its teachings, those lessons centering around the concept of "If everyone supports each other, everyone will look good." There's also a good deal of waxing poetic about Harold form and the spiritual experience of group mind that it creates.

This book is basically the opposite of that. First, Mick dismantles the rules, telling a convincing tale about their creation in which successful improvisers attempted to replicate their triumph by analyzing and avoiding their failings. It makes enough sense to make a reader regret ever giving mind to the "rules" of improv and lament the times it's gotten them thinking instead of just doing something, which is the first step, Napier says, of good improvising. And that's at the heart of his philosophy - support your scene mates, yes, but first do the selfish thing and take care of yourself. You will support them more with a strong choice than with being polite.

Because that's the realization that anyone makes when improvising. Eventually they'll have to make exceptions and do what feels selfish. So it's best to be honest with ourselves and learn right off the bat that that is what we should be working towards, not avoiding.

Also, this may seem tangential, but Napier never name-drops once. This is part of his personal philosophy, and while he may avoid it only to keep himself from getting a big head or distracting people from what is important, the meat of the book, I believe that it works on a much more important level. Reading so many stories of those that have gone on to celebrity level success as improvisers can make a reader think that it's a definite thing, that they, too, can get famous with improv. Not that they can't, but it can make this fame the focus rather than taking it slow and steady, and it can be very disappointing when experience inevitably disproves the idea that success will come immediately. That can be one's goal, but constant name-dropping has a tendency to distort one's desires into greed and disillusionment.

Back to the book at hand. Now, nothing is perfect; you might, however not exactly notice this one's imperfections. I'll explain. Napier's voice is an incredibly fun one to read. He is irreverent and witty, giving the text the feeling that he wrote it with the "Do whatever and don't ask why" philosophy in mind. In other words, saying what needs to be said is more important than avoiding sounding goofy or silly if it serves the text. And by the time you reach the "common problems" or "advanced improvisation" chapters, you will be too caught up in his humor and wisdom to notice that he's basically doing what he initially impugned - explaining how to improvise by saying what not to do. True, he begins with the disclaimer that he's really not saying what not to do, but pointing out things that can weaken a scene. And, in Napier's defense, he does explain that, for the most part, they are bad things to do because they avoid improvisation itself - preconceiving ideas, for example. Also, reading these things after we are told just to do anything and take care of yourself and so forth really feels like you're building on the basics, which go against the "rules". But, in the end, he is doing what he said not to in telling us, basically, what not to do. But would we have a problem with this advice if we didn't believe in Napier's wisdom enough for them to jar us? No. And, in my opinion, every aspect of these seemingly contradictory segments make complete sense and, indeed, work.

That being said, going to an improv workshop directly after reading this, I did feel myself getting up in my head because I was so afraid of reverting to the rules that Napier warns against that I froze up. Does that mean I never should have read the rules to begin with, or does it mean that following Napier's advice can get one in their head as much as anything else? I couldn't tell you, but it's certainly something to consider.

Finally, there is one segment of this book that I really feel sets it apart, and that's the second to last section, his Exercises to Do at Home. So many times I've wanted to practice but had no one with whom to do it; well, no longer. This is an incredibly valuable portion, one that makes complete sense to have yet that no one seems to have come up with and produced. This stuff is worth the price of the book alone.

Even if you don't think you'll jive with Napier's philosophy, I strongly recommend his book to anyone wishing to advance in improv. It may be jarring to see your prior training via Truth in Comedy, etc. be basically excoriated, but it's a good kind of jarring, and one that everyone should have so as to be completely honest with themselves about it. And he writes in such an enjoyable, captivating, humorous, wise way that Improvise might be one of the best, smartest and most entertaining books I've ever read, improv-based or otherwise.

I enjoyed this book very much. Rather than force you to learn what NOT to do in improv (The Rules) he explains why he thinks the rules came to be and why they are not necessarily important. He focuses more on what works and what doesn't. To do good improv you need to be out of your head, rather than in your head filtering through rules and determining what your correct response should be. Use your total brain power reacting and creating! He then presents concepts that can be used to advance scenes to a higher level. Best of all he has numerous things to practice at home, by yourself, to help you become a better improvisor. I read this and Truth in Comedy at the same time. They are both very good but I liked this one better for where I am in improv right now.

I thought that Mick Napier did an amazing job in giving tools for a performer to use and wrote it in a very informative manner. I'd highly recommend this to anyone interested in Improv but don't make it your first book and don't read before you master the art of yes, anding... because he basically tells you to think differently, which only works if you have the basics down first.

I learn from this book each time I read it. The advice is sound and practical. The exercises at the end are very helpful. "Improvise:Scene from the Inside Out", is a excellent stand alone tool for strengthening your improvisation. If, however, you can also attend classes or workshops at "The Annoyance" I would highly recommend it. Doing so truly brings the book to life. Read and have fun!

Mick Napier has given much thought to the art of improvising and knows what he's talking about. I have had great success applying his "research" and suggstions to my own improv work. Plus it's a quick and easy read, perfect to re-read as a reference or when I need a refresher.

If you want to break down basic scene work, this is the best book out there. Napier is brilliant in the way that he cuts through the BS. No matter where you are in your improv career, or what kind of improv you want to perform, you will get something out of this text.

This book could be your first on improv, but it is better as a follow-up to such classics as Truth in Comedy. The lessons that Mick Napier teaches are more advanced and serve as a complement (if not a replacement) to the fundamentals that you must learn first. He has some unorthodox methods that will surprise people who religiously follow "the rules of improv." But you may find that this book helps your scenes to flow more naturally.

This is a great way to test some new ways of thinking about improv, while it may trigger you to discover some of your own techniques. Buy it if you have been in the game for a while and are looking for a change of pace.