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Improv Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond |  | Authors: Tom Salinsky, Deborah Frances-White
Publisher: Continuum
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $20.82
as of 9/10/2010 14:30 CDT details
You Save: $6.13 (23%)
New (16) Used (14) from $20.17
Seller: awesomebooksusa
Rating:  12 reviews
Sales Rank: 34189
Media: Paperback
Pages: 448
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4
ISBN: 0826428584
Dewey Decimal Number: 792.028
EAN: 9780826428585
ASIN: 0826428584
Publication Date: June 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9780826428585 | | • | Condition: New | | • | Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed |
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Product Description
"The Improv Handbook" is a great new guide that covers the history of improvisation and includes chapters on spontaneity and the fundamentals of storytelling.Although there are already several successful books on the market about the theory and practice of improvised theatre, there's nothing comprehensive, helpful, fun and full of experience and advice."The Improv Handbook" is a great new guide from a husband and wife team who have years of studying, performance and teaching behind them. Beginning with a history of improvisation, the book works through different types of format and performance including TheatreSports and the inventions of Keith Johnstone and Del Close. The core section of the book is called, simply, "How To Improvise" and includes chapters on spontaneity, the fundamentals of storytelling, working together, upping the ante and characters.Having established the fundamentals, the two authors go on to elaborate on more advanced techniques and skills. The book concludes with sections on how to improvise in front of an audience and - just as crucially - how to attract an audience in the first place." The Improv Handbook" should become a standard book in the field - it's smart, fun, helpful, and inspiring, and it's on a mission to bring Improv to a much wider audience.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
Great for All Theater Artists March 9, 2009
A. C. Willson (USA)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Like the best improvised performances, this book is clear, fast paced, and, above all, imaginative. It is equaly adept at introducing and riffing on improv fundamentals to the reader, making it great for your first book on improv or your millionth. And it is even great if your interests in theater are not specifically troupe-based improv. When directing a show, I introduced some of the principles and exercises this book elaborates into the rehearsal process and was amazed at how much funnier the humorous bits became and how much more the dramatic parts resonated. This book is not a mere "how to make others laugh handbook" it truly is an improvisational handbook in the greatest sense - it's about the theatrical imagination and performance spontaneity. No matter what type of theater you are working in, reading this book and introducing its principles will make your characters richer and your situations and scenarios more fully realized. A must have.
Great, Practical Guide July 7, 2008
Mr. A. P. M. Maclaren (London)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is the long-awaited 'how-to' guide by my two colleagues at the Spontaneity Shop - the fruit of long experience teaching, directing and performing.
Fascinating sections on narrative (usually neglected by Impro manuals with the honourable exception of Keith Johnstone) and on diagnosing and curing performer's tendencies and difficulties. This book manages to be practical and readable - especially useful for teachers everywhere.
Superb Book - a real must have January 14, 2009
H. S. Coomes (USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This book is fantastic. It covers everything you could possibly want to know about improv, in a really interesting fun and comprehensive way. I've been a professional in the business for some years and this best book I've ever read on the subject I would highly recommend it.
Excellent book for improv and for social skills training for those on the autistic spectrum June 19, 2009
schleppenheimer (Pennsylvania USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I bought this book to help improve my son's skills in his theatre classes. His favorite part of theatre is improv class, but he needs work on his give and take skills.
As I read the book, I realized that this book spells out a lot of the skills needed to improve social skills for people on the AUTISM spectrum. The listening skills, give-and-take, and team playing required in improv would work well with teaching social skills to those who don't have these abilities -- and the beauty is that when one is successful, you get immediate positive feedback (laughter) which motivates you to try harder.
I really think that improv classes could go a long way to teach older higher-functioning children on the autism spectrum how to be funny -- thereby helping them with social skills.
Parents of children on the autism spectrum -- really consider purchasing this book, and possibly setting up improv classes, in order to help your teenage child understand humor. It could go a long way to helping them adapt to their high school experience, and help their peers see them favorably so that they can improve their friendships.
An Improv Bridge March 4, 2009
Steven Charles Jarand (Calgary, Canada)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book has the expertise of teacher/players who have logged many hours on the improvisation stage as well as the objectivity of those with nothing to lose. The authors would simply like improv to flourish and for many to benifit from it's creative and collaborative potential.
Inside are clear explainations of classic excercies, as well as useful variations and the reasons behind further experienting rather than just lists of games.
And so much more.
A vivid read.
A bridge to a bright future for theatrical improvisation.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 12
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