Exercise: Physical Boundary Scenes

Integrating touch into scenes

We improvisors aren’t the touchy-feeliest bunch. We’re very comfortable standing and talking to each other or sitting in chairs and talking to each other. Sometimes, we’ll put a hand on each other’s shoulder. On the whole, and recognizing this is a gross generalization, we don’t touch a lot.

For players who are newer to each other (in class, at a jam, a new team), it makes sense not to touch too much. For teams that work together a lot or would like to work together more, physical touch is a way to instantly activate a scene and make it feel more like life. Physical touch is one of the tools we have to make funny stuff onstage. Like any other tool or skill, it needs to be practiced to be readily at our fingertips.

Establishing personal boundaries is important. AND I’m finding if we establish boundaries and then don’t practice implementing them, then we’re deepening the practice of not touching each other instead of touching each other in boundaried ways.

Exercise: Physical Boundary Scenes

For these scenes, the group will stand in a circle and establish their boundaries. Each person will show and say what body parts are Green (totally ok to be touched), Red (absolutely off limits), and Yellow (ok if the scene calls for it but otherwise out of bounds- a purposeful, occasional green). Each person should be intentional with their boundaries, because for these scenes we’re going to really explore them.

Then, the team will do a series of 2- person scenes. The coach will give a suggestion. Two people will step out. To start the scene, the improvisors will quickly put themselves in some kind of physical position that involves at least one point of touch. The scene will continue from there. Players should feel comfortable pushing the established boundaries. Sure, you could start a scene with one finger on another player’s shoulder, but this is the moment to challenge yourselves to get comfortable with touch. This exercise will help the team figure out how you’re comfortable playing with each other.

Coaches- Watch for players starting a scene touching, then quickly separating and not coming back to touch. The players don’t need to stay touching for the entire scene (though it is an option), but they should lean into the physical nature of these scenes. I suspect that the way players are touching will lead to many of the first unusual things in these scenes. Once you’ve done a number of scenes, remove that option, so that the way players are physically connected is just part of the base reality.

Just as we practice 3-line scenes, or finding game, physically interacting with each other takes reps. The more the team focuses on this aspect of play, the more visual and emotional choices we’ll have in scenes.

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Upcoming Shows:

Asssscat at UCB Saturday, November 22 at 7pm Livestream

Harold Night Time Machine at UCB Tuesday, November 25 at 7pm Livestream

Asssscat at UCB Saturday, December 6 at 7pm Livestream

Old Yorkers at Second City Saturday, December 13 at 7pm

Asssscat at UCB Saturday, December 20 at 7pm Livestream

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