A Subversive's Guide to Improvisation: Moving Beyond "Yes, And"

Amazon's #1 New Release in Theater Acting & Auditioning!David Razowsky is funny, smart, inquisitive, and artistically fearless. – Steve CarellRazowsky is a whirling dervish of creativity. The words in this volume are as informative, inspired, fearless, and whimsical as the artist himself.– Keegan-Michael KeyHey, improvisers, you can do whatever you want. In A Subversive’s Guide to Improvisation, Razowsky throws conventional improv wisdom on its head by giving you a unique take on how to create masterful improv scenes. He describes how his life philosophy and improv methodology have evolved on his journey from struggling actor to one of the world's most respected improvisers and coaches.The challenge for most improvisers is sticking to “the rules” and believing “Yes, and” is the magic formula for a successful scene. Characters meander and travel from a state of fluidity to a mess of frustration and ask, “How did I go wrong?”A Subversive’s Guide to Improvisation provides methods and exercises that teach you to connect to your partner and the scene without worrying about responding with “yes, and.”Over 30 groundbreaking exercises will teach you how to: Freely express your feelings.Focus on the present.Ask questions.Say “no” to energize your scene.Start a scene without establishing who, what, and where.David Razowsky studied, performed, taught, and directed at Second City with Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, and Michael Keegan-Key, among others. He served as Artistic Director of Second City Hollywood before turning his attention to teaching his methodology worldwide.In his workshops, students express how much freer they feel in their scene work and ask, “Why isn’t this how improv is always taught?" Read more