Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser [Paperback]

Jimmy Carrane (Author), Liz Allen (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0325009422 | ISBN-13: 978-0325009421 | Publication Date: September 26, 2006

Improvising Better is an easy to read self-help book created with the new generation of improviser in mind. It's written for today's performers, looking for a quick fix to their performance problems. This book is a fast read with long-lasting results.

Jimmy Carrane and Liz Allen have improvised, taught, and directed in Chicago for over thirty years combined, and have either seen or experienced the most common problems facing improvisers today. Improvising Better will give you simple tools for repairing your improvisation through original and enhanced exercises. This book addresses the improviser as a whole, including how offstage issues affect onstage performance. Speaking candidly about this very personal art form, Carrane and Allen offer common-sense solutions, some tough love, and a little inspiration along the way.

Whether you are a beginner or a veteran, Improvising Better will catapult you to the next level in your career as a working improviser.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann Drama (September 26, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0325009422
• ISBN-13: 978-0325009421
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #137,147 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Improvising Better lives up to its name, February 5, 2008

By 

Gabriel J. Caruso "Student of Life" (Mt. Vernon, IA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser (Paperback)

Improvising Better is a must have for anyone who wants to do just that. I'm currently in my fourth year of doing improvisational comedy, and my biggest regret is that I didn't buy this book earlier! This work will leave you saying, "Well of course. Why didn't I think of that?" Written in a conversational tone, it will fool you into believing that Jimmy and Liz are actually in the room fixing your improv flaws. This book can be read in just a couple of hours, but it is through rereading it that it gains most of its value. It is a must-have improvisational reference work.
If you're looking for a quick fix to almost any of your improv problems this is the book for you. Almost every chapter has a handful of games that will help you hone your improv skills and make you more ready to take on the stage. It's simply amazing how much knowledge can be shared in so few pages. The coauthors share over 30 years of experience in this field. Does anything else really need to be said?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now that you know how to improvise..., July 23, 2007

By 

Mad Collector "horror film buff" (Las Vegas, NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser (Paperback)

I have had the luxury of being coached by Liz Allen. But for those that have not had the opportunity, she and her co-author have come up with a fun tongue-in-cheek book that gives the more seasoned improviser a chance to reasses their path and how to make their improv work even better.

The book really paints a picture of what the improviser faces both socially and professionally. It reviews the basic improvisational tools, something the seasoned professional sometimes forgets about. And, the text is not dry at all. Bits of humor are thrown in that keep it an interesting read.

If you are wanting a diversion from your chaotic improv life, check out this book and see the culture of comedic improv mirrored humorously within the pages of this fun title! And get many helpful performance hints as well!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book - wish they had thought about more about examples, July 28, 2010

By 

Jennifer L. Forrest "Theatre Educator" (Saint Louis, Mo. USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser (Paperback)

I wish I could give this book a 4.5 stars - for the most part, I really liked the book and what it had to say. It's a quick read and easy to understand - 18 chapters (although each one is like 1-2 pages) outline common pitfalls students of improv theatre have. Chapters include: What Happened to Yes?, You are Required to Play the Opposite Sex, Choosing the Funny over the Craft, and Yes Begins Offstage. My only complaint is that while 80-85% of the book would be appropriate for high school students, some of the examples of scenes and some of the language and the Chapter on Fear of Playing Politically Incorrect Characters made the book unusable for me as a school textbook for my Improv Classes- which is a shame, because there is so much great information in the book. I realize they were writing this book for adults and in that sense it's great. I just wish there was an improv book like this geared for the high school improv student who is not quite yet "professional" and yet not like some of the other books I've seen geared (or at least marketed) towards the age group - too babyish. If you are teaching college or above this might be the book for you - otherwise this is a good resource for teachers, but can not be handed out as a textbook.