Improvoker

In preparation of a practice group I was leading this weekend, focusing on character work, I wanted to be able to define the differences in creating characters. Although I hadn’t thought about it before, improv characters can come in many different flavors. I realized that knowing what character type you typically play, can make a huge difference in your work.

Here are 5 general classifications of characters as interpreted from The Second City Almanac of Improvisation and my own experience. There are many more shades of grey, but this is a good place to start.

1. You
   This is you. Used in everyday life and asking for suggestion at the beginning of a performance. This is the “you” you leave at the door in improv. It is the you that doesn’t “yes and” by default and thinks before jumping.
2. Manifestation of Yourself
   This is almost you. No character put on, other than the ability to “yes and” ideas and character traits. ie - you are yourself, but can accept you are a serial killer if someone says you are one in the scene. While this character should be in every performers repertoire, as characters are just interpretations of one’s self, if this is the only character in your bag of tricks you will hit a wall in your work.
3. Cliché (Generic Character)
   This isn’t a fully fledged character, but more of a broad generalization of one. Usually these are used in the process of developing a fully fledged character or at the start of a scene. ie - You are french (and have a french accent), or you are a bartender (usually cleaning the bar), or you are a ballerina (who pirouettes). These characters are sometimes useful to have, but are dangerous if they do not evolve into more fleshed out characters. They, however, can be really useful for setting scenes, laying a groundwork, creating more complex characters, comic effect, and support of scenes.
4. Narrow Comic Perspective
   A 2 dimensional character, used for accentuation or punctuation in a scene, usually to move a game forward. This is not a cliché or a cartoon character. It is a reaction to a specific need of a scene. ie - You are the encyclopedia salesman who relates everything back to the importance of owning a really good set of encyclopedias, or you are the businessman who sees the world as a powerpoint presentation and cannot interact with people without pointing with a presentation pointer, or you talk slow because you are a turtle. This usually can not be fully fleshed out into a 3 dimensional character (see below), but evolves out of the need of a scene.
5. The 3 Dimensional Character
   This is a relatively fully fleshed out character. It has facets, contradictions, and quirks. You know this character. It will evolve, reoccurring in scenes and improvisations, in some shape or form. These are by far the most dynamic characters to create. ie - old hobo, used to work at the steel mill before it shut because of modernization. They take time and energy to define, but once created they are invaluable to any improvisor. Again, these characters are great to have in your bag of tricks, but should be pliable. These are not set-in-stone sitcom or sketch characters. They should be able to transform to suit the scenes they are in.

The rewards of understanding and using characters effectively in scenes are incredible. Having the ability to adapt quickly and compliment a scene, will not only make you a stronger improvisor, but will allow you to step into any scene with a pair of shoes you feel comfortable in.