Instructions for Lights:
- Black out lights and cue music quickly. Don't take lots of time to fade things.
- Keep the lights out for about 5-7 seconds. It gives the audience time to breathe, and the performers time to exit.
- Err on the side of cutting scenes too short.
- Look for endings that are either:
- big laughs
- clever
- touching
- impressive
- providing closure
Instructions for the Host:
- Build rapport with the audience to get them on your side.
- smile
- dance
- say please and thank you
- don't make fun of them
- make fun of yourself*
- *not as in I suck at hosting/improv, but in other ways you fail at life.
- Compliment the audience like you're on a first date.
- Treat your audience like they're the smartest audience in the world.
- Be yourself, don't host in the voice of a character, or use announcer voice.*
- *be a happier, more energetic, more fun-loving version of yourself. The audience wants to have fun.
- Think through how you're going to introduce the game. Make it simple, clear, and concise.
- If you're going to tell jokes, make them quick, and if they fail move on even quicker.
Instructions for the Performers:
- You can make 2 big mistakes every show.*
- *Go big until you make 2 mistakes, then go mostly big.
- Trust that your partners are just as smart, brilliant, and funny as you. Set them up!
- Don't use planned material, or stuff that made the team laugh in rehearsal.*
- Trust the YES AND process.
- The other team members will notice, and the energy will be lower.
- *You can use characters you've worked on, but don't use preplanned gags, set-ups, jokes, punchlines, etc.
- Don't distract from what's going on onstage.
- Acknowledge everybody who enters/exits the scene.
Instructions for the Musician:
- Pay attention to what's going on in the scene.
- If something dramatic happens, play something discordant.
- Less is more. Simple chords and filler backgrounds are okay for a lot of the scenes.
- Don't worry about the structure of the songs you play, just think in terms of themes, melodies, or general feel.
- Basic piano sound is best.
