Improvisation for the theater
by Viola Spolin, VI Spolin · first published 1963
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4HN commenters
2015–2026first – last mentioned
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If you're doing Impro, I can recommend reading the book by Spolin - Improvisation for the theater. The first (theoretical) part was the most interesting as it showed to me something I hadn't figured out myself, doing impro as a beginner. In an impro game or play, you get a role and have a goal to…
on “Book Review: Impro by Keith Johnstone” ↗…could pick up Daniel Kahneman's Thinking Fast and Slow or maybe you could choose Tom McCarthy's amazing novel Remainder. If you're interested in live performance maybe you could pick up Viola Spolin's Improvisation for the Theater or maybe try Philip Roth's Sabbath's Theater. Then repeat, follow your curiosity again. Pick another book, maybe the first book you read pushes you towards selecting another. You want more from the same…
on “Ask HN: Are books worth it?” ↗…nature of his profession, successes and mistakes (especially the latter). Frequently touches or verges into the personal. Not morbid, but often sad. Keith Johnstone, Impro for Storytellers. Viola Spolin, Improvisation for the Theater Two very good books about improvisation, although Spolin's is too dry and theory-laden for me (it's meant for teachers more than practitioners). Both, however, pale compared to Keith Johnstone's earlier…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2015?” ↗…by the gaze of others. The foundation of American improv theater came out of socializing games developed by Neva Boyd at Hull House in Chicago and her student Viola Spolin, published in Spolin's book, Improvisation for the Theater. These games rely on attuning to the faces of others and what they say and do. One's spontaneous, untutored reactions are the source of creativity and fun. I will testify here that the social engagement…
on “Rules of Good Social Skills” ↗