“Yes, and” starts with “be kind!”
Improv player 1: “Mom said that we have to wash the dishes before we can watch TV.”
Improv player 2: “Yes, and this time let’s dry the dishes with Mom’s blow dryer so we will get done faster!”
Do you see what they did there? The “yes, and” concept is fundamental to good improv; agreeing with the reality that your partner has created and then adding to it. When scene partners are agreeing with each other and working together, there is no telling where the scene will go, but it will be very entertaining to watch!
At Improv Business Solutions we believe that “yes, and” is a direct result of our number one rule: be kind! So let’s dig into that a little bit, shall we? To be kind means that you treat everything that your scene partner says and does like it is the most important and brilliant thing ever! To be kind means that you respect them as a person and a player and you don’t do anything to make them feel uncomfortable or awkward. To be kind means that you will do whatever you can to make them look really good in the scene. To be kind means that there are no mistakes, only opportunities to support each other and have fune.
Did you just mispronounce “fun” so that it came out “fune?” Well that’s how we all say it now. Did you just point to the Eiffel Tower in the scene where you are vacationing in Rome? Well the Eiffel Tower is in Rome now! See how that works?
This approach leads to an environment where you can feel safe and comfortable enough to take risks and make bold scene choices, knowing that you will be fully supported and applauded. The result is a supportive community where you can really have fune together and just play, all the while learning confidence and building skills that can take your improv to a whole new level!