Hey cool improvisers (yes, that's you),

New episode of Your Improv Brain out this week, and let's continue this series about the top of a scene. This one is about questions and the top of a scene... specifically, why they're trickier than they seem, and what you can try instead.

If you've been told "don't ask questions in improv" and wondered whether that's actually a valid rule, I get into when you can (start to) "break" it and much more importantly how. But at the very top of a scene, while you're setting base reality, there's a much easier (hence... better?) approach you can take to avoid questions during this part of a scene: assume you already know your scene partner. I walk through what that looks like and why it works.

I also talk about something that might resonate for some of you who are neurodivergent (or share this particular trait). Making assumptions about "other people" felt genuinely strange to me when I started improv. I think it connects to justice sensitivity and a whole lifetime of having wrong assumptions made about me (that's the autism and abundant miscommunication that ensues). Basically, I really disliked making an assumption about someone else's character.

So if that part of improv feels weird to you, I get it. And I talk about that and what changed for me in this ep.

Two exercises to practice the top of a scene in this one, partner and solo. That's what I hope to make standard in upcoming episodes, by the way, adding something for those practicing or doing improv solo. I've included a few more episodes below that connect to this series if you want to keep going.

Bye for now,

Jen

Watch, listen, or read

Here is the article for this week's episode, and the YouTube video and podcast are here. You can find the links on the article's page too.

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Assume, don't ask: how to st... Feb 23 · Your Improv Brain: Neuro... 9:34   ​

Quick note about these! I record the podcast and the YouTube completely separately because the formats are really designed to be different. There is a little bit more dialogue in the podcast, because I let myself be a bit more wordy in there. I also write the article well after the fact. It's generally more streamlined, but sometimes I'll think of another detail or three for the article when I think of them. So, yeah. You're missing out if you only check out one (but one format is enough - just know they're all a little bit different) :)

More top of the scene

Last week's episode is the first part of this four part series about base realities and initiations:

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What about a fun fact and a fun find?

I used to include fun facts in these things. Because learning fun facts is a good way to put something into a scene. Let's start that again? Here's one:

So I got this new dish soap that smells like cut lawn. I like it. This smell is actually what could be categorized as a "green leaf volatile". This is a distress signal plants send out as a signal of being attacked. Learn more about this fun fact. It's a little like how I feel when my cuffs get wet washing dishes. Attacked.

Also this is one of the best videos I've seen in a good while. Great facts, absolutely engaging (Hank is one of the best educators there is), and it gets super meaningful near the end. If you're different like me, you might really like this message. I hope you like it as much as I did, and thanks so much to ChrisTopher for the great share on the social medias.

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