Category Archives: Improv Diary

The improv diary is a place to record ideas in classwork, practice, and performance. It is by no means a replacement for solid improv education. It is provided for discussion, not in leu of improv training.

Lessons Learned from Musical Improv

Monday, April 21, 2008 – 2:21 pm

My Musical Improv class at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, taught by the incredibly talented Eliza Skinner, ended the other week. It was undoubtedly the most fun I’ve had in an improv class to date. Learning to sing improvised songs was a liberating experience, not only because singing is so much fun, but because it’s a class [...]

By Ben Whitehouse | Comments (2)

…Last Week on The Raw Harold

Tuesday, March 25, 2008 – 1:05 pm

So, I told you guys it was a worthwhile show, but now I’m going to lay it down. I have seen a lot of improv in my time at UCB and the Raw Harold continues to be the best thing I have seen in a long time. Last week’s show was exceptional and the improvisers, [...]

By Ben Whitehouse | Also posted in Events | Comments (0)

Pick an Emotion

Friday, February 29, 2008 – 2:08 pm

I kind of feel, in my own work, that when I start to focus on one part of my performance — another part falls apart. This seems most true when I focus on game. When I focus on game I find most of my scenes get less and less of it. This is in part [...]

By Ben Whitehouse | Comments (0)

Harold Night 1/29/08 Impressions

Wednesday, January 30, 2008 – 1:49 pm

I just wanted to take a minute out to congratulate the UCB Harold teams that performed last night. I was extremely impressed by the high quality of performance and energy all the players brought to the stage. In particular I wanted to spotlight the work of a few players that really made an impression on [...]

By Ben Whitehouse | Comments (0)

Archetypal Cake

Friday, September 28, 2007 – 11:46 am

I’m in week two of Michael Delaney’s eight week Improv 504 Acting for Improvisers class at UCBNY.
I was terrified of Michael when I first arrived in class, because of his reputation as a no punch pulling instructor. I had imagined him to swagger into class, shout at every scene that we were doing it all [...]

By Ben Whitehouse | Tagged , , , , | Comments (3)

2007 Del Close Marathon Wrap Up

Friday, August 10, 2007 – 6:33 pm

After watching 36 hours of a 56 hour improv marathon, improv stops looking so much like improv and more like a math equation. You can see patterns forming between performers and see differences in the way geographic locales play. After watching 36 hours of improv, you become a bit of a machine, analyzing each scene [...]

By Ben Whitehouse | Also posted in Del Close Marathon, Epiphany, Improv | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)