Why I’ve never taken a break from improv
I’ve never taken a break from improv.
Lots of people take breaks from improv. It’s completely normal. I’d actually go as far to say that almost everyone I know has taken a break from improv at one time or another. And I say almost, because there are some people who I don’t know as well as others, who seem to have kept going non-stop. But these are people who I’ve seen more from afar, who may be people I know, but are not people I know so closely to know whether they take a break here or there.
In fact, and this will somewhat apply to myself as well, it seems the people who never seem to take a break of any kind are people who organise improv shows, lessons and groups. I think the nature of running an improv company means that you have extra motivation to always stay in it. If you were to stop your shows or workshops there is a real sense that you’d lose the either the performers, or audience, and that these people will go somewhere else to get their improv fix.
This is definitely part of the motivation I’ve had to always keep doing Extreme Improv every week and every month without taking a break from it. In order for it to keep running, I need the cast to know it’s there to take part in, and the audience to know where and when to find it so they can watch it. Just because I may feel like taking a break for a while, it doesn’t mean that the regular cast of performers all want to take a break at the same time.
I guess the fear here is that they may either fall out of the rhythm of doing the shows, and then it feel too easy for it to be something they used to do, and that they wouldn’t come back. There’s also the risk that they may find greener pastures elsewhere where the person running the show hasn’t taken a break, and then they just do improv elsewhere, and when I return to it, I find there is now no longer any cast or audience.
I am a strong believer in that if things go away, it can be very hard to reignite.
Another risk is that even if cast do return, and this is something I’ve noticed in people who have had a break and then make a return, that they find they are a bit rusty. I think a real issue is that improv is much like any skill, in that practice makes perfect. Take an improviser away from playing games, or doing specific skills or formats, and it can suddenly feel like a struggle to settle back into it.
Truthfully though, even if I wasn’t the person running Extreme Improv, I don’t think I’d have taken a break from being involved with improv and seeking out improv to perform in.
For better or worse, improv has been a great personal way for me to have fun and connect with others. This extends to acting in general as well. I trained as an actor, and it’s been one of those all consuming things where my answers to my line of work and my hobbies are pretty much the same.
I enjoy storytelling, and creating, and making people laugh. Improv is a great outlet for this. So many times, I’ve done shows or classes with people where I’ve heard them say that doing improv was something ‘they needed’ that day. It’s an interesting idea, as I think improv is an activity that allows people to unleash their creative side, and get away from other aspects of their lives. As soon as an improv scene begins, it is an opportunity to escape your own reality and step into the shoes of someone else.
Why would I ever want to have a break from this? I can be a dozen different people in the course of an improv show, and get to have fun with creative people, and create something.
Of course, something that has been a difficulty for me has been life getting in the way. It happens all the time to so many people, and my attitude is that health and family matters should always come first. If there’s things that you need to take care of, put your attention to those, and know what your priorities are.
A great thing about improv is that it is something that is easy to step away from for any individual show. Unlike a play or a TV production commitment, there is wiggle room to delegate to someone else. In all the years of Extreme Improv, I’ve only ever had three live stage shows which I personally have not been able to attend. One was a scheduling issue where two Extreme Improv shows were happening on the same day in different towns, and I had to pick one to be at, whilst delegating the hosting duties to a trusted cast member. Another was an unbreakable work clash, where likewise a trusted cast members stepped in for me, and the third was because of weather preventing travel. Once again, trusted cast members helped save the day.
In terms of the online side of Extreme Improv shows, there have been several more that I haven’t been able to host. With these, it’s even easier to have had other cast members take the reins, and even easier to reschedule them if need be. The great thing about online shows, is that unless they are collaborations with other groups or have some reason to have to happen at a specific time, they are easy to postpone without any fuss or real consequences.
You could say any missed shows are a break of sorts, but outside of some serious family matters that have needed urgent attention, Extreme Improv business has always ticked along without any interruption.
Improv doesn’t really have an off season, but I usually see the week between Christmas and New Year as a tiny window of downtime of live and online shows, where some pre-recorded and pre-made stuff fills the gap.
If I ever did put Extreme Improv on hold, I imagine, I’d still probably find a way for it to have a continued presence with people I trust steering the ship…but I guess in saying that I wouldn’t even really be putting Extreme Improv on hold. I guess if I ever put myself on hold from doing improv it’d have to be for an important reason.
I know some people step away because of family or health matters, and others because the community they’re in doesn’t fit right for some reason. In instances of the latter, I’d always encourage yourself to not be specifically tied to just one community. I’m not, even though obviously my biggest focus is Extreme Improv. I still see the value in stepping outside it and always want to be neighbourly and part of the wider improv and performing arts communities.
I think this may be where some people fall out of improv communities for the wrong reasons. Improv doesn’t just have to be one group or one style. Try different things and keep learning and keep your interest invigorated. Always challenging yourself is great for discipline and motivation. And this is what always keeps me coming back to improv, and thus far, without any real breaks.
I think the longest period I’ve had where I haven’t actually done any improv in front of an audience is about three weeks since 2018. But I also don’t want to feel the pressure to keep doing it, if for some reason it didn’t feel fun or match my life circumstances anymore.
I think the last idea I’ll leave you with in this exploration of why I haven’t taken a break from improv is this. If something is good, and brings good out of you, and good into your life, keep cultivating it to be a positive. If circumstances change and you need a break to remove yourself from something that isn’t good anymore, use that time to see what could be improved, or not. If there is a way back, then great. If not, take that break, and I’m sure at some point in the future you’ll feel the urge to play on an improv stage once more.
You can get loads more improv articles in theimprov section of the site, and don’t forget to check out all our Extreme Improv videos on the Extreme Improv Xstreamed YouTube Channel and see Extreme Improv live on stage with all details on the Tickets page
Want to learn improv skills? You should check out the range of improv books from David Pustansky, who is the author of the popular Extreme Improv Big Book of Improv Games series of books. Available worldwide on Amazon and Kindle, you can find links to the books here
