a found note

Sorting through my many notes and bits of papers in hopes of putting them together into some useful form, I came across this which I had scribbled out. I think it is useful to share.

Truly spontaneous improvisation is only possible when fear and judgment are removed allowing performers to discover, and be in, the present moment.  If we endow our own ideas with too much importance then we form our identity (ego) as an improviser on the ability to have these ideas rather than play the scene. Once ego is at play in improvisation the spirit of true impulse and generosity is gone.  Players are not working to inspire each other, but only to gratify themselves.  Destructive performance habits kick in as the conditioned search for a laugh undermines the far richer reward of delighting the audience, each other and oneself as an original story reveals itself moment by moment.

For some reason, theatre is the last team activity to realize that a well-connected group who trust each other can achieve much greater things than a group of star players with their own agenda.

All content copyright © pattistiles