Peace, love and improv theater?
Unfortunately there’s a lot of big and small conflicts in the world. They seem unavoidable and usually they’re no fun.
There’s a lot of conflicts in improv scenes as well. It’s bound to happen and it makes perfect sense: all of us have various issues, either with ourselves or the people in our lives. What we do on stage often reflect our personal life. However, starting a scene with a conflict will most likely make life on stage harder than it needs to be.
NEWMAN!
I don’t mind conflict in scenes. Or movies, books or shows. Seinfeld would be a very different show if everything went as planned and everyone got along. Instead we still love watching George, Elaine and the others get into yet another argument, yet another conflict. Because we identify and care about them, their conflict or both.
As long as we (the audience or viewers) know or care about the characters and their relationship, the more we care about their conflict. It really is that simple: the more we know, the more we care. The less we know, the less we care.
You broke my coffee mug
We don’t care, because we don’t know why it matters to your character.
You’re late for work again. You’re fired!
We don’t care, because we don’t know why it matters to your character.
The audience will care if you take them on a journey of discovery, where we get to know the characters and their relationship. That’s why most movies/books/stories starts with an introduction of the characters and the world they live in. Once upon a time there was a… Time has proven this to be a good way to start a story.
Both examples above would probably mean more to us if we learned together that the coffee mug was a parents last memory of a child who died from cancer, or that the job was the last thing holding a marriage together
The dark path, consume you it will
In addition to us not caring, initiating a scene with a conflict tends to breed more conflicts. Now you’ve spent two minutes of your scene arguing with each and we care even less.
Initiating without a conflict provides more opportunities to include the audience and build our world. It makes it easier to establish the characters and their relationship, because we don’t have to worry about the conflict. The initiation doesn’t have to be super positive, but preferably somewhere from neutral and up. And if you happen to introduce a conflict later into the scene it will matter more, because now we care.
Ninja edit: I don’t mind conflicts in scenes, or scenes starting with conflict at all. There’s no right or wrongs in improv. Thomas Mook phrased it well:
many newer players try to substitute character with conflict. They don’t build any foundation before launching into it, so we can’t relate.
Grounding the scene in character/world/relationship might make life on stage easier and add weight to the conflict, but that’s not to say that you should never initiate with a conflict. Do it, have fun with it, but acknowledge the initial choice you made. / edit.
But, something need to happen, right?
Funny thing is, you might discover that you don’t need the conflict at all. Purists might insist that you need a tilt, something that alters the rules of the world you’ve build and enforces action. I respectfully disagree. Instead of a conflict you might discover and explore human nature and emotional relationships. It can be a vulnerable and scary place to go, so we tend to lean towards comedy and action in favor of honesty.
Why do we initiate with a conflict?
Many reasons, mostly fear based. Fear of not being interesting enough. Losing control. Performing. Running out of ideas. Fear of what comes next. In general, fear gets in the way a lot. But fear is also our brain trying to protect us.
Quick fixes
All you need to do is to take your time building a character and establish its relationship with the other characters. Or objects, for that matter. Save the conflict for later.
If you’re a teacher or coach, here’s a few suggestions
- Take the pressure off by encouraging your students to play very boring scenes. They will be great scenes. Sometimes it’s easy to spot the moment when a player need something to happen. When that happens just repeat from the sideline that nothing have to happen, nothing will happen.
- Do scenes where everything takes place in HappyLand, a place where everyone always is happy and there’s no conflict. If a conflict arises you just remind them where they are and they’ll usually find a solution to their own conflict.
- Fast forward the scene to when the conflict have just been resolved. They might invent a new conflict. Fast forward again.
- Do not call out players who do this. Instead look for games and exercises that allows them to see or realize this for themselves. We learn from experience.
If you’re a performer, here’s a few suggestions
- Practice positive initiations by liking or loving the other character. You can hate the world you’re in, but love the other character. Hate the world together.
- React to it. If you’re fired, just walk off the stage. True, your partner will be left alone on stage, but they have no-one to blame but themselves and their negative initiation.
- Neutralize it. Admit to whatever you’re being accused of, apologize, offer compensation and move on. Yes, I did kill your dog. I’m very, very sorry! I know I can’t bring him back to life, but please accept this puppy that I got you.
- Respond to it. Use Yes And or play a status game. You’re fired! — Darling, I love our role playing! Can I be the boss tomorrow night? You’re fired! — Good luck with that, I know what you did last summer party (great movie reference, thank you!)
- Initiate with a strong character. You may be able to bypass the relationship part by making a strong character choice from the top of the scene but this takes a lot of experience.
- Have patience with less experienced improvisers. That person who just blocked all your offers and created all the conflicts in the world in the previous scene used to be me. And you.
Summary
- Watch and learn how books, movies and television shows introduce (or establish) their worlds before introducing a conflict.
- Take your time establishing characters, relationships and the world they live in. You always have more time than you think.
- Take the audience with you on the journey and they will care about the conflict if and when it appears.
- Don’t be afraid to be boring. Relax. We’re all just making stuff up.
Thank you for reading!
