Being A Good Scene Partner

I never expected improv to be so metaphoric. I thought it would be a class where you go every Sunday, maybe say a couple of funny things on accident, but mostly you just end up looking kinda ridiculous and you learn how to be okay with that... -end scene-

We've been doing scene work the last couple of weeks, and next to water torture, I can't think of a slower more painful way to die. (Can you die from water torture? Anyway.) The first scene I did yesterday, I exited. The scene wasn't going ANYWHERE, and so I just said bye and slinked off the stage. Apparently, that's no bueno.

First Rule of Being a Good Partner: Don't leave. Don't leave your partner hanging. They might have to stay up there indefinitely, and you effed them in the a by leaving. After Michelle (my teacher) broke the news that I'd done a bad thing (in a really nice way), my brain went on defense/attack mode. "Well, it was her fault because she didn't give me a good scene idea to work with." "If you would have told me that before, I wouldn't have done it." "I thought it was a logical conclusion to the scene." Once I had silently exhausted all my mental non-sense, I realized that it was no more my scene partners fault than my own. Yes, she didn't come up with a strong idea and commit to it, but neither did I. Yes, my teacher didn't tell us that isn't kosher ahead of time, but without having done it, it wouldn't have had context and or meant anything to me. Now I can comfortably say I will never leave a scene unprompted again. (Until I get good and know when that is supposed to happen)

Michelle told us, "Make bold decisions for a scene. It gives your partner something to work from. You might think that you're being a good scene partner by letting your partner choose, but really you are just making it harder for them." A couple of things I've also realized is that "I don't have an idea" or "I don't know what to do" are not valid options. It's being a bad scene partner. It's lazy and inconsiderate to pass the buck. Come up with something! Anything! Make bold decisions for the scene, and your life. It's better to make a bold decision and change/adapt it later than to never commit to anything, and have your life scene end up sucking.

After my first sucky scene, I realized that it was my own indecision and laziness that got in the way. That I didn't make any bold decisions... other than leaving... which is a whole can of worms into itself. From then on I decided to be present and be bold. I learned that I have to be willing to let myself go there... even if it's scary. I will end up looking stupid at some point. (I have found that the less I commit to a scene, the more stupid I look actually. Oh, irony.) You have to do stuff. You have to make mistakes, and do things that feel uncomfortable when they're happening to find out what you're capable of. You have to be an active, engaged version of yourself for people around you to be set up for success... what they do with it from that point is up to them, you did your part.

Moral of the Story. Make bold decisions. Give other people the chance to succeed by being present for them. You'll be more successful that way. Don't cop out, and leave because it's not going your way. Act differently to solve the problem. Jump in. Be unexpected. You acting on your ideas gives other people some traction to develop on theirs... and don't be a dick.