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For the past 10 years I have been a professional improviser. It’s quite a rush to know that something I said or did brought joy to someone’s life… if only for a few moments. Usually after a show, one or two people will come up to me and remark how, “They could never do that.” Or, “You have to be so brave to get up there and do that!” My favorite thing to hear is someone ask, “How much of that did you know before the show started?” I usually just laugh it off and eat some humble pie, but one night it got me thinking. Improvisers have to be some of the dumbest people on earth!
Think about it. You are selling tickets to a show where people are paying their hard earned money, and coming with an expectation to not only have a good time but to laugh their butt off! And as a performer, I am expected to give that to them. The crazy thing is, I have NO IDEA what I’m going to do or say! No Rehearsal. No Pre-planning. Just make stuff up on the spot. And whatever “that stuff” is, it better be funny enough for the audience to not only laugh out loud and feel like they got their money’s worth, but also come back again and trust that I can make lightning strike twice in the same spot with a completely different show. Am I really that dumb or is there something else at play? In stand-up comedy (a very lonely art form in my opinion.) it’s just you, a microphone, and a brick wall. In an improv show however, you have a whole team to support you… and it’s playing within that team concept that enables you to create that magic on stage without rehearsal or pre-planning. This “Team Concept” not only benefits improvisers, but sports teams and corporations alike. As an improviser my objectives are to support my fellow actors, make them look fantastic, and do everything in my power to create a hilarious show for the audience. That’s it. Nothing about me. The unique thing is when, I make that my focus, my fellow actors shine, the show is better, and I end up shining as well! How does this play out in sport? Take football for instance. If the offensive line’s main objective is to make the QB and running backs look amazing, and the QB is trying to make the wide receivers look Rice-esque, and the wide receivers are trying to make the QB’s and running backs look like geniuses, and so on…One of the great NFL teams over the past decade has been the New England Patriots. People often remark how they’ve had different players and coaches rotate in and out of their team, yet they have been able to remain successful. Last year, Tom Brady got injured in the first game of the season and they still won 11 games! They all realize the team and winning is the most important goal. We’ve all heard the cliché, “There’s no I in Team!” Even though it’s so annoying - it’s also true! So why so often does it all go wrong? Why are there so many bad improv shows and so many bad sports teams. It really all boils down to one thing…Lack of trust. Lack of trust is really lack of control. As actors and athletes alike, we strive to control everything because we don’t trust that our teammates are going to do their job in the play - “I have to step in because they aren’t funny.” “I have to deny and negate everything my partner says, because I don’t like their idea or I have a better one.” “I have to over-pursue this play because I know the Safety is gonna be out of position.” “I have to throw into triple coverage because that’ll make a great highlight and this team wouldn’t be anything without me.” “I can chill back on this play, because they didn’t throw me the ball.” I don’t have to practice, because I’ll be ready come game time.” “I can work out in my drive way because it’s less distracting than being in the gym with team.” We all can come up with our favorite “Self-serving Star Athlete Moment.” We’ve probably even seen parodies of these on YouTube! As funny as these are and some of them are really funny, (thank you Allen Iverson) it’s actually kind of sad. Sad that it’s so common. It’s sad that people act this way, and even worse that we put up with it. Whether you are on stage, on the field or on the court, the team and the team’s goals are what’s most important. When you give over to the idea of taking care of your teammates first, everything else will take care of itself. Challenge yourself to be that dumb!  | Chris Friday - Curriculum DirectorChris Friday coaches and develops curriculum for all levels of Junior and Elite athletes for game on at IMG Academies. He is a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association, and a professional writer, improvisor, and teacher/corporate trainer with almost 15 years of experience. Chris has developed curriculum and taught master classes in Improvisation and Acting for numerous colleges and high schools in the state of Florida. |
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