From Homeless to New Hampshire with Improv

My new improv student was a homeless clown. Jerry was homeless, and yet he was also one of the most successful improv students I have ever taught.

I still remember his phone call.

He called asking about our Improv 101 class and if it would be okay for him to take it. He wanted a change in life.

I could tell he was nervous when he called.
He needed the class fee broken down into weekly payments. I had assumed that was what was making him nervous, but after telling him it was okay, there was a long pause.

When he finally spoke again, it was in a much softer voice; he whispered, "I am homeless. Is that a problem?" I could tell he was offering me an out. He was being honest and gave me the chance to decide if it would work or not.

He provided me the opportunity to change my mind.
As I thought about it, he said he would be clean and shaven for each class, though he might need to bring his suitcase with him occasionally. He patiently waited for my answer, neither pleading nor trying to persuade me in either direction. After thinking about it, I said, "Yes, and." He quickly and quietly thanked me.

He did well in the class.
His class cycle was an eight-week class. He made every single class. He did occasionally bring his suitcase to class.

A few years later, he wrote me a letter.
In his letter, he let me know the improv class made it possible for him to start working on things and get his life on a better track. He credited the course with helping him reconnect with his family.

I said "yes and" to his request to take the class.
In his letter, he said that he had returned home. He reconciled with his family and was living with them in New Hampshire. He said yes to going home.

In his younger years, he was a clown.
He had performed in San Francisco for a time, but things changed. He had wandered from that life and got lost in the San Francisco drug scene in the Tenderloin.

He said things started to change for him after the class.
I am sure there were many other yes moments between the course and his reconnecting with his family. I bring up the story to show how powerful improv the improv idea of "yes and" can be on stage and off.

Yes, and" is a life-changing concept.
Jerry said "yes and" to his impulse to take an improv class. I said "yes and" to his request to take the course.

Saying "yes and" gets things going.
It opens doors, takes you on new adventures, and helps you find new experiences and opportunities.

Let's explore what "yes and" means both onstage and off.
In this article, we'll dive deeper into the concept, exploring these points:

• What "Yes' And" Means

• What Gets Us Stuck

• Why Patterns Matter

• The Importance of Accepting New Possibilities

So what is "Yes' and"?
"Yes and" is a choice or action that opens doors or moves things forward. Often, it is saying "yes" in a scene. The yes part is accepting what your scene partner says or does. After the "and" is your response to your partner's actions and statements.

Onstage Example:
Sherry: "Nice car, Bill! A 67 Mustang?
Bill: Offering Sherry mimed keys, "Take it for a drive."

Offstage Example:
You: Let's get Mexican tonight!
Your Partner: Sure, the Patio has the best fajitas!

Everything would have gotten stuck if there had been no response in either of these situations.

Knowing what gets you stuck helps.
Understanding the ideas and actions that get us stuck is essential. Our response can help us transform or get us stuck. In improv, when we say no, or our choice keeps from being changed, it is called blocking. It is the opposite of "yes and."

We can change, just as Jerry did. We can identify new opportunities by becoming aware of when and how we tend to block (reject) things.

Often, we avoid change out of fear.
Onstage and off, you must understand if you are blocking because of real danger or to stay in control and avoid being changed.

Blocking (saying no) is a default reaction to keep us safe. The problem is saying no also keeps us from breaking old patterns and changing and experiencing new things.

Blocking keeps us from moving forward.
If Jerry had rejected his impulse to take an improv class, he might never have reached a place where he was ready to reconnect with his family.

Sometimes, the offer or idea we block carries no real risk or danger; it is just a different choice. On stage and in scenes, there is seldom any real danger. Yet, we still say no and block even in the imaginary worlds we create on stage.

If you always eat vanilla ice cream, there is no danger in trying green tea ice cream. Saying yes more often offstage can lead to new opportunities, changes, and adventures. It is also a process that multiplies.

Learning to say yes to little impulses makes it easier to say yes to bigger ones. Each yes opens up new possibilities. It is both fear and lack of awareness that keeps us from saying yes. Knowing when we say no without thinking helps.

One of the most important things to understand is our patterns.
Our patterns, both on stage and off, are choices. The more we know them, the more we can explore other ways of being both on stage and off.

Going against your patterns on stage is how we go into the pure improv space. We do this by saying yes rather than blocking. It forces us to be mindful and aware as we explore the difference. It can be as simple as speaking more on stage if you usually let your scene partner drive the dialogue.

Identify the different impulses.
Offstage, it can be as simple as saying thank you rather than assuming the person you are speaking to already is aware of your appreciation.

Or if you are arguing with a friend, you could pause and say I am sorry; tell me more about how you understand things.

Awareness and saying yes creates new opportunities. You free yourself from recycling the same choices, outcomes, and patterns. You find the freedom that Jerry found in his improv class.

Accept the new possibilities.
Knowing what gets you stuck and understanding your patterns helps you grow and change. The final step is accepting the new direction and going toward it.

It is easy to allow our fear to cause us to block an impulse or idea that has bubbled up. It is almost effortless to say no to an acting partner on stage or a friend offstage.

Accepting that you can make different choices and go in different directions is liberating and terrifying at the same time.

The unknown or pure improv space becomes more evident with each yes. Scenes are created by accepting the possibility of change.

You make improv shows by saying yes to your ideas and the ideas of your cast-mates. You find new opportunities, friends, and possibilities offstage by doing the same.

Like Jerry, you can say "yes" and move into a new future.

New improvisors sometimes fear things will get too real.
Occasionally, new students point out that they want to have fun. They are not interested in doing psychodrama.

The part they are missing is that giving up control is a large part of the fun. They forget the nature of improv is to create and explore with your partner.

Improv is the creation of something new between and by the players. We do not have to tap into memories, nor are we looking to explore our past, as in method acting. Improv focuses on co-creating in an imaginary onstage world. It is not digging into your past.

Let's look at some onstage and offstage examples:

Onstage:

Bill shows that he is turning on a light in a room while putting keys on a hook. Sally responds by miming putting down groceries in the same room, adding to the sense of having arrived. She tells Bill, "It is nice to be home again."

We now know they have returned from a trip.

Offstage:

Your partner suggests going on a weekend trip. You say yes to the idea and start looking at your calendar for a good weekend.

You both get to get away and have fun.

Offstage:

Jerry gets the impulse to take an Oakland improv class. Saying yes, helped Jerry start a new direction in his life.

Common Mistakes
The most common mistake people make in improv is thinking that blocking will raise the tension or be funny.

Onstage, this can grind scenes to a halt. So, they keep any forward movement from being made by the characters.

Thomas:
Let's go into this abandoned house to escape the snow.

Tammy:
No, I want to enjoy the cold.
Tammy has kept her character safe and avoided a change.

Hint offstage: saying no to a dangerous idea makes sense. Onstage, it brings your scene to a halt.

Offstage, consider if the possible danger is real or just adherence to your pattern. For example, always drinking tea or always ordering pepperoni pizza.

Beginners often think that blocking is a negative response. That is not the case. Blocking means deflating the energy or tension. It means keeping the characters safe and the actors from changing.

If the tension or sense of play between actors continues or increases, saying no is not blocking. The energy flow has to be maintained.

Like Jerry, we want to be able to change. 

Improv gives us the tools to change both on stage and off. Exploring and applying the idea of "yes and" opens doors, but it is a process.

To get the most out of this process, we need to know what gets us stuck, why patterns matter, and the importance of accepting new possibilities.

If you want to explore "yes and," our Oakland Improv 101 classes are the perfect opportunities. 

These affordable classes give you plenty of practice in a supportive, relaxed environment. Beginners are welcome. Jerry started his journey with Improv 101.

You'll make new friends, laugh, and explore through play.

Cheers,

David

David Alger
Founder
Pan Theater

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