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May 2, 2006

Review: Directing Improv

Directing Improv by Asaf Ronen

Full Disclosure: I've had Thanksgiving dinner at Asaf Ronen's house.

If you're interested in directing theater, there are about a hundred books you can read*. If you want to perform improv, there are about as many books to help you get started. If you want to direct improvisation, there's this new book. So, um, end of review.

Well, actually, I do wish I'd had this book when I started directing improv. Or when I got stuck teaching improv to high schoolers. Or when I was trying to be a director-performer.

Ronen touches on a number of different aspects of directing improvisation, but his primary focus is on a non-performing director directing improv concept pieces (e.g. Ka-Boom! or SITCOM, as opposed to on-going ensemble work. ) There are chapters on developing the work with the ensemble, rehearsing the work, and giving notes on performances.

As often as he advises against the whole concept, especially valuable for many will be the recommendations for the performing director. In every improv ensemble I was a part of until I moved to Chicago, the director also performed, and I think we all could have used some of Ronen's ideas on ways to keep personal conflict out of the notes process, and ways to structure rehearsals and performances to give the director a chance to direct and develop their own performance skills.

There are two lists of exercises to address specific improv problems. And there's advice about creating your own exercises to suit the specific needs of your cast.

The book is liberally strewn with illustrative quotes from many of the best improv directors in the country, like Armando Diaz, Michael Gellman, Kevin Mullaney, Mick Napier, Shira Piven, and Mark Sutton. And there's an appendix featuring anecdotes from some of those directors. Personally, I would have loved even more of these anecdotes. Good advice is one thing, but I can read horror stories for hours.

Ronen is the editor-in-chief of YESand.com and that organization has started a publishing arm to publish this book (and Jill Bernard's lovely mini-book Jill Bernard's Small Cute Book of Improv). The book is available exclusively from their web site (or from the merch table at various improv festivals).

* Literally. I did an Amazon search.

Posted by Fuzzy at May 2, 2006 5:36 PM