Improv can seem very daunting at first especially if you are new to the Houston improv scene or new to acting in general. Though what many do not realize is that improv can be the most liberating type of acting because it allows for a lot of creativity during the process when you have had the right training and experience as you get further into it.
Improv can be defined as a method of acting that will have the actor literally acting “in the moment.” There is no reading a script or practicing lines before performing. All actions and words spoken during an improv performance is just a reaction to the environment around you and the other actors on stage as well as yourself. Improv though is really considered one of the harder to perform types of acting because of that requirement of just reacting and being spontaneous; which can take a lot of skill for someone that is used to having all the lines handed to them. There are many improv classes you can take if you are looking to improve your improvisation skills in Houston.
You make it at the point in your acting career that you actually looking to challenge yourself and advance yourself in your skills as well. Taking improv class can help you as an actor to improve your own skills you already have and add more skills to your arsenal. Improv classes will help to serve you in the way that you will learn how to speak and act more in the moment. If you combine a great coach with your improv classes, they will sit there and create scenes out of nothing as part of a way to exercise your skills and use the audience to help add to the scene. Improv is a type of acting that seeks to do what has not been done before in the acting world.
Many actors have the misconception that a great performance can only be based on reading lines and using rehearsed movement. Along the way a lot of actors have forgotten that acting in of itself is not rocket science, but can be molded and fitted to style the actor until they have created something that is unique and very marketable. It also allows the actor to understand where they can cut in if their supporting actor has actually forgotten a line in the script and can give the director a different take that may actually be better than what was originally written in the script the first time around. If the director is satisfied with your interpretation at that point they may alter the script to fit or if a scene needs tweaking before the shot is ready for final cut.
It’s a great idea to learn how to react just in case something gets fumbled on set and to do so without skipping a beat. This can turn an otherwise ruined scene into something that is much better and can save having to shoot that same scene over again. Improv can help create a nice twist to a scene this way without looking forced too and can add a lot of value to the production overall. Improv teaches an actor how to react rather than just reading lines or getting all glazed over as they read a teleprompter.
Improv classes in Houston insist that the actor come into a scene with a certain awareness that will help the actor perform the action they need to perform with a good understanding of why they are performing that action with good practice. As you get more used to improv, this will give you a whole tool belt of options that you can react with in any given scene or situation. A good actor with improv under their belt will just need to glance at their script and will be able give a more genuine performance while weighing out all the options as a scene plays out before them on set. This kind of flexibility will appeal to the casting director at any audition as it allows for them to make more out of scenes that would have otherwise possibly been dull otherwise.
Many people don’t know that improv can help you outside of the acting field as well. There are many business executives that have taken improv classes to help with their networking skills and it can create people that listen better and help you have a better understanding of body language as well. It can be good for anyone that wants to learn more about improv, as it also helps a person be more observant and pay closer attention to their surroundings in every day life as well.
Improv can be a lot of fun and have many rewards when it comes to acting and provides a more comedic approach to acting. A veteran actor can actually use improv to help them escape from the mutiny that is just reading their lines and can help freshen up their acting while keeping them more in the moment. There is a certain freedom that comes with improv and taking classes in improv can really help your acting career take off while helping you to hone your skills in other areas of acting as well. Do some research and find out where there are Improv classes in Houston today!
