Things Danny Does

improvnonsense:

I’m interested in a discussion on this, although I don’t need you to tell me how people can use the words “funny” “smart” and “no” dangerously. I need ways to use those terms well. At the advanced level, it is often what is missing.

I don’t think I have any authority in writing this, but I am an improv nerd, so I am writing it anyway.

As Alex Berg of Convoy said on a recent UCBTLA podcast, confidence in improv is great, but ego is a turnoff, and that’s how Funny, No and Smart could be used.

Confidence Funny can mean making fun choices that are good for the scene, group or show. Ego Funny can mean dropping emotional commitment/going meta/selling out your scene.

Confidence No can help shape a scene or steer it from veering off into something that doesn’t resemble any human reality. Ego No can bulldoze a scene by dismissing scene partner’s contributions or stop it cold.

Confidence Smart helps with mapping scenes or pulling specifics or doing object work or relating to a scene partner’s ideas. Ego Smart can mean dropping references, which can block out the scene partner, those on the back line, or the audience.