Why It’s Important to Be Connected to Your Improv Scene Partner

Every improviser wants to do great scene work, but one of the biggest things that I have seen that gets in the way of that is when an improviser is not emotionally connected with their scene partner. And most of the time they don't even realize it.

And once improvisers start becoming connected to their scene partner, it can turn them from a good improviser into a great one.

Is it that simple?

Yes. If you are not connected, you are relying on yourself to try to “figure out” what comes next in the scene. And that means you are very limited in where your scene can go. But when you are connected with your scene partner, you are relying on others and the scene will just go on its own. Suddenly, the possibilities become unlimited.

Connection is the current between two players, and it typically happens before the scene even starts. You don’t need words to create a connection. I have actually seen words kill the connection. You need to trust the silence at the top of the scene and try to feel the connection before you speak.

Whether you’re in person or on Zoom, all you have to do is look into the eyes of your partner, feel the energy going on between you, and trust the clues you are getting from your partner.

Does your partner look happy? Maybe that means that your characters are old friends that had a crush on each other who haven’t seen each other in a long time.

Does your partner look sad? Maybe your characters are a couple breaking up.

That is enough information to begin a scene with a strong initiation.

Warning: You might think that forming an emotional connection with your scene partner will always make your scenes depressing and heavy. And sometimes it does happen like that when you first start working this way. Just remember connection = tension, which is important when doing comedy. The more you do it, the better you will get at finding the funny in the tension. Trust me, in the 30 years I have been teaching, I have seen improvisers make some pretty heavy subject matter hysterical.

The best part about becoming more connected with your scene partners is that you’ll get more laughs, because suddenly the audience will be able to recognize themselves in the characters you are portraying.

If you start working this way, plus make sure that you are improvising only one or two lines at time, which I recently wrote about in a blog, you will see a big difference. Your scene work will soar.

Try it and let me know how it goes.

Want to experience Jimmy's method of improv? Check out his virtual workshop on Dec. 8. Or sign up for the Long Form Tune-Up happening in-person on Dec. 31. Sign up today!