Improvisation...?

Question:What are your tips on Improvisation?
How could you practise your improvisation outside of your drama class?
We do alot of Improv. in my drama class..usually between assesments, and I do alright but after I always think of bigger and better things I could have done. What do you do to think of good idea's quickly? Do you have any tricks...or you just get better with practise?

Thanks!
xxx

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: What are your tips on Improvisation?
How could you practise your improvisation outside of your drama class?
We do alot of Improv. in my drama class..usually between assesments, and I do alright but after I always think of bigger and better things I could have done. What do you do to think of good idea's quickly? Do you have any tricks...or you just get better with practise?

Thanks!
xxx

The Keys to improv:
1. Always say YES
2. Don't ask questions
3. Honor the space (if someone mimes a door, don't walk through it w/o opening it)
4. Remember there are others on stage with you.
The key to improv is knowing that there are others on stage with you. It is difficult to do improv on your own. Many people feel they need to TRY and be funny. You don't have to. The funniness comes out of the reality of the situation. When I do improv, I rarely try for a joke, others on stage usually set me up for one...and then I do the same for them. Find where your weaknesses and your strengths are, and acknowledge them, then work with others who are strong where you are weak, etc.
To practice: get a group of people who you are comfortable with, and play games...practice is VERY important. If you need some practice "games", just email me at waitingfergodot@yahoo.com, and I can send you some!
Good luck...Improv is a splendid art!!

You will get better with practice. You'll always be able to think of better things you could have done after you already did it. That's why people say they have 20/20 hindsight. The key is to keep those ideas around in your head for the next improv session. That way you'll have a pool of ideas to draw from and won't always be thinking so hard when you're acting.

You cant improvise anything without knowing each and every thing of your given character. First you study the given character, what would he/she say? wear? age? occupation? culture? country? everything you should know.. then start to make things smaller.... try it again... think bigger... go bigger... best of luck.

Just keep practicing. Get a group of friends together and play some improv games. Get with another friend and randomly rap, rhyming the last word of every two sentences (like a poem.) or do that by yourself. GooD Luck! Just keep practicing!

Are you an avid reader....what I would do is think of a book that I've read and do improv from that....I know nothing at all about acting....classical guitar is where my expertise is, ask me about music and I'm there...acting, I'm not an authority on that subject, all I'm giving you is my opinion.

what kind of improv? a lot of times in my theatre, they turn on random songs from musicals and we have to do something with them. such as dance with apartner, or do it old black and white movie style.

or is it just the directoer puts two people on stage, tells you that one person has a problem, and you have to "imporovisate" to find the answer. such as you and another girl are on stage and the directer tells you: alright, here's what happens, one girl o stage likes this boy, but he has a girlfriend, help the other out and fix it.

hope this helps

Here are my drama teacher's 5 rules to better improv:
1. Know your character!
2. Listen to others, watch others.
3. Think on your feet
4. React...don't act.
5. Add new info without contradicting what has already been said.