It is nice to be inspired to write an article. It is equally as nice to note the hypocrisy of the articles. In this, the topic shall be what has been written against previously. There are terms in improv that are not productive; common agreed terms that are not useful are 'should' or 'supposed to', because they put pressure and impossible for improv has definites: Obviously nothing has to happen, it is improvised. Nonetheless, the terms that this discusses and have a long-lastingly dislike for are master and veteran. The following will discuss, in a less referenced level than usual, the reasons that link to the previously used words.
Words! In
improvisation, the training provides a freedom; it gives opportunity
to explore yourself and your language (specifically in context of
this article). The words that get uttered are the greatest, even if
they are not. Improvisers build on whatever is said and done. After
improving from the basics, further courses could well expand this
into wider awareness of tone, phrasing and physical speech (any
communication that is physical). Essentially, as improvisers that are
building more experience and trust in ourselves and each other,
people then get to own their words. Therefore, the word improv means
something exact. In the Oxford English Dictionary
(Oxforddictionaries.com, 2015), the definition of improvise is clear,
“Create and perform … spontaneously or without preparation.”
However, it also states for improvisation (ibid.), “The action of
improvising”. The more appropriate of these definitions that works
for the people in the art form is the one for 'improvising'. Due to
one needing to refer to the other, as defined by O.E.D it is required
that improvisation is in action of something in order to improvise.
Therefore, that 'something' can be any action, anything. The word
improvisation is a noun, a thing, and the definition relates purely
to the action. Therefore, it is fair to suggest that improv is not a
thing, but a doing of a thing. Another commonly agreed part of
defining improv is by observing that it is all in process. All of
humanity, and others, are in process: Our lives are improvised and
are a process of birth to death (if not birth to death, then a to b).
Improv is not just doing scenes or group games, or any other limited
perception. To see further than this we can look at Forced
Entertainment, Improbable, Fluxx, Geese Theatre Company and no doubt
more.
Improv is an action and not the form. A form is seen to be, “The
visible shape or configuration of something.”
(Oxforddictionaries.com,
2015) Therefore, the form of improvisation can be scenic, dance,
music, art, clown, fool, mask; however, then that is looking more
into the subgenre of ‘scenic’, which is fact a subgenre of
theatre. It is possible to improvise anything. Even scriptwriting is
based in improvisation. A writer could have learnt and use as much
structure as the person requires, but in the end the idea has to
spontaneously come from somewhere. Once more, that seems a little too
pedantic to continue this dissection with. Other verbs have form. For
example, walk; when we walk we can walk in various shapes and
configurations; it is possible to be in the form of a catwalk. This
form has various conventions that can require the way you complete
your verb, walking, can be restricted. Similarly, another verb is
run; in this action we can run in the form of 100 metres or a cross
country race. This is the exact same as improvising, as the forms we
can use are numerous.
A master
of an activity, skill or area of study has its acknowledged
definitions and uses. The common understanding of a master is a
person that has the most knowledge on the topic in the room.
Therefore, every time one steps into a space, a survey would need to
be taken to determine who the master is in that moment. The statement
is hyperbolic; however it makes a sensible comment on the use of the
term. In accordance to this, it is not wise to call oneself a master,
because one cannot know that for sure. On the other hand, The Oxford
English Dictionary (Oxforddictionaries.com) states the definition as
“a skilled practitioner of a particular art or activity.” This
offers a looser use of the term; anyone could be a master in one
given location. Nonetheless, for various areas of expertise a master
may not well be very skilled. When does one know that they are
skilled? It is subjective, as one person's mastered skillset is
another's student development.
To use
these ideas in more of a context, improv being a process and not a
thing means that being skilled at doing so is not possible. Can one
master life? Life is also a process. To claim that an improviser has
mastered the art form would be stating that they stopped improvising,
alike stopped living; no one can currently know if the dead died due
to their mastership. Improv is built on risk and change, or purely
the 'not knowing'. Phelim McDermott (McDermott, 2008) once said, and
this is paraphrased, that if improvisers stop taking the risk and do
what they generally do, then they should stop improvising. There is
no point in performing the art form if you are no longer learning and
discovering because it is visible to the audience. Therefore, not
being able to use the term master for improv, as it is subjective
anyway, could allow people to rephrase the word's use. An improviser
who is skilled at what they do could say that they are a master of
what they do. This makes more sense. However, if improvisers master
themselves, then we generally call this using their defaults. Using
one's defaults is not seen as a positive.
Likewise, to look at
the term veteran, The Oxford Dictionary (Oxforddictionaries.com)
states, “A person who has had long experience in a particular
field” and it must be mentioned that the other definition is the
major connotation that was known. To be “An ex-member of the armed
forces” seemed like stating that improv is a battle field. Improv
is not the art form where we serve our country. It is important to
own this ridiculousness. On the otherhand, an improviser who has had
a long experience onstage improvising could be anyone. Once more,
this term holds a lot of subjectivity. How long is a long experience?
There is no answer. Even moreso, someone new to the art form can have
more and better insight into the art form than a 'veteran'. Purely
out of not knowing the teachings, the person can see clearer as they
have nothing to obscure their view. Fundamentally, to use the term on
oneself seems like ego. People have them, for sure, but it is not
useful.
Hierarchy in improv
seems pointless. Anyone can make a comment that holds value, which
happens; therefore being a master or veteran is overvalued. Inside
the structure that improv generally has around the world, teachers
need to offer their students confidence. Along with being a teacher,
ego would enter as segment of their trusting atmosphere.
Contrastingly, training can hinder and ruin the untainted person when
they enter improv. It is possible to look around and see untrained
improvisers doing the job. In Bristol there has been various
untrained improvisers that have gotten onstage and had an easier or
more relaxed time than people that trained and still struggle.
In
conclusion, the terms are unproductive. Improvisation is a process
and being a master of it would merely determine that person as having
stopped improvising. One can only master one's own improvisation and
then be a default and predictable, offering the same as usual; this
is called devising, therefore. Similarly, being a veteran is
subjective. An improviser who needs to be a veteran wants their ego
to inflate. Improvisation requires us to be equal, as anyone can give
insight anyway.
Bibliogrpahy
Oxforddictionaries.com,
(2015). improvisation - definition of improvisation in English
from the Oxford dictionary. [online] Available at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/improvisation
[Accessed 13 Jul. 2015].
Oxforddictionaries.com,
(2015). improvise - definition of improvise in English from the
Oxford dictionary. [online] Available at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/improvise
[Accessed 13 Jul. 2015].
Oxforddictionaries.com, (2015). master - definition of master in
English from the Oxford dictionary. [online] Available at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/master [Accessed
29 Jul. 2015].
Oxforddictionaries.com, (2015). veteran - definition of veteran in
English from the Oxford dictionary. [online] Available at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/veteran
[Accessed 29 Jul. 2015].
Oxforddictionaries.com,
(2015). form
- definition of form in English from the Oxford dictionary.
[online] Available at:
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/form [Accessed
20 Oct. 2015].
