Who are we and why are we here?

"When you're struggling to find the fun, know the Connection and the Context of the scene. Every improv scene is about relationships, right? So know who you and your scene partner are to each other: What do you want or need from one another, and how do you try to get those things from one another? When you know how to affect your scene partner, that gives you the freedom to be affected by them in turn. Additionally, know why the scene is happening right here, right now, as opposed to any other location and moment in time. What happened in these characters' lives that led them to this moment?

This can be simplified even further to "Who are we and why are we here?" But, it's helpful to think of things in the framework of Context and Connection because they help you to think of your character in the scene as a person with a life and a history, and not just as a vehicle for jokes. When you think of your characters this way, the comedy will come much more quickly and easily than you realize. They're just as effective to use in premise-based scenes as they are in relationship-based scenes. That's the magic of them. In relationship-based scenes, almost everything revolves around these ideas. They're the core tenets of what makes those scenes compelling. In premise-based scenes, they are essential to resting the "game" and are opportunities to make the next game move hit even harder when you come back to it. It's kind of like eating your vegetables before you have dessert. Or another metaphor: every house is built on top of a foundation, and these tools will help you build the rock-solid foundation upon which you'll inevitably make a funny-ass house."