Will Luera's Improv Journal

A good improviser knows stuff. A lot of stuff. They not only need to be book smart but they have to have a brain that is hungry for information and for knowledge. That's the kind of brain that I want to improvise with. I don't care what kind of improvisation you practice, your quest for knowledge should be never-ending. It's this quest that ultimately makes you a better and funnier performer. Pursuing knowledge trains your brain to not only remember information but to also make connections and find patterns. I don't care where you pursue your knowledge. If your thing is reading Entertainment Weekly and People every week, fine, but just let your brain absorb that information and then share that information with me on stage. The most immediate effect is that by putting this information in your head, it's immediately becoming part of the hive mind of your ensemble. If I'm lacking information on the latest pop phenomenon, I know that if it's in your head...

It's so easy to blame a good or bad show on an audience. Audiences can be too drunk, too smart, too shy, too quiet, etc. The excuses can go on and on. Yes, it's true, some audience members can be real assholes but a majority of the time, an audience just wants to have fun. Unless you're an asshole also, audiences will generally be on your side. Somethings to keep in mind: Know your audience. Every audience is different. There isn't an 8pm audience or a 10pm audience or a matinee audience...there is just audience. Get to know them. When you're backstage, if you have the opportunity to check them out, you should. Ask the House Manager if there are any special events you should know about and most importantly, when you step out onto the stage, ENGAGE THEM. This could be as subtle or as grand as the show needs but take an opportunity to engage them so that you know where they are at. If an audience is low-energy, get them fired up! If they're high-energy, ride...

I am feeling strongly that a key to diversity in Theater and Comedy is to remove the Pay-to-Play model. I am really interested in hearing people's opinions on this. This is not just in regards to many festivals that charge to apply but also in the practice of setting a minimum education requirement for auditions. Many times that minimum education can set a student back at least 600 dollars within a 6-month period. Being on the Director's side of the table for almost two decad es, I understand that we want to set a barrier to ensure that we only see high-quality and qualified candidates but I also feel that we're limiting ourselves to a very specific segment of our population. I've always been for open auditions but I've recently evolved in my opinion on festival applications. I used to see the application process as an income opportunity but now I feel like I would rather make that income flow up elsewhere in the season and open up application opportunity wi...