"I think the most important/impactful improv lesson came from James Eason during level 4, he said something to the tune of “If you keep inventing it means you’re not listening. There’s enough for you to play with in the scene already.” This was an eye-opening piece of advice that caused a lot of the lessons the classes had covered up to that point to click into place.
Very often, when performing or watching shows, one of the most common pitfalls I see (and I still fall victim to this sometimes) is performers not knowing when to stop adding details and just get to the actual scene already. By the time they stop talking, their scene partner has to pick from 20 different ideas to respond to, and the audience is lost as to where the scene is going. I get it, it’s a lot of fun to be inventive… When I started I associated improv with being inventive and imaginative and bringing crazy/interesting ideas to scenes. But shifting my focus to listening rather than inventing not only took the pressure off of the scenes I was in, but made it significantly easier to grow the scene with my partner and find those honest character moments that audiences respond to.
I think it’s easy to get caught up in trying to add funny details or crazy specifics, but the biggest laughs always come when the team builds something big together. After you’ve initiated your scene or established your character, enough foundation has been laid… Now, all you need to do is listen to what your scene partner is giving you, and react according to what you’ve established and you’re off to the races.
You’re not going to build a house if you’re only ever adding paint."
