 |
“Yes and” is an improvisation technique used to build on what your fellow actors or players, as they are called in improv, have created. In improvisation the one rule that isn’t supposed to be broken is agreement. “Yes and” is used in exercises and games to help practice the concept of agreement and create a story.
Yes in improvisation keeps the story moving forward while no shuts it down. If you have been through any improvisation workshops or classes, the effect of each is one of the first things demonstrated to the beginning player. It isn’t easy at first because it seems our natural inclination is to expect, look for, and create conflict. It was very interesting to watch my beginning students try to employ the yes and initially and watch their progression over several classes as they begin to understand this concept.
“Yes and” requires that I listen to what my partner says and that I respond to it. In improv, the aim is to treat fellow players like geniuses and to accept and justify everything the other says to create something together. It’s a group game, so you have to work together. If you think ahead or decide to grandstand to make yourself look good, you only end up tearing the whole thing apart and making everyone look bad, including yourself. You have to be engaged with what is going on in the moment in order to respond. So “yes and” only works if you are listening and interacting in relationship to others.
Oh that we all had more “Yes and” in our day to day life. How about if we listened more deeply to one another so we could respond in the moment rather than running on to our next thought? What if we worked at making each other look good, rather than looking out for number one? What if we were more concerned with building something together than collecting up enough stuff for ourselves?
Isn’t it amazing how much application to life Improvisation Workshops for kids offer? “Yes and....”
 |
| A to Z Challenge |
That's true! Why are we always so negative. I need to practice this today. (So how can I be negative in a positive way?) I think I've missed the point here. See how much I have to learn?
ReplyDeleteThanks Heidi. You know what I am talking about because you were there, right? Yes, what a problem we sinful creatures have with that negative thing, ey?! Thanks for being a faithful friend and sharing your lessons with me. God bless, Maria
DeleteYes and, indeed! Sounds fun to do improvisation. The closest thing I have come to that is in Toastmasters when we have a 2 minute table topic. The moderator selects a person to speak (not pre-arranged) and asks them to speak for 2 minutes (less is okay, but no more) in answer to a question. The speaker may choose to reply to the question or turn it around somehow to make it a topic they would rather speak about. It is nerve-wracking to say the least!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on making it to the end of the challenge!
tm
We did Toastmaster's too in our group. It was a great and yes challenging experience, but definitely a growth experience for all. So do you prefer Tracy or TM? Since on your blog, you said that is what your family calls you, I don't want to be presumptuous, and I do hope we continue to be blogging buddies after the A to Z challenge is through. Thanks for being a regular visitor. I appreciate you. God bless, Maria
DeleteIt's so true! Not just in improv, but in any group dynamic. However, I seem to always run into a bad apple in a group...sigh. Thanks for your lovely comment about my series. I appreciate the support very much.
ReplyDeleteTina @ Life is Good
Co-host, April 2013 A-Z Challenge Blog
@TinaLifeisGood, #atozchallenge
Thanks for your comments Tina. I know about that bad apple. Don't think there is any way around it, but I am convinced that God brings people that want to drive down the dynamic so we will become even better at pulling it up. It is nice when you have a group where everything comes together though, isn't it!? Thanks for coming by, and I meant everything I wrote. This Challenge has introduced me to a whole new world and it has been such fun meeting new people and witnessing all the talent in the blogosphere with fresh eyes. God bless, Maria
DeleteThat sounds like a great game and great practice for anyone in a relationship! Often we try to be 'right' in our discussions. It's both exhausting and fruitless, really. Great post!
ReplyDeleteYes your right. It would do us good sometimes to step out of the way we do things in our relationship and try something more fruitful, like building the other person up. Thanks for being a regular here. I sure do appreciate you coming by. God bless, maria
DeleteImprov is the very, very best. Anyone who can pull it off in style is my hero. I love the analogy between improv and life, owing to the positive reinforcement of "yes and". It really should be incorporated more into the reality of our daily experience.
ReplyDeleteA handsomely executed post and one of my favorites.
Thank you and cheers.
Well thank you, Michael. I appreciate that, especially from you whose wise wit I so admire. We all live improvised lives anyway, right? So perhaps we could learn from those who play at it. This is one area where life imitating art would be a good thing. Thanks for coming by. God bless, Maria
DeleteWe were put here to serve others and show them the Truth, not to look out for number one.
ReplyDeleteSo true, Alex. Thanks for coming by. God bless, Maria
Delete