Morpho Theater

A thought I have about long form improv. "You are enough", is absolutely true. Traditional Theater (theater created from a script) is a very exclusive culture (compared to improv theater) and is very competitive as well. I think in traditional theater, they cast roles based on physical appearance and personality of actors. Improv Theater is free from this constraint. Improvisers get to create their characters themselves. So, yes, "you are enough", absolutely.

A thought I have about long form improv. Silence is golden, which as cliche as that saying may seem, is as true as anything that could be said. An aim for a performing long form improviser, is to be able to be comfortable enough to not have to compulsively speak, to fill the mawing cavernous feeling of being in silence. What I have been observing is that that is one step in growing in accepting silence on stage. Another step is to be able to share silence with your scene part...ner in the scene. I've seen a lot of improv shows and I find this to be a rare phenomenon. I think TJ. Jagadowski, is the best example of an improviser who is capable of doing this more often then most performers that I've seen. And I don't think there is a better example of two improvisers sharing silence in performance, than when he performs with Dave Pasquesi, in their duo T.J. and Dave. See more

A thought I have about long form improv. Starting out in improv is hard. I personally experienced and incredible amount of uncertainty and anxiety just learning to do it in a class, let alone in a rehearsal or a performance in front of an audience. A common mantra that gets adopted is "fuck the audience." Which I think is helpful a little when stuck on whether to trust one's own instincts or to be able to take risks in improv. But, I think a little bit of that mantra goes a long way. I think performers keep the mantra going, which justifies selfish play and actually never growing in responsibility as a performer.

A thought I have about long form improv. It seems that training in improv is far to diffuse and lacking a basic focus on teaching actionable skills. Teaching the principles of Yes And, impressing upon students the value of not knowing, and discouraging students from exploring comedy and learning how to be funny leads to performers lacking any sense of what to do in performance. I've produced plenty of long form improv shows, and I find audiences to be smart and empathetic to what long form improvisers are attempting to do on stage. Far too often the audience is left out of any consideration for long form improv shows. As a producer, director and teacher I've worked to be able to produce shows I feel are engaging and entertaining for an audience, while the improv ensembles have the freedom they desire in creating their show.

A thought I have about long form improv. I define long form improv as a theatrical form where the actors (duos, trios, ensembles) create theater without a static template, ie, genre, playwright, play or movie. There are long form structures that improvisers use, The Harold, Leronde, Armando, etc....

This is a thought I have about long form improv. Character work in improv is very important. It’s amazing to see how little attention Character work is given in improv training. Over agreement seems to be a major obstacle to improvisers being able to focus on character creation (generally in scenes, and more consistently as a practice). "Yes and", keeps improvisers from practicing making a character choice rooted in a strong point of view. While starting out, when improviser...s make these choices on having strong P.O.V. they may say "no" a lot and perhaps be argumentative in scenes. Somehow this goes against the standard way of how it should look like while being supportive for far too many improv teachers and directors. In the end, I think improv students are getting a severe lack of training with classes and rehearsals. Improv students should be given the opportunity to try and fail, as they work to become better improvisers, and especially if they are working as improv performers. I believe that improv theater is fundamentally experimental theater. See more

This is a thought I have about long form improv. Relationships are mysterious. I think we take this for granted far too often in our lives. Improv Theater is an art form that explores and gives creative expression to relationships.

This is a thought I have about long form improv. Improv Theater is vital because the players create the story. Relationships are the heart of what the work is about. Patience, tolerance and listening are the hallmarks of what it is to be supportive. Being able to speak truthfully comes from an improvisers ability to feel and be present. An audience gets to bear witness to this process in performance. I believe this a profound act of love that is truly healing.