What makes a good improviser?

Lately I've been working on a syllabus for a Level 1 "Fundamentals of Longform Improvisation" class and to prepare for that I've taken a step back to figure out my intentions. This question - what makes a good improviser - is kind of at the heart of the issue. If I can take a student at the beginning of class and help them develop the qualities that make them a good improviser, then I will have succeeded.

Here are the qualities I percieve as key:

• Able to create a wide range of vivid characters.
• Able to be fearless and take risks.
• Able to connect meaningfully and fluidly with other individuals in scenes.
• Able to create substance out of thin air with descriptions and object work.
• A solid understanding of basic performance concepts.

Let me break it down even further:

To create a wide range of vivid characters, I think you need to be able to:

• Create characters from a place of reality. It doesn't have to be your reality personally, but the truth of the reality of the characters you create. The key here is being able to create more than just a surface image.
• Find ways of creating varied characters instanteously. It's easy to Fall into a rut and find yourself playing characters that are very similar. Some things that may help with this are drawing on one’s physical body and vocalization to spark character. Journalling and people watching can be helpful as well.
  
• Remain consistent in your character. Filtering what happens in the scene through the point of view of your character. Stick to your shit.
  

Fearlessness requires:

• Overcoming the editor inside which judges everything before we do it/speak it.
• Yes, and…, not no, but… Acceptance rather than denial.
  
• Approaching scenes with a sense of adventure. Affirmative rather than negative. “Sure, let’s do it!” rather than “On no, not again.” I think part of this at least is overcoming the fear of the unknown.
  

Connecting meaningfully and fluidly with other individuals in scenes requires:

• Relationship, eye contact. This is Connection 101.
  
• Giving gifts to your partner. Being
  
• Listening to and receiving gifts from your partner. Sharing the scene and not dominating it.
  
• Playfulness.

Creating substance out of thin air with descriptions and object work requires:

• Describing things with specificity. “A dog” vs. “A grey and white cleanly clipped terrier with an attitude.”
• Being specific about what you do during a scene without making it what the scene is about. Show us what you are doing, tell us what you are feeling.
• Having emotional connections to the objects created in scenes.
• Mime skills (and bowstaff skills)
  

A solid understanding of basic performance concepts. Most are about communicating effectively with your audience. Here are some key ones:

• Cheating out to the audience so you can be heard and you communicate more effectively.
  
• Being aware of stage picture and "blocking" other players.
• Being heard. Projecting. Stage whispers. Annunciation.
• Finding the light.
• Staying in character, not breaking when the scene is funny.
  
• Behaving professionally – respecting your place as an actor, the place of the director, and the place of the audience.

This last category gets frequently overlooked, and that's unfortunate. If you can't be seen or heard onstage then your performance is going to be missed. It's no fun in the audience when the front row is laughing outrageously at something that just happened, and you missed it because the actor didn't speak loud enough or was hidden behind someone else (or in a dark spot onstage).

For people new to performing, it's helpful to explain that it is rude to give notes on your fellow performers or to spend 10 minutes explaining why you did something to the director. A quick lesson in basic etiquette should be plenty to just make sure everyone is on the same page.