Call to The Improv

 Call to The Improv

DB 2022 ARG1

Introduction

    In our class "A Nation's Argument", we took a look at the Declaration of Independence, particularly studying the structure of its argument and breaking it down as a class to understand what made it into an argument. We begin to look at things that create this structure, such as premises which indicate a portion of the argument that supports the conclusion. Premise indicators, which are key words that indicate the start of a premise, along with the conclusion and conclusion indicators themselves, which are what the premises should be supporting and easily identifiable as to how those conclusions are drawn. Along side that, we studied the argument structure of both a Yale professor's lecture and Howard Zinn's writing on the topic of the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence. Finally, finishing off our studies by getting an interview from a principal of a Montessori school, and another interview with a public defender. 

We collect all this information to utilize it for this action project to really show off what we learned by declaring our independence, not from the British, but our studies. In this action project, I will be writing a declaration for my independence to study improv. May my argument hold strong and convincing for you, reader. Enjoy.

Call to The Improv

    In the favor of learning, school, and students, I declare independence to study improv. this declaration is in favor of education, school, and students due to the shared interests of its foundations. To define the purpose of school and learning in my own words, it is that school teaches you the structural foundations of socializing and a desire for career pursuits fueled by personal interests and experiences designed and offered by these schools. Learning is finding a way to apply taught material to situations outside of the lesson.

With this definition, it is my given right to adaption and expression. Through the taught curriculums, official or not, socializing is a core part of school and values the expression of the individual. In this case, as a student. Adaption comes from the unpredictability that is our lives. As long as society remains flawed, imperfect, and chaotic, there is no reason to restrict the right to adapt to our own living conditions as they fluctuate.

As I personalize the principles of education, I begin to see a connection between improvisation and education that resonates with the core principles that I have established. Something both students and teachers deserve to learn and teach. Primarily when we reflect on ourselves, we find that there are many moments in our lives where we aren’t exactly too sure what to say next, or we simply choke up on unexpected turns. Perhaps during your presentation, there’s a curious yet stumping question that comes up from the audience. There’s no need to look like a fool twiddling your thumbs while you think of a reasonable answer, leading to those long nights of wondering why you just had to choke up and look embarrassed in front of friends and colleagues. 

This is where you want what improv offers. Improv provides the ability to create a deceptive time-buying tool that allows you to mentally multi-task. Make yourself look like you know what you’re talking about while also still figuring out what you’re talking about. 

This begins to propose the question, not only for this argument, but for my individual studies: "Where can improv be utilized in education?"

I promise you that my argument for the individual study is no Olive Branch petition, it can and should be applied to my learning curriculum. There will be no compromise for alternatives.

The utilization of improv is something that we do often in our day-to-day lives, whether conscious of our decision to utilize it or not, it remains present. The frequent usage of this tool is something that many students in this day and age have not fully utilized to its potential that extends beyond simply jokes or small skits. This is a tool designed for presentation, confidence building, and social skills.

This not only carries over to the day-to-day expectations of presentation, but also on our work itself. Improv offers the ability to work around those annoying 4 page essays by providing a mental tool that works around writer’s block. We learn to approach challenges that show up unprompted from different angles as we develop personas from our improv and create characters that we subconsciously will put ourselves into when put in situations we find is fitting to play that character. 

As we begin to understand what improv has to offer as a learning course, there comes a desire of wanting to see this inputted into different formats outside of education. As stated before, the definition of learning is "finding a way to apply taught material to situations outside of the lesson." Where exactly would we be able to find such material, utilized in a way that is beneficial to the student that carries these lessons through life? Firstly, restating an earlier point on presentation. Presentation is a repetitive experience throughout our lives, way beyond just school. We find ourselves doing it to propose an idea to either fellow colleagues or a council. We use it to sell, propose, suggest, and create ideas. The strength of a presentation, comes not only from the presentation itself, but the presenter. There is magic in the confidence that is created through improv, as it lessens our need to read word-for-word what we put up on the board. You are given the vague idea of what you need to present, and you go from there on your own. Dangerous, yet rewarding in its risk. Even more so when the tactics of improv are polished to such a degree that you no longer fear the danger that comes with taking the risk that is improv.

As an enthusiast of improv, I've invested myself in the entertainment field of it. Personally, my most valued example would be a comedian of many talents, known as Brennan Lee Mulligan. A member of College Humor and an excellent dungeon master for Dimension 20. He demonstrates the usage of improvised characters, stories, and acting in both his College Humor skits and world building for his Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. The man is able to improvise entire villainous monologues, skits, and actively chooses to challenge himself whenever a player of his campaign makes a move that drastically changes the entirety of his story writing. A prime example of what ideally improv could be.

Along with people like Brennan, we have people of similar expertise. Such as the legendary Matt Mercer, a famous voice actor amongst the gaming, anime, and Dungeons & Dragons community. Sharing many of the same values I hold dear to my heart of Brennan with his outstanding ability to improvise based on random suddenness.

Alternatively, away from the acting and writing, I was suggested a book on the art of improv through music by my teacher of this course called "Improvisation" by Derek Bailey. This book explores the practice of improv through interviews, conducted by the writer, of artists that effectively utilize improv in their music. Most importantly it notes the negative implications of being an "improv artist" as a musician, which in some interviews had been taken as an insult by the artists in question. Derek noted that the objective of the book was to hopefully put improv in a more positive light than what the musicians had interpreted, which is something I hope to accomplish as well with this declaration of independence to study improv.

My hometown Chicago, we see that not only is improv an art, but something so renowned and glorious that there are classes here that have been popularized. Chicago's greatest example that comes to mind would be Second City, a place for professional improv artists to perform and also to teach. Having classes for all age ranges, it advocates for the possibility of teaching not only matured minds, but the youth as well.

Through this independent study, idealistically I would dedicate it to learning about improvised acting as it suits my current talents quite well. Understanding the mindset of those that can act out a scene on the fly, not only on their own, but this cooperative effort to make a scene work intrigues me onto how they're able to connect on such a level. Studying the philosophy of improv and proving my understanding through improvised scenes sounds not only possible, but enjoyable to study.

Conclusion

If life is unpredictable, school teaches lessons to handle life, and improv is the art of "making or doing something not planned beforehand," then the only natural conclusion would be that school should teach improv to handle the unpredictability of life. 

Image By Washington Improv Theatre