Patterns!

Patterns are not only in our lives but in the skies, on the page and in the actions of school mates and co-workers and family members. Patterns are also important in improv game play.

WHAT’S THAT PATTERN I’M WITNESSING?
What’s that pattern I’m witnessing and how is it important? I’m glad you asked that question. Patterns exist throughout the universe. There are patterns in the skies above us and in architecture of our cities. There are patterns in our behavior as well and that of our pets.

Humans are very pattern oriented. The patterns of our everyday lives often define us. It is when we break those patterns that we learn who we really are.

PATTERNS IN IMPROV
It comes as no shock how important patterns are in both short and long form improv. We use the patterns in long form improv to spice up our scenes with game play which keeps audiences interested. In short form improv there are patterns as well which we don’t always realize are part of the various games.

A great improv scene may or may not be funny but it must be dynamic and hold the audience’s interest. A dazzling game within the scene definitely holds an audience’s attention. There can even be two games, an overall game that plays out across the the scene and a game between the scene partners within the scene. Game play involves patterns and most human behavior fits some pattern somewhere. I guess we are just like ants only the patterns we make take up a whole lot more space.

Look for patterns in your everyday life. Is the pattern one of repetitive behavior or is the pattern one of heightening or one of seeing the same types of situation but with different participants in different settings. These same patterns are what makes scenes great. Recognizing these patterns and putting them in action makes for great games in your scenes. 

EXERCISE: IDENTIFYING PATTERNS
Two improvisers start a scene based on a simple suggestion. Another improviser will tag-out one of the two because they’ve seen a pattern they’d like to emanate. The improviser tagging into the scene has the job of identifying what type of pattern they are going to be following and they must make this very clear to their scene partner so each can play his or her part. They are not playing the same character that they tagged out but introducing a new one. The focus is on the pattern. 

After a few lines another improviser tags out one of the two improvisers in the scene to follow a new pattern one of them established and so on and so forth. Follow the pattern.