Improvised theatre at it’s best can be an utterly captivating art form. It demands quick thinking, creativity, and the ability to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. Strong improvisers thrive on spontaneity and the ability to inhabit different characters and situations. The techniques and practices of method acting can be a hugely powerful tool for improvisers to enhance their performance skills. You might think you have to go to a fancy acting school to understand the method, but as a technique is can offer immense value for improvisers seeking to deepen their character development, emotional range, and overall performance. Perhaps you’ve heard the slightly deranged stories of Hollywood actors staying in character for months, living in undesirable conditions, or being abusive to their colleagues; I promise you, that is not what method acting is all about! Method acting can be a game-changer for improvisers, providing them with a comprehensive toolkit to create engaging and authentic improvised scenes and shows. 

 

Building Authentic Characters

Method acting emphasizes the development of realistic, fully realized characters by immersing oneself in their mindset, experiences, and emotions. Similarly, improvisers must quickly establish believable characters to engage the audience and elevate their performances. By employing method acting techniques, improvisers can delve into their characters’ backgrounds, motivations, and personal histories, allowing for a more profound and genuine portrayal. This approach enables improvisers to bring a depth of authenticity to their characters, enriching their performances and enhancing the overall improvisational experience.

 

Emotional depth and vulnerability

Successful improvisation relies on the ability to convey a wide range of emotions effectively. Method acting offers improvisers a valuable framework for exploring and embodying different emotional states. By utilizing emotional memory and personal experiences, improvisers can tap into genuine emotions and convey them with sincerity. This process encourages a greater sense of vulnerability, allowing improvisers to connect with their characters and audience on a more profound level. The ability to evoke genuine emotions lends an extra layer of depth and realism to the improviser’s performance, making it more captivating and relatable.

 

spontaneity and reactivity

Method acting techniques can significantly enhance an improviser’s capacity for quick decision-making and reactive improvisation. To quote Sanford Meisner, acting is “living truthfully under imagined circumstances”. As actors who improvise, this applies to us tenfold; we don’t have a script to fall back on. Being able to connect and react to ourselves and our scene partners allows us to seamlessly adapt to unexpected turns and deliver more authentic, in-the-moment performances.

 

sensory awareness and observation

Method acting emphasizes the importance of sensory awareness, encouraging actors to engage all their senses to create a fully immersive experience. This heightened sensitivity can greatly benefit improvisers by allowing them to observe and absorb details from their surroundings, incorporating them seamlessly into their performances. By sharpening their observation skills, improvisers can incorporate specific physicality, mannerisms, and environmental elements into their characters, resulting in a more vivid and engaging improvisational experience for the audience.

 

teamwork and ensemble building

Improvisation is, by definition, a team sport. The ability to connect and collaborate with our fellow performers is essential if we want to create compelling worlds for our characters and audience to live in. Method acting fosters a sense of deep collaboration, as actors often train together to develop a shared understanding of their characters and relationships. When improvisers adopt method acting techniques, they can create a stronger sense of ensemble, with each performer intuitively understanding and supporting one another. This wil help you create more seamless scene work, improved chemistry, and an overall more cohesive and dynamic performance.

 

So, how do i get started with method acting? 

Method acting offers improvisers a rich and valuable set of tools to enhance their performances. If you want to embrace the challenge of method acting in your improvisational journey, and reach new heights of creativity and authenticity, then check out my upcoming year-long class. It will be 12 monthly sessions where I will introduce you to sense memory and substitution, affective memory, animal work, and the tenets of method acting, in a highly supportive and dynamic online classroom. There will be plenty of feedback and notes, and lots of resources you can take away at the end of the year. If you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you at rhiannon@rhiannonjenkins.net!