Improvisation for Actors and Writers: A Guidebook for Improv Lessons in Comedy Book

Sect. 1	Improv comedy schools	5
Ch. 1	Why study improv comedy?	6
Ch. 2	Comedy schools	7
Ch. 3	Auditioning and placement	10
Ch. 4	What have I gotten myself into?	14
Sect. 2	Improv comedy basics	21
Ch. 5	The enlightenment	22
Ch. 6	The comedy commandments	23
Ch. 7	Four falling anvils of improv	27
Ch. 8	Falling anvil #1 : collaboration	28
Ch. 9	Falling anvil #2 : agreement	33
Ch. 10	Falling anvil #3 : foundation (who, what, and where)	43
Ch. 11	Falling anvil #4 : exploring, heightening, and finding a game	53
Ch. 12	Basics wrap-up	59
Sect. 3	Developing comic characters	61
Ch. 13	Overview	62
Ch. 14	Developing character essences	68
Ch. 15	The character toolbox	76
Ch. 16	Character workout	86
Ch. 17	Character wrap-up	97
Sect. 4	Long form improv	99
Ch. 18	Introduction to long form improv	100
Ch. 19	Long form skill #1 : building a logical absurdity inside one scene	104
Ch. 20	Long form skill #2 : "circling up" (replicating the problem inside one scene)	106
Ch. 21	Long form skill #3 : extending the game across multiple scenes	109
Ch. 22	Long form skill #4 : editing scenes	114
Ch. 23	Long form extras	116
Ch. 24	Long form wrap-up	121
Sect. 5	Writing sketch comedy	123
Ch. 25	Sketches : getting started	124
Ch. 26	Finding and shaping sketch material	127
Ch. 27	The sketch writing toolbox	135
Ch. 28	Getting your sketch on its feet	153
Ch. 29	Sketch writing wrap-up	159