The Ultimate Improv Book: A Complete Guide to Comedy Improvisation [Paperback]

Edward J. Nevraumont (Author), Kurt Smeaton (Author), Nicholas P. Hanson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

A complete improvisation curriculum in twenty-four class-length units. This comprehensive resource who shows the who, what, when, why and how of comedy improvisation. Main topics: What is improv?; Improvisational skills; Structuring; Strategies; How to start your own improvisation team. Includes many games and exercises.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 9-12. Teens who like to perform but find organized high-school theater out of reach or too limiting will find great tips for a new acting outlet here. Suggestions for assembling a capable, compatible team of players, setting up performances guidelines, and keeping the action flowing and on target for the audience preface setups for 60 games. The game-exercises, most for teams of 2 to 20, are specifically designed to assist players in using language, literature, song, and movement in their skits. Helpful word and idea lists round out this excellent tool, which emphasizes that practice makes perfect--even when it comes to improvisation. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Edward J Nevraumont and Nicholas P Hanson

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Meriwether Publishing (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566080754
• ISBN-13: 978-1566080750
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #414,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Who is this book for?, March 18, 2002

By 

"mrflick" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ultimate Improv Book: A Complete Guide to Comedy Improvisation (Paperback)

I had thought that this book would be a good guide for beginner or experience improvisors to improve their skills; however the book is written with advice on how to start an improv team at a high school and has a great deal of focus on competiting in the Canadian Improv Games (two areas i was just not intersted in). The chapters are very short and try to drop in every improv term without going into depth on any. The book does have a nice list of exercises and suggestions at the end, but many again focus on performating them with younger improvisors and some descriptions weren't complete enough to attempt to use them.

This book would probably be most helpful to someone who is already very familiar with improv and who wants to teach it to high school students. But for the sake of those you are teaching, seek out more complete references like those by Viola Spolin.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The improv bible, November 5, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The Ultimate Improv Book: A Complete Guide to Comedy Improvisation (Paperback)

ANYONE and EVERYONE involved with the Canadian improv games should own this book. Teams who are just starting out, teachers who are thinking of starting a team, and players who have been improvising for years can all benefit from the information. Great skill-developing games, lists of characteristics, genres, and so on to help teams practise, and conprehensive descriptions of each game. Outlines dos and don't of improv. I love this book more than life itself.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This is a good book if you were 16, February 9, 2009

By 

Ian Jensen "Spaghettiman" (New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Ultimate Improv Book: A Complete Guide to Comedy Improvisation (Paperback)

I'd recommend the Del Close book if you want a good read on improv. This is for kids