Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre 1st Edition

by Keith Johnstone (Author)

79 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0878301171

ISBN-10: 0878301178

Why is ISBN important?

Trade in your item
Get a $5.77
Gift Card.

Trade in
Learn More

Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon

Share <Embed>

Buy new

$29.95

In Stock.

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

List Price: $40.95 Save: $11.00 (27%)

35 New from $28.46

FREE Shipping—or get FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime

Turn on 1-Click ordering

Ship to:

Select a shipping address:

More Buying Choices

35 New from $28.46 36 Used from $14.01

71 used & new from $14.01

See All Buying Options

Free%20Two-Day%20Shipping%20for%20College%20Students%20with%20Amazon%20Student

Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre

$29.95 FREE Shipping—or get FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Frequently bought together

Customers who bought this item also bought

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

This shopping feature will continue to load items. In order to navigate out of this carousel please use your heading shortcut key to navigate to the next or previous heading.

Keith Johnstone

19

Paperback
$33.76
Charna Halpern

135

Paperback
$11.42
Dan Halpern

14

Paperback
$15.50
Viola Spolin

53

Paperback
$17.47
Mick Napier

84

Paperback
$15.73
William Esper

54

Paperback
$13.92

Editorial Reviews

Review

""Impro ought to be required reading not only for theatre people generally but also for teachers, educators, and students of all kinds and persuassions. Readers of this book are not going to agree with everything in it; but if they are not challenged by it, if they do not ultimately succumb to its wisdom and whimsicality, they are in a very sad state indeed . . . .Johnstone seeks to liberate the imagination, to cultivate in the adult the creative power of the child . . . .Deserves to be widely read and tested in the classroom and rehearsal hall . . .Full of excellent good sense, actual observations and inspired assetions."
-"CHOICE: Books for College Libraries

Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (January 7, 1987)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0878301178
ISBN-13: 978-0878301171
Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 79 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #10 in Books > Textbooks > Humanities > Performing Arts > Theater
- #11 in Books > Arts & Photography > Performing Arts > Theater > Acting & Auditioning
- #1419 in Books > Humor & Entertainment

Would you like to tell us about a lower price?
If you are a seller for this product, would you like to suggest updates through seller support?

NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE

Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Important information

Ingredients

Example Ingredients

Directions

Example Directions

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

5 star		78%
4 star		14%
3 star		5%
2 star		0%
1 star		3%

Write a customer review

See all verified purchase reviews

Rated by customers interested in

What's this?

Art & Photography Books

5.0 out of 5 stars

Religion & Spirituality Books

4.8 out of 5 stars

Medical Books

4.7 out of 5 stars

Is this feature helpful?

Thank you for your feedback.

Top customer reviews

A Great Theater and Life Guide

ByRobert McDowellon November 20, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

These improvisations and lessons transcend theater. This compelling book reminds me again and again that all art and life are feasts of the imagination. We must always push the envelope and bravely break through fear and other obstacles that hold us back. I have borrowed exercises from this book and successfully offered them in writing and spirituality workshops. I perceive that many will also be effective in teen/parenting workshops. The book is a fountain of wisdom and a challenging guide to break free and go deeper.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Excellent

ByMark B.on July 28, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Johnstone speaks from a wealth of previous experience overflowing with little tidbits of wisdom and ideas that can propel forward anyone working in the theatre arts, and especially teachers.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

5 stars for the content - Lost a star because of the poor Kindle Edition

ByGuilherme D. Fariaon February 19, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

First, the bad: for almost $30, I would expect a perfect Kindle edition. Not the case: a lot of weird spelling mistakes (probably made by the automatic conversion to the digital format). There's no excuse for a kindle ebook to cost that, much less a flawed version. Buy the physical version or borrow from someone / library.

Now, the content... It's a manifesto about education; it's a valuable lesson about human interaction and their status transactions; it's a book about how the 'stiff' conscious mind can harm our unconscious and our 'other selves'. Oh, and it's also a book about theather and improvisation.

I'm not involved in theather at all, I bought it because I like to study social dynamics and was not disappointed. You can 'look inside' the book here on Amazon - I skipped the 'guest' introduction and went straight to the author's words. If you like it, I recommend you read the whole book.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

This Book Is For Everyone

ByGregoryon January 3, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book is for you if you are artsy, creative, want to be artsy or creative, or don't want to be artsy or creative, or couldn't be artsy or creative if you wanted to be. If you ever converse with people, find yourself in gatherings of people you don't know, or none of those things, this book is for you. Also if you live on this planet this book is for you. If you read this book, you will be glad you did. My personal favorite is the chapter on masks. You should get this book.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

This is a good intro book to improv from a philosopher and discoverer ...

ByHilarita Hoganon November 5, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is a good intro book to improv from a philosopher and discoverer of improv. The learning is in the doing, but reading about it sparked a few new understandings.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Practical insights about human nature

ByJuliaon August 2, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The best book on anthropology I've ever read (and I've spent all my university years reading anthropological books). The book is full of insights about human nature, it is practical, brave and wise.

0Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Magical - a laugh and cry experience

ByDavid Phillipson July 20, 2012

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Remember the last time you started a book, and in just a few pages, maybe even the first page, you knew that that book was going to be a magical experience? Twenty pages in to IMPRO and I've already laughed out loud (many times) and cried.

I didn't want to put it down but felt compelled to take a moment right now to share with others. I have teacher friends and relatives who will value this book; friends with children who will treasure it; and friends and strangers in general seeking a bright, colorful, fascinating, puzzling, moving world, who may come to experience it.

The vignettes, each and all that I've read, speak deeply to me with meaning and delight, and I wanted to share something from the book to give a sense of that, but the challenge of picking just the right sentence or paragraph left me flummoxed. I want to include more and more and more, until, well you should have the whole book, anyway.

Thankfully, Amazon offers a "Click to Look Inside". Now I've been fooled by rave reviews and 4+ stars before, and perhaps this book won't speak to some people (I'm so sorry), but even the first paragraph I read from the sample sold me.

Seriously, if you're a teacher of any kind, or a student of any kind, or someone interested in either of those two categories, this is an important book to have so you can read and reread it.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Amazing

ByRudon December 12, 2015

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

So good if you have any interest in improv and life. You must read this wonderful book, ladies and gents.

0CommentWas this review helpful to you?YesNo

Customer images

See all customer images

Most recent customer reviews

The Status and Spontaneity sections are amazing!

Yowza, this book reads very much like a textbook. Be prepared for lots of intense concentration. It took me quite awhile to finish reading, which probably stems from my lifetime...Read more

Published 6 months ago by Jaime

Five Stars

This is THE book.

Published 9 months ago by Amazon Customer

Five Stars

good

Published 11 months ago by Jacob Fenwick

Five Stars

Great

Published 1 year ago by Amazon Customer

Five Stars

The best!

Published 1 year ago by Francisco Ochoa Madrigal

Insightful, revelatory.

This is a must for anyone who is interested in acting or improv beyond silly games. Not that there's anything wrong with silly games.Read more

Published 1 year ago by J.B.

Something for Everyone

Impro: Improvisation And The Theatre is a surprisingly helpful book by Keith Johnston. After a brief introduction and some autobiographical information, it dives right in to...Read more

Published 1 year ago by Allegra DiNetta

I cannot recommend this book enough

This may be one of the most important books about spontaneity training for all purposes including of course all of the arts, therapy, and business applications.Read more

Published 1 year ago by Budster

Check this book out

This is an interesting read, especially for theatre majors and theatre teachers. But a lot of the material reminds me of Spolin's Improvisation book.Read more

Published 1 year ago by reachmabry

This is the go to book for improvisation and work with "Status".

This is the go to book for improvisation. I find the work on status particularly important for myself and the work my students do in the classroom.

Published 1 year ago by Amazon Customer

Set up an Amazon Giveaway

Amazon Giveaway allows you to run promotional giveaways in order to create buzz, reward your audience, and attract new followers and customers. Learn more about Amazon Giveaway

This item: Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre

Set up a giveaway