Improv: Building Ideas With the “Yes, and” Principle

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Are you struggling with your improvisational skills? Are you looking for some helpful tips and exercises that will improve your improv? Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video series.

There are 22 videos in this series:

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1.

Improv: "Yes, and" Adventure
An activity called "yes, and" adventure is a great, simple exercise to work those "yes, and" muscles. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 262
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2.

Improv: "Yes, and" Brainstorm
A game called "yes, and" brainstorm works well for businesses, meetings, organizations, anytime where people have to kind of create things together. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 252
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3.

Improv: "Yes, and" Demo
"Yes, and" is a magic tool that helps people create scenes and stories on the spot by listening to each other's ideas, accepting those ideas, and building on those ideas. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 269
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4.

Improv: "Yes, and" Marketing Brainstorm Exercise
Instead of spending an hour coming up with one idea in your meeting, have five different "yes, and" brainstorming sessions, where you flush out single ideas and then take a look at them. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 277
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5.

Improv: "Yes, and" Principle
No matter where you study improv what kind of improv you study, in the first few classes they're going to talk to you about "Yes, and." Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 430
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6.

Improv: "Yes, but" Demo
"Yes, but" is the opposite of "yes, and" where we're contrasting or conflicting with each other. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 268
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7.

Improv: "Yes, let's"
"Yes, let's" is a good exercise in learning what kind of offers or ideas inspire your fellow players. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 250
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8.

Improv: "Yes, or" Demo
It's useful to demonstrate what happens when we don't listen and we do something else like, for example, "yes or." Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 246
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9.

Improv: 1 Blocks, 1 Accepts
An exercise where you play with both concepts, one of listening and accepting and one of blocking or shooting down people's ideas, the stuff you don't really want to do when you're improvising on stage, will really drive home the importance of "yes, and." Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 261
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10.

Improv: Accepting Offers Corridor
Accepting offers corridors works on the skills of making offers, accepting offers, and building on those offers with something connected. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 244
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11.

Improv: Accepting Scene Exercise
Play a scene where players accept every offer that's played out. But, instead of just doing one or two at a time, keep going back and forth accepting offers and see where it leads. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 257
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12.

Improv: Blind Offer Demo
A blind offer is when you imply there's an offer there but you don't define it 100%. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 251
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13.

Improv: Blocking Exercise
It's worthwhile to practice the bad stuff, to practice blocking. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 250
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14.

Improv: Blocking Offers Corridor
Blocking is saying no to someone's offer, or denying what they're trying to put forward. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 241
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15.

Improv: Character Offer Demo
Character is a kind of offer that let's the audience know who you are and lets your fellow players know who you are. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 252
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16.

Improv: Emotional Offer Demo
An emotional offers is when a person on stage portrays an emotion to give us information about their character or about the world that the scene is taking place in. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 250
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17.

Improv: Endowments
Endowments are a special kind of offer, and it's a very generous kind of offer, because what you're doing is you're giving your scene partner information about their character. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 239
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18.

Improv: Everybody Go Game
The Everybody Go Game works on the specific skill of being instantly enthusiastic about other people's ideas. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 246
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19.

Improv: Giving Presents Game
The Giving Presents Game is a really deceptively simple game that works these muscles of really being excited about other peoples ideas, without judgment, without qualification, without hesitation. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 256
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20.

Improv: Physical Offer Demo
Physical offers are any kind of movement, space work or mime that you might do on stage. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 253
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21.

Improv: Sound Offer Demo
Sound effects might happen in conjunction with a physical offer or space work. It might be something that's a voice over or a sound that might give you an idea of a location. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 252
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22.

Improv: Verbal Offer Demo
The thing people think about most when they think about an offer on stage is a verbal offer, a line of dialog. Learn how to use the "Yes, and" principle in improv to build ideas in this free arts and entertainment video.

Views: 271
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Views: 5,743 Videos in Series: 22

Tags: ideas, building, exercises, theater, up, stand, games, improv, improvisation, comedy, improve, improvisational, yes, principle

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Summary: Improvisational theater is a form of theater in which the actors use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously. Actors typically use audience suggestions to guide the performance as they create dialogue, setting, and plot extemporaneously. Many improvisational actors also work as scripted actors, and "improv" techniques are often taught in standard acting classes. The basic skills of listening, clarity, confidence, and performing instinctively and spontaneously are considered important skills for actors to develop.

The best way to improve one's improv skills is to practice, and the only problem with practicing improv is that it helps to have a template to practice with. In this free video series, an professional improvisation instructor and performer will teach you how to play a number of improv games and partake in exercises that will sharpen your acting skills. You'll learn how to use the “Yes, and” principle to build ideas. With these exercises, you'll see your improv instincts improve in no time!

About the Expert

Expert: Shana has over a thousand hours of teaching under her belt and is considered one of the most experienced and effective improv teachers in Central Texas. As the former Dean of The Heroes School of Improvisational Theatre, some of her clients have included: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Whole Foods, The University of Texas McCombs School of Business, PricewaterhouseCoopers as well as adults and children throughout the community. Shana founded her own company, Merlin-Works, in 2003 in order to provide custom training, interactive presentations and comedy shows to businesses and organizations through improvisation. The Austin Improv Collective awarded her "Best Improv Teacher" and "Best Improv Class." In 2008, she opened the Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation, offering classes in shortform gameplay and narrative longform improv. In addition to her teaching and corporate training career, Shana Merlin is a highly acclaimed performer. Since 1996, Shana has been a professional improviser, performing from Calgary to San Francisco.