IMPROVISATION & YOUR ABILITY TO RELATE TO OTHERS

Brene Brown who had a massive hit on Ted on YouTube with over 4 million hits!!! talking about her ‘breakdown’ or ‘spiritual awakening’, depending on how you look at it, said in a later Ted broadcast, that she realised that to sum it all up, she would say that it all boils down to one word. Connection.

 CONNECTION

In other words that for her, the primary truth in life we need to get our heads around is the way that we relate, RELATE, to others. & with 4 thousand hits there may be some truth in this. 

But how could this ‘relate’ to improvisation? Well, what we must do is use the Toltec technique of ‘shifting the focus’ on improvisation, to try and see improvisation differently; not just as a way to become ‘famous’ by being a better performer, actor, by being funnier and cooler etc. but as a tool to help us work with our own self-awareness, particularly in that area of relating to others. For ‘Impro’, if it is to work, is all about relating to the other performers, and not about you alone, YOU ALONE, as a brilliant actor!!! And not even about being a ‘good’ actor. In fact Impro is about ‘being’ and not acting, when it’s working.  In other words it is a micrcosm of the macrocosm.  The way we relate to the group of performers we are working with relates directly to the way we relate to the world, in society, and to those around us.

To work with our own self-awareness though, we must find ways of showing to ourselves our own failings and short-comings, which in truth, for the average person, are not really self evident. For example, are we stubborn? When we are told that in every Impro scene we must, until at least we are much much much more experienced improvisers, as a basic guideline to begin with say ‘yes’ to every offer that is made to us. Do we then stubbornly resist by finding a way to say no????? Or, are we for example ‘in denial’. If someone rushes in saying the house is burning down do we say,  “actually this is a computer generated flame effect, to put off would be burglars!”  Very clever but in fact a denial.  Or, do we lack trust? If someone says “come with me into this dark basement”, do we say, “well, perhaps not today. Maybe some other time.”  Do we have issues about certain environments or being in certain situations??? Does this bring up memories or emotions that prevent us from playing the scene and thus prevent us from relating to others??? Do we have issues about playing sexual scenes, love scenes, scenes involving movement of some kind like dancing????? Do we have an issue listening to others? Do we tend to talk over people? Do we have issues with language??? Do we place too much importance on it?? Do we think Impro is about being good with language???

All in all, Impro is a ‘safe’ laboratory to explore these things and learn about ourselves, if we can ‘shift the focus’. Now, the usual response to this will be that it is all too simple. Surely something so momentous cannot be so simple?? Surely Shirley???? Well the simple truth here is that we live in a world that specialises in complicating things. Where complexity is valued for its own sake. Where people say, “I can’t do that, I’m too complicated.”  Where the simple is devalued and frowned upon. Where to succeed you must be sophisticated and complex. Look at corporate finance. But, as it says in the Toltec Teachings, that a warrior aims for simplicity, as it cuts out all unnecessary thoughts and feelings. In other words it helps to help us ‘see’ what is really taking place in our lives. It is the  first stepping stone towards ‘clarity’. But, obviously, it is a bit of a ‘zen’ thing, knowing the importance of simplicity. You cannot explain it to people. They have to arrive there for themselves.

It is also true that there is a big ‘Taboo’ on thinking differently about culturally established things. It feels wrong. It feels dirty, to think of Impro in this way. Strange as that must sound. It is a kind of blasphemy. Our brains, ours souls, our hearts just won’t go there. We fear that unknown quantity inherent in it. Fear. A warrior’s first enemy.

If we do find this happening to ourselves we must ask ourselves, “ Am I being caught up in the ‘herd’ mentality? Am I really thinking for myself??? What is more important??? My image as a ‘cool’ improviser, or my self awareness which can help me to grow spiritually???????

In conclusion then, I will say that I can categorically state, as I know from my own experience, and not from a book I read, that we can get much better at relating. It can be done. And this was Brenee Brown’s big moment of   realisation. She suddenly ‘knew’. It can be done. It should be done. It is humanity’s way forward. If you accept this then after that all that remains is ‘how’????  What tools exist to aid us in this?? What if any???. Well. I am naming one. There are of course others. I shan’t go into those here. The alert student can probably guess a few. They do exist. Impro though is probably the easiest tool to get your hands on. The most available. And that is a marvellous thing!!! There is hope!!! And long as we can say, “YES! The house is burning down!!!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o