Finding the unusual thing (and communicating better in scenes)
It's hard to notice the unusual at the top of an improv scene. Learn when and how to do it! Even if you're unusual too, like me! For EVERYONE: how to communicate better with your scene partners.
Finding the unusual thing can be a bit more challenging if there are a variety of neurotypes on a team (and there probably is, statistically speaking). Just as communication can be challenging if you have humans with different backgrounds, cultures, spoken language, and more on a team or in a class. But there are different tools and techniques you can use to help make this a bit easier. Let’s talk about them!
This article will discuss what "unusual" can be, and how to notice that unusual thing in a scene. This tool is part of the game of the scene style of improv, a big part of it.
In a nutshell: You find an unusual thing, make a game out of it, and go from there. Heighten it, blow it out, whatever.
Success. Profit. Win.
This article was originally a podcast episode. You can find it here:
This article is a bit different than the podcast, so maybe both will be useful? We’ll see! Let me know!
The unusual for unusuals
Noticing or framing what is "the unusual" is something that took me a bit of extra time to figure out, just like with voice of reason. Starting out, teachers would call out what was unusual in the scene (or what variety of unusual things came up early in the scene), and sometimes they mentioned things that seemed quite normal.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Neurodiversity and Improv - Podcast & Articles to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.