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Teaching artist Barry Stewart Mann breaks down the basic components and guidelines of improvisation and demonstrates how to create an original scene using the “ABC Improv” format. 

Vocabulary You Will Learn:

• Improvisation - Acting without a script or making it up as you go. Sometimes abbreviated to “improv.”

Materials You Will Need:

• Nothing, just yourself - and, if possible, a partner to improvise with

How to Create a Scene Using ABC Improv

1. Find a friend or family member to perform the scene with you. If you’re unable to, you can practice making up lines by yourself, like Barry does in the video. You can even write them down if that helps your thought process.
2. To create an ABC Improvisation, the first actor will say a sentence that starts with A, then the second actor will say a sentence that starts with B. For example, the first actor could say, “All right Jesse, did you borrow my charger?” The second actor could reply, “Borrow your charger, why would I do that?” Then the first actor would say a sentence starting with C, and the second actor would reply with a sentence starting with D. Continue on through the alphabet until you make it all the way to Z!

3. If it’s helpful, you can decide on what your scene will be about before you begin, including the characters you will play and the location where the scene takes place. 

In this video, Barry breaks down the basic components of improv and demonstrates how to create an original scene using the ABC Improv format. If you want to go even further, think about these questions: 

• If you make it all the way through the alphabet once, can you make it through a second time in the same scene?
• After you complete one ABC Improv, think about what other scenarios you can come up with for an improvised scene. What creative locations can you come up with for the scene to take place? What fun characters can you play in the scene? Coming up with interesting circumstances for the scene to happen in can make the scene even more dynamic!
• After you have some practice with ABC Improv, you can try improvising a scene without that structure. Can you improvise a scene making up your own dialogue as you go without thinking about what letters your sentences start with? Is this easier or harder than using the ABC Improv format? Do you think your resulting scene is more or less creative?
• Can you think of any ways you use improv in your day-to-day life? What are some times that you have to make things up as you go?

Accessibility

Don't forget that you can turn on "Closed Captioning" to view the YouTube video with English captions.

More about the Teaching Artist

Barry Stewart Mann is an Atlanta-based teaching artist, storyteller, actor, and writer. He holds a B.A. in English from Harvard University and an MFA in Theatre from the University of San Diego. Barry has been a performer and roster teaching artist for many arts organizations, including the Georgia Council for the Arts, the Alliance Theatre, the Fulton County Teaching Museum, and ArtsNow Learning. He brings a vibrant honesty and caring playfulness to his performances, workshops, residencies, and scripts.

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