ISBN: 032500630X
List Price: $15.95
Amazon Price: $10.37
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Avg Cusomer Rating: 5
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Summary: Great book on improvisation, a must read!
So far I've read Chalma Halpern's "Truth in Comedy", Viola Spolin's "Improvisation for the Theater", Keith Johnstone's "Impro", and now this book, and I would say this one has the most useful information as far as *becoming a better stage improviser" goes. What I mean is that it is full of tips, advice, and useful things to consider, and seems meant for someone who has already knows a little bit about the BASICS. Mick Napier asks the reader to rethink some of the "rules" that the basic improv teaching lays down, while adding some important insights of his own.
In this sense, I think that "Truth In Comedy" is the best INTRO to improv, for someone just starting out. Then, I'd recommend "Improvise: Scene From The Inside Out" as a necessary followup, and then Keith Johnstone's "Impro" as a whole new viewpoint and also a deeper insight into the philosophy of being in the moment. (By the way, I would avoid the Viola Spolin book - it's written in a strangely stilted, boring, hard-to-read style, and really contains no memorable information).
Particularly useful in Napier's book are the "Exercises To Do At Home", which is something I've been looking for - most other books have exercises which are meant to be practiced in a group setting.
I found the chapter on "Improvisation & the Second Law Of Thermodynamics" to be unnecessary though - it didn't really add anything and seemed to be sort of a weird tangent. Luckily, it's short.
Anyhow, after reading this book I really do feel as if I understand a lot more about what separates a "great" improviser from a merely "good" one. Now comes the hard part - PRACTICING & GETTING UP THERE AND DOING IT!!!
P.S. I was recommended this book by Dustin Sharpe, my Improv instructor at the Acting School of South Florida, and also a member of the awesome improv group Mod27. Thanks Dustin!
Summary: Buy this first!
This was my first book purchased to learn more about Improv -
Make this YOUR first! SO excellent!
Biggest thing I walked away with was, "Just do something!"
Words to live by, my friends...
Summary: Better Improvising Lessons
This book could be your first on improv, but it is better as a follow-up to such classics as Truth in Comedy. The lessons that Mick Napier teaches are more advanced and serve as a complement (if not a replacement) to the fundamentals that you must learn first. He has some unorthodox methods that will surprise people who religiously follow "the rules of improv." But you may find that this book helps your scenes to flow more naturally.
This is a great way to test some new ways of thinking about improv, while it may trigger you to discover some of your own techniques. Buy it if you have been in the game for a while and are looking for a change of pace.
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