Tempo

Both in the Schwa show last night and the Salute Jive show tonight I felt a little off. I had a good time, discovered some fun characters, but I felt like my inner metronome was not working. I never had an impulse to edit or any internal urgency. Both shows had a pretty slow pace which isn't inherently bad but can easily become static and difficult to reverse. I felt exclusive reactive during both shows and because of that I don't think I really did my part.

The pacing of a show can frequently be as important as the content. It helps shape the audiences expectations and experience. If the pacing is lethargic, if it changes without purpose, than the show as a whole can stumble. Timing not only in the delivery of punchlines but in regards to scenes and shows as a whole is integral to successful improv.

In a song the lyrics and melody matter but so too does the placement of the verse, chorus, and bridge. The structure of the song is just as important in conveying the meaning as how it is played. Generally happy/angry/energetic songs are fast, sad/depressing/introspective songs are slow. So too in improv.

There is fast and too fast, slow and too slow. Monitoring the pacing of a show, speeding up and slowing down, heating up and cooling off, establishing a pattern and a rhythm, taking the audience on a journey, providing a complete experience, is as important as the lines that are said and the characters that are created. It's a lot to keep in mind but if you can strike a balance between finding honest inspiration in the moment and being attentive to the tempo of a piece shows can go from good to great.