newER team wants to improve their harold

[Ryan Nemeth]

The group I'm working with now has technically learned "training wheels" harold and performed with it...but there are still some things lacking compared to what i recall seeing in really great harold shows at io.

we started with scenework and scenework exercises, learned basic group game scenes, and step by step, week by week, worked into performing harold.

at this point does anyone have an opinion of where to go, coach-wise? should i have them re-focus on scenework, break our own harolds down piece-by-piece to examine them, focus on first beats...?

i want to help improve their harold in some way. if anyone has suggestions for a team who has just learned and began performing harold and wants to keep learning and improving.

thanks

OR if there's already a thread with this stuff in it?

[Shotts]

Well, what do you think they need to work on, Coach? Without seeing them play, it's difficult to say what they need to work on next.

Are you based out of Chicago? If so, you could attempt to solicit a Harold Workshop from someone. Maybe the great and powerful Bill Arnett? You could probably get him to do it for a bag of weed.

[Ryan Nemeth]

we're in cincinnati...

What I'm seeing is 3 beats that once in a while have themes or characters that are called back. doesn't yet have that distinctly longform feel to it.

and maybe this just has to do with the fact that the more this group performs together and the more they become familiar with themselves and the form, the smoother and more cohesive it will become. that actually is probably 90% of it.

but it is so exciting to see the progress of people who are excited about improv learn and learn to play and work together.

[Fenstermaker]

Just want to clarify - you think the main problem is that they are having trouble bringing back characters and themes?

I have a thought but it almost seems too elementary. But then again, maybe not if the group isn't experienced with seeing or doing long-form pieces??

Eh, whatebs. Let me know and I'll PM you.

Jill

[illades]

I would suggest watching them for clues. Have them play in different ways and see what little things they tend to do, then try to find ways to guide them toward formalizing it in some way, even just temporarily.

If they tend to be silly, how do you harness that and give it legs to last through a show, and form, so it's not just random? If they tend to be talky? How do you push them to establish a context and environment and to explore their dialogue to be more interesting, focused, exploratory, etc.

Keep them off-balance. Challenge them into areas they don't tend to go, while paying attention to what they organically tend to do as a team.

[Ryan Nemeth]

"keep them off balance"

that's a great point..we have tended to fall into a routine/comfort zone

[bron]

Work the hell out of openings. Explore what they mean, why you do them, how you do them and how you use them throughout the show. Well-worked and well-informed openings will impact the rest of the show and the way they play. For Harold at least. Push them to the limits of their creativity in this area and let it spill over into the rest of their play. Also, what everyone else said.

[Ryan Nemeth]

absolutely need to push them more and to work more out of openings

thank you!

[PaulieB]

Well, what do you think they need to work on, Coach? Without seeing them play, it's difficult to say what they need to work on next.

Are you based out of Chicago? If so, you could attempt to solicit a Harold Workshop from someone. Maybe the great and powerful Bill Arnett? You could probably get him to do it for a bag of weed.

BILL IS AWESOME AND SO IS JASON SHOTTS. Get them to come to you over a weekend and you will come away with some tools.