This past week I ran into a person who told me she was involved in ComedySportz in Portland, Oregon. I told her I trained at ImprovOlympics and Second City in Chicago. I asked her what improv style her establishment did. If it was short-form or long-form improv. That’s right, there are two types.
When HMTC got together with Moment Theater of San Francisco for improv training, the teacher we hired asked which form would we like to explore with the students. We asked for short-form, though my favorite is long-form. If improv is new to students, it is best to start with short-form improv.
HMTC uses short form improv in acting classes for warm-ups. We believe it focuses the mind for scene work.
Improv institutions that do consultant work at companies do short-form improv. That’s right, improv workshops are done at Google, Amazon, and Apple, to name a few. The objective is to give the executives more tools in their work. For example, it teaches executives how to think on their feet, improve confidence, and build teamwork.
Professional improvers enhance their short-form improv with music and other tactics. However, it has been my experience that their deep desire is to do the long-form when given a chance. They say it satisfies their need for a higher level of creativity.
I have pledged to teach long form to HMTC participants. I already started with the little ones, and they have gotten quite good. Now the teens and adults will get the experience this next session that goes from September to the end of October.
Starting September there will be a new acting class schedule. Acting classes for kids will be at 4pm, teens at 5pm, adults at 6pm, and improv exercise at 7:30pm. The improv exercises will be both short-form and long form improv.
