The essence of improv

Four years ago I was getting out of the 23rd avenue PATH station in New York when I beheld a strange site. A motley group of comedians, dressed in ridiculous get-ups, were parading down the street and handing out flyers. Uncharacteristically I accepted one. "Del Close Improv Marathon" it read, 72 straight hours of improv comedy. I decided to take a chance and buy a ticket.

Since then I have become an Improv comedy devotee. I prefer it to Sketch, Standup, or any other format. Why is this?

Is it the performers? No, the best standups and sketch performances can leave me howling.

Is it the humor? No, you can (theoretically) find the same kind of jokes, one-liners, and situations in any of these formats.

The answer is Danger. Watching Improv comedy is a theatrical equivalent to watching a gladiator fight. These men and women are creating comedy in front of you, with no room for error. One false move, and a scene could be ruined. One sudden insight or turn-of-phrase, and a scene could be rescued. Its all up to them, and its all happening live. This knowledge keeps the audience at the edge of their seats - they applaud and laugh not only becuase what they see is funny, but because they are rooting, in a sense, for these folks to triumph in the face of awkwardness, boredom, and silence. 

Thats what I find so fascinating about these improv groups - there's a fine line between being individually funny, and working together to make a SCENE funny. One funny guy who screws up the dynamic can, ultimately, kill a bit. Its great to watch these people figure out what's working and what needs to be cut - its a performance and a puzzle all at once. 

And when you follow and improv group's through a few performances, like I do, the analogy with sports seems even more fitting. You start rooting for particular "players" to save a scene if its going bad - particular "plays" that they rely on to get them out of trouble. 

Here are some groups I encourage you to follow - Respecto Montalbon, Death By Roo Roo, and Mother. 

What do you guys think? Is improv your thing, why/why not?