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Truth in Comedy: The Manual for Improvisation
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About Truth In Comedy: The Manual For Improvisation
Product Description Want to learn the improv techniques that helped Mike Myers, Chris Farley, John Belushi, and many others along the road to TV and film stardom? Then let two esteemed founders of long-form improvisational theatre, Del Close and Charna Halpern, teach you the "Harold." This groundbreaking acting exercise emphasizes pattern recognition and subversion of the audience s expectations, which are important factors for making people laugh without ever telling a joke. It involves six to seven players and many kinds of scenes: games, monologues, songs, skits and more, all of which are bound to keep both actors and audience members guessing. The Harold is non-linear entertainment that remembers everything and wastes nothing the key to successful improvising and has become a standard in comedy clubs and improv theatres around the globe. Amazon.com Review Who would have ever thought that learning the finer points of improvisation could be such fun? The "Harold," an innovative improvisational tool, helped Saturday Night Live's Mike Myers and Chris Farley, George Wendt (Norm on "Cheers") and many other actors on the road to TV and film stardom. Now it is described fully in this new book for the benefit of other would-be actors and comics. The "Harold" is a form of competitive improv involving six or seven players. They take a theme suggestion from the audience and free-associate on the theme, creating a series of rapid-fire one-liners that build into totally unpredictable skits with hilarious results. The teams compete with scoring based on applause. The "Harold" is a fun way to "loosen up" and learn to think quickly, build continuity, develop characterizations and sharpen humor. From Booklist The brain wave of three improv gurus, this book is a complete guide to improvisation for both novice and professional actors and comics. An outgrowth of the successful curriculum initiated by two of the authors at the ImprovOlympic, it describes improvisational tools and techniques, from the "Pattern Game" and "The Hot Spot" to the innovative and sophisticated "Harold." Far from an ordinary how-to handbook, this clearly composed authority on comedic improvisation stresses intuitive thinking, listening skills, continuity, characterization, and, most important, teamwork. Numerous testimonials from reputed actors strengthen the text's credibility, already secured by the expertise of its authorship. Sample scenes and games take hilarious twists while illustrating the inevitability of connections and the importance of justification among team members. The authors' primary focus is the achievement of the group mind, and the book's chapter construction necessarily culminates with that creative misnomer known as the Harold. The manual is flexibly designed to allow for easy performance in both acting classes and professional settings and will prove a valuable reference source to actors and directors alike. Kathleen Chrysler Review The "Harold" is a form of competitive improv involving six or seven players. They take a theme suggestion from the audience and "free associate" on the theme into a series of rapid-fire one-liners that build into totally unpredictable skits with hilarious results. The Now it is described fully in Truth In Comedy for the benefit of other aspiring actors and comics. The Harold is a fun way to "loosen up" and learn to think quickly, build continuity, develop characterizations and sharpen humor -- all part of successful improvising. Its format is flexible and allows for easy performance in acting classes and a variety of other settings. An excellent book for any comedy enthusiast. -- Midwest Book Review About the Author Variety called her one of the top ten women to watch in entertainment. Mike Myers named her the Uta Hagen of Comedy. Charna Halpern, the co-creator of long-form improvisation with her partner, the late Del Close, has changed the face of improvisational comedy forever. Halpern and Close cr
