And scene! It’s a phrase I think every improviser has probably heard a million times. A voice from an over enthusiastic Emcee who jumps in to make sure all the performers and audience alike know that the current scene in progress has come to an end.
And that’s our show! This is an alternative to signify when not just a scene has ended, but the entire show has. This one is perhaps saved more for long form improv rather than short form but is a common sign off whatever the format.
But why do improv shows have these verbal cues so that audiences know the scenes are over? I mean, yeah, it’s typical for classic movies to end with ‘The End’ or alternatively ‘Fin’ if they’re trying to be especially fancy, but it’s only really improv where we feel the need for someone in the cast to make the definitive decision when a scene or show has ended.
Snap to black!
I guess one of the reasons is because it can be more difficult for a company to judge when something has reached an end than it would be for an individual. I for one know that I’ve been in countless scenes or improv games where it feels like we’ve hit a perfect…or even suitable ending and then someone will speak up again and restart the action. One more plot twist or revelation that means another ten minutes may be required to resolve the story once again to a satisfactory point.
But do improv scenes and by extension, shows, actually need an ending? It feels like when an Emcee or cast member calls ‘and scene’ it is usually the judgement of that one person that we’ve kinda reached the end, or there’s nothing else left to do, or even, um…this is going nowhere, we better wrap this up whilst we’re still ahead.
When I’m hosting shows, I will usually look for what I consider a suitable end point before I interject and end the scene. You’ll notice that I said ‘end point’ and not ending. And yes there is a distinction. By end point, I mean somewhere that is useful as an edit. A high point of the scene, a cliffhanger, or a good laugh is what I’m watching for. Once I see the opportunity to do so and one of these has been achieved…bam! I end that sucker faster than Disney ended Star Wars as a beloved brand.
Finding the balance of when I end a scene is something I’ve gotten a feel for over years, but it can still be nerve wracking even after many years of hosting improv shows.
As a general rule, when hosting, I’ll start a scene, and then I’m watching to see how the story and characters are developing. If the scene is going well, I’ll want to give it some breathing room and let the good times roll.
A big part of my job hosting improv shows is working as some kind of unofficial timekeeper. How many games do I intend to include in the show? Am I making sure each player has enough stage time. I want to be fair to everyone, but I chiefly want to make sure the show is as enjoyable as possible for the audience.
A big mistake as a host is to interject and end a scene that is working and the audience are enjoying too early. If the performers are cooking, then who am I to stop the audience from eating and enjoying the feast?
Of course, an Emcee can let things go on longer than what they should. A mistake is let something bake until it’s burnt, if I can continue my cooking metaphor. There is the old saying of leave the audience wating more. Over exposure can allow something good to run too long after all.
But it’s really difficult to judge and takes time to develop as a skill as an Emcee.
If, in my opinion, there is a scene that isn’t going particularly well and we have an audience killer on our hands, I as host have the responsibility to step in and put the scene out of its misery. And this is an even more difficult challenge.
If a scene stinks, and the host ends it fast, it’s like admitting defeat on behalf of the performers. It’s like throwing up a white flag that is painted with the words ‘sorry this scene sucks’. So, the rule I have is to never end a scene too quickly unless some line has been crossed in terms of content or safety that goes against the policy of the show.
But if a scene is going poorly, I may take the view of ‘I’ll let it run for another minute, but then once they’ve had a minimum acceptable amount of time, I am looking for any high point or laugh to nuke this thing!’
In the world of improv, we have the saying of ‘I’ve got your back’ and this is well worth exercising in the instances of bad scenes, or story threads that are going nowhere. Give trust into the performers in the scene and give them time to develop what they are doing. Or at the very least, have the attitude of ‘you got yourselves into this mess, so you better get yourselves out of it!’
I jest with this harsh take, but it’s kinda true. I’ve seen and been in lots of scenes that have had rough starts and then turned into good scenes when it’s all said and done.
An issue is that for many performers they rely on the safety net of ‘the Emcee will step in and end the scene at some point.’ This is dangerous as it means that some performers may just keep riffing or take scenes or characters or stories in increasing abstract or weird places with the expectation that the Emcee will step in to save their bacon.
It can be fun to take a scene off in a bizarre place here and there, but I’d encourage improvisers to think about how they can organically wrap up scenes and stories themselves.
What makes a good ending for a scene?
One thing I always teach is that scenes should never “end” or end up in the same place where they started. You want there to be something that moves the story on and hopefully develops the story and characters. You should aim to develop the scene from its early stages, but once you’re a certain length in, I would start looking for opportunities for endings.
A lot of improvisers will be against the idea of thinking ahead, or trying to engineer something such as an ending, but I think the logic behind this reasoning is flawed. Certainly, I agree that there shouldn’t be one performer who is leading a scene or story by themselves and forcing an ending for everyone involved. Instead, I think that every player in a scene should just keep their mind on the fact that as storytellers, which is what all actors and performers ultimately are, they should aim to fulfil telling a complete story.
Be open to wherever the performers collectively are taking the story, but don’t be guilty of bystander syndrome. For those who don’t know, bystander syndrome is where nobody takes action as they are standing by waiting for someone else to take the initiative.
Everyone in the scene should have the awareness that we’re making a scene, and we want to treat the scene or story right by giving it an ending. Look for opportunities for what could be an ending to the story. We’ve all read books, seen plays or films or other improv shows. What satisfies you from an ending?
Do something like that.
One of the reasons people go to see improv shows is that they have the understanding that the performers on stage are making things up on the spot. That is already impressive enough. You don’t need to then break your necks by re-inventing the wheel and coming up with the world’s most unique and original ending. An ending, any ending will often be impressive enough.
They all lived happily ever after. The end. Done. Or, it turned out he was the bad guy all along…noooo! Sorted. Even ‘it was all a dream.’ is an ending.
My advice would be that if you can, give your improv scenes and shows an ending.
If you can, the audience will appreciate it, and you’ll be making an easier job for the host who is watching the clock and trying to ensure that everyone in the show has stage time.
If you can’t find an ending, aim for some crescendo or big laugh and the Emcee will bail you out.
Endings don’t have to be perfect, and they don’t always have to be happy, but you should aim to have one.
Case and point, imagine if I left this article unfinished and it didn’t have an ending. You’d lack the sense of closure, and you’d feel a great sense of
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