After the Party
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2012
Creative Adjacency - Listing the food at the bar-b-que: chicken, cole slaw, cake, etc.
Playing Characters, Not Ourselves - The offensive names we call each other in the scene are possible only if we “leave our polite personalities off stage.”
Shape - Our contrasting Shapes help define our dynamics.
Sister Lines - Rachel’s character uses the words “block,” “complex,” and “neighborhood” to describe the scene’s location.
Spatial Relationship - Watch how the emotional dynamics change as the Spatial Relationship between characters changes.
Better Than a Pony
David Razowsky and Eric Hunicutt
California Summer Arts Festival, Monterey, CA, 2012
Architecture - We paint the location, create a castle, sugar plum tree, fairy, and the unicorn, which set the emotional stakes for the characters.
Gesture - Eric holds his hands as if praying for most of the scene and surrenders it at the end when he tells my character she won’t get what she wants.
Shape - Our contrasting Shapes - me, perky and lighthearted, and Eric, rooted and static - help define our dynamics.
Status - My character has high status at the top of the scene. Eric changes the status when he tells the princess what she can and cannot do with her gifts.
What Makes This Day Different than Any Other Day - The princess discovers her charmed life has a dark side.
The Bridge
David Razowsky and Eric Hunicutt
California Summer Arts Festival, Monterey, CA, 2012
Architecture - We paint the Brooklyn Bridge, the hash pipe, and a drink.
Breaking the Rules - Upstaging - My back is turned to the audience establishing status and dynamics.
Shape - I’m lazily lounging in the chair as Eric stands erect and subservient. This also establishes status.
Coming to Bed?
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2012
Duration - Rachel is in Duration of Shape throughout the scene, while I’m in Duration of Topography, moving stage right and left in Repetition. This maintains a strong dynamic.
Making a Big Deal Out of Something Small - We react to our neighbor’s house burning down as if it were a trivial event.
Moments - We let the scene breathe by using pauses while watching the house burn down.
Point of View - I hold on to “You’ll let me know?” in Repetition as Rachel talks about taking over the neighbor’s property.
Don't Be Surprised
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2016
Beats - There are several different beats in this scene: Karen’s opinion; the program; surprise at being surprised; nipple pinch; Rachel leans into me; Repetition of our focus on the event.
Hear the Character, but Respond to the Actor - When I tell Rachel not to be surprised at being surprised, she knows exactly what I want her to do: act surprised.
Moments - After the “nipple beat,” Rachel and I calmly sit in the moment, letting it wash over us.
Pressure - My Duration of Shape helps Rachel create strong pressure while she slowly and methodically moves toward my nipples.
Spatial Relationship - When Rachel silently leans into me, I comply with her physical offer, almost like two partners in a tango.
Talk about a Character Not in the Scene - Our discussion about Karen gives insight into each of our characters.
I Like Them All
David Razowsky and Eric Hunicutt
California Summer Arts Festival, Monterey, CA, 2012
Gestures - Object work is defined by gestures. Grabbing the donuts, handling them in a gross way, and fanning my crotch, gives us insight into my unsavory character.
Playing Characters, Not Ourselves - My character is unsavory, sexist, misogynistic, and cocky - not who I am off stage.
The Stage Helps Define the Scene - Three distinct spots are used, each one highlighting a different aspect of the scene: Stage left, we speak to the actresses auditioning; stage center, Eric and I talk about our task at hand; and stage right he coaches me and tries to guide my character.
Janice's Video
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2012
Balloon Pops - Rachel is pushed into admitting she wishes her mother and I divorce.
Repetition - The Topography of walking stage right to “talk” to “Susan.”
Sandwich Word - “Tankini.” ‘Nuff said.
Stop Talking Where You Want Your Partner to Start Talking - Rachel stops after she says “tankini,” knowing I’ll run with it.
Tempo - The scene has a quick Tempo adding tension between our characters.
Jean-Luc and Stephanie
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2012
Architecture - Our shared history, local geography, and the women waiting affect us emotionally.
Points of View - The relationship dynamic is maintained by holding onto strong and simple points of view.
Pressure - Physical and emotional pressure when Rachel tries to seduce me using Spatial Relationship and Shape.
Leg of Shame
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2014
Be the Problem - When I tell Rachel I didn’t look at her x-rays and she probably didn’t need to have her leg removed, it energizes the scene and initiates a new beat.
Dare to Be Lovely - Rachel has an opportunity to get mad at having her leg unnecessarily amputated, but instead, she chooses to be kind and understanding.
No Idea Is Too Stupid - The acceptance of the scene’s conceit that I’m a clueless doctor, and Rachel is perfectly fine with it.
Point of View - Throughout the scene, Rachel maintains a point of view that my character can be trusted despite evidence to the contrary.
Maya
Second City 1994 Mainstage Cast recreating the scene for Second City’s 50th Anniversary Show, 2009
This is a written scene developed through improvisation in 1994.
Balloon pops - Carell finally explodes when the racist pushes him too far.
Entering and exiting a scene - Entrances and exits of each character creates new beats.
No Idea Is Too Stupid - The acceptance of the scene’s premise - Colbert, the whitest of all white people - turns into an old black woman when he visits his hometown.
Pressure, tension, Spatial Relationship - Before, during, and after the kiss.
Shape and Gesture - Instead of dialogue, Carell uses Shape and Gesture to express his disbelief. Watch his face!
Surrendering - At the end of the scene, Carell surrenders his skepticism and embraces his new reality as “Sarah Brown, old Black woman.”
Mediterranean Diet - An Improvised Short
David Razowsky and Carrie Clifford, 2006
Be the problem - Telling Carrie to sit still is an invitation not to sit still. Likewise, Carrie asking me to talk, and my exasperation creates a solid dynamic.
Creative Adjacency - Carrie’s description of the kitchen redesign is a beautiful example of details flowing from one object to another.
Gestures - My reactions to Carrie’s artful, intentional babbling are communicated mostly through Gestures.
Speaking Your Truth - Carrie speaks her truth by admitting she isn't listening to me.
Morro Bay
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2012
Beat Changes - Big beat change: “I’m not going back to the Navy.” Another is when I insist Rachel correct herself and say “Navy.”
Intersection of You and Me - “From this moment on, there is no ‘i’ in ‘us.’ There’s a ‘u,’ but there’s not an ‘i,’” is the clearest example of the exact point at which two characters get to the heart of their relationship.
Pushback - We are in emotional agreement until Rachel says “army,” which allows me to insist she correct herself.
Start a Scene Sharing a Point of View - We match each other's emotions, creating one Shape with our bodies.
Open Heart, Open Hand
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2016
Gestures - The whole scene is defined by Gesture. For example, the Repetition of the “Open Hands” Gesture and my character clearing and setting the table.
Object Work - Clearing the table and then resetting it sets up the location and the scene’s Tempo. Note we never discuss what I’m doing.
Unpacking - Rachel uses creative adjacency to define how my character’s cancer descriptions affect the diners. She also wonderfully unpacks ways she wants to die.
Ovened Bread - An Improvised Short
David Razowsky and Carrie Clifford, 2006
Beats - The scene has many clearly defined beats: Comment on the house fire; my character not having a job; the breakup, and reconciliation.
Making Unexpected Responses - When Carrie wants to break up, I don’t argue; when she claims I’ve never had a job, I agree; when she says I’ll never find anyone like her, I accept it.
Surrendering - At the end of the scene, after we both decide to break up, we each surrender our point of view and decide to stay together.
Unpacking/Creative Adjacency - Carrie’s list of how I can’t survive without her: can’t shower by myself; can’t cook; calls mustard “yellow stuff” and toast “ovened bread.”
Specialty Cocktail
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2012
Dare to Be Lovely - At the end of the scene, Rachel makes a confession that’s kind and warm. “This is one of those exchanges where I’m leaving altered."
Topography - My character's Repetition moving from the bartender to Rachel and back.
Shape and Tempo - My flitting about signified to Rachel I was portraying a young woman.
Trials and Tribs
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2014
Hear the Character, but Respond to the Actor - When I tell her to calm down, she ramps up her anxiety.
Heightening - Rachel begins by defending a parking infraction and ends up entreating the jury with an appeal for a universal understanding of humanity.
Making a Big Deal Out of Something Small - Her emotional intensity over a parking infraction.
Painting the Scene - By pointing to single jurors, we create the environment.
Two Choices
David Razowsky and Eric Hunicutt
California Summer Arts Festival, Monterey, CA, 2012
Leave the Stage - Following Mike Coleman’s advice “When you find yourself painted into a corner, paint a door,” Eric painted a door, then walked out of the scene. It’s exactly what his character would do.
Responding to What You’re Partner’s Doing, Not Saying - My first response to Eric at the top of the scene isn’t about what he just said, it’s inspired by his frenetic emotional content: “You’re crumbling. You’re shattering.” It sets the dynamics for the rest of the scene.
Topography - Eric’s movement stage left to right and back defines his character.
Wait until Your Partner Says Something That Moves You - I don’t start speaking until Eric trips over his words in his first line of dialogue: “You’re home free, yeyeyeyeye…”
Uber
David Razowsky and Rachel Hamilton
San Francisco Improv Festival, 2016
Accepting the Reality Your Partner Sets Up - The reality of the scene - that I was in a lawn chair and not the car - was set up once I “walked through the car.”
Holding Onto Point of View - The fact that I was baffled was expressed both with dialogue and physicality. Rachel held onto hers by being in Duration of Shape and Gesture.
Sit In It - At the scene’s end there’s a long moment taken. We both wait until one of us is compelled to say something, or, in this case, sing something.
No Idea is Too Stupid - The very premise that I’m in a lawn chair and she’s in the car is stupid, as is her great line, “Shouldn’t all Ubers be Priuses? Shouldn’t all donkeys be roommates?”