Beats and Buttons

I was asked to have a look at finding the beats and how to button scenes. For those who use different terms or are not familiar with beats and buttons as I use them, I’ll explain what they are. A beat is when the tempo of a character or scene is altered and changed. Each character and scene will have a tempo you can follow and feel. Not only that, the audience will also have a tempo for each show. So when all of these tempos line up, you will find magic happening on stage. Be aware that there can be several beats in one scene, not just the ending. The best way to find a beat though is to be watching a scene and look and see if you feel when the scene is over and the lights should go down. One of the tricky parts of moving or reacting on a beat is actually anticipating and catching them. If you say to yourself, oh, there is the beat. You have already missed it. If you planned on entering or ending the scene on that beat it has passed in the time you thought about it. You basically have to be anticipating, feel the beat and already be moving to actually use it effectively.

We ran scene after scene to see when the group would decide a scene should end. Some wanted to end them earlier on beats where the scene had offended them or just went to cheap laughs. Others ended them after the scene had gone on too long and they just wanted to help by pulling the lights down. Some felt bad and wouldn't end scenes because they thought their fellow improvisers would be disappointed with them for ending the scene. It takes practice to end scenes well. It also takes someone who isn't scared to make the call and pull the trigger. With practice anyone can do this. It’s just all about feeling the beat and being on top of it. (It should be said that most times it is a host or tech that will end scenes at Second Storey Theatre. I prefer not to have lights flagged down from actors on stage.)

So once we got the grasp of ending scenes we moved on to buttoning them. Buttons to me are a way to end a scene on a laugh or with high energy. (This is usually done by improvisers waiting on the sides or from within a scene rather than a host. The host or tech will hopefully be ready and will call the lights when the button hits.) The person who buttons the scene is usually the one who gets all the accolades because they will have the funniest moment of the scene. This can make other improvisers a little upset because they are the ones who did all the work and built the scene but don’t get the credit for their work. The buttoner will come in and say one line and be remembered as the most hilarious person EVER! It shouldn't be this way, so we wanted to make sure we looked at a way to button and have everyone feel good about it after.

We learned really quickly that when we had a gamey scene it almost always required a nice tight button ending. This made everyone involved feel great because when the game was played well and all the rules were followed, it made everyone look good when it was wrapped up in a neat little package. Another time it felt good was when we already knew what the ending was going to be or where the characters were headed and the scene was buttoned. So if we knew exactly the way it should end or where it was going (including the audience) then having someone enter and give us a high energy laugh to finish felt good for everyone. It was when someone entered and killed a scene or came in too early that it felt dirty. Buttoning can so easily become addictive and breed selfish performers. We have touched on playing to the laughs before. It’s hard not to but we must remember that what we are doing isn’t about playing for cheap easy laughs. Just like most things we should also avoid using buttons too much. There can definitely be too much of a good thing when certain techniques are over used.

Let’s talk a bit about ways to button scenes.

1.       Reincorporating or book ending a scene is one way to hit a button. Using information from earlier in the scene or ending the same way it started is a great way to button a scene. For example, if the scene starts with a couple people whistling a certain tune it would be awesome if they brought it back at the end of the scene and whistled the same tune as the lights faded out. As the greats say; Listen, Remember, and Recycle.

2.       Looking for the rule of 3 is something else we explored. Here is the Wiki on this topic http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing) . This was a neat exploration because it added a nice depth to our scene work. We had people who weren't a major role in the scene actually be laying ground work to end on the rule of three. This added a nice unexpected element. Of course the improvisers on stage can be looking for the rule of three as well. It is something to be aware of and be able to play if the opportunity arises. You can’t really over think it. Just be aware that the option is there to nail it on the third hit or beat.

3.       Breaking the established reality or playing to the reality. Whenever you create an improv scene you are creating a reality that has rules that you and your scene partner must obey. These rules could be absolutely anything including something crazy or weird, but this is where the truth comes from. For example, if you all talk in gibberish then that is the truth you must all live by. As soon as someone enters speaking normally then that original reality is broken. So during the scene when this reality is fully established it can be easy for someone to see it from the outside and come in and break that reality to end the scene or play by the rules and button it that way. We had a scene happen once where the improvisers took the suggestion “pool” and one actor thought swimming and one thought billiards. So when they forgot to connect first before the scene, one came out showering and one came out playing billiards at a table. They ended up commenting on this weird shower pool hall rather than playing to this awesome reality. They discovered a world where you shower before or after a round of pool. If they had committed to this reality it would have easily set up a button when the third person enters strips down and asks if they were almost done with the table.

When breaking the reality it can easily lead to a negative feeling after because it can look as though you are kicking the scene in the crotch. Essentially you are saying to the audience that the improvisers that did all the work setting up the scene where wrong or not good enough. It can also lend to looking like you are show boating. “Oh look how clever my idea is!”

4.       A silly way I end or button a scene is to grab the person and pretend to make out. I do it in a silly over the top arms flailing manner with our backs turned so we never actually kiss. It is silly and shouldn't be done often but sometimes you just gotta drop everything and make out.

5.       The last way we looked at was stating the obvious. If there is something that the audience understands in the scene but that thing hasn't been spoken out loud, then once it is said it can easily create enough laughter to end on. This is a hard one to give a good example of but I will try. Say that we have a scene that we spend the entire scene milking cows but it’s never said because the scene is actually about the two brothers wanting more in life then working on a farm it leaves an opening to perhaps comment on the fact that they have over milked the cow and she is now dried up. We all inside understand that you shouldn't probably both be milking the same cow for over 5 minutes at a quick pace. So once it is said the scene will probably have a nice high note to end on.  

Contradictions

When you start learning improv you will encounter a million contradictions. It may be because you are learning from multiple teachers or perhaps it is because there are no certainties in what we do. It may also depend on where you are at in your learning process. I would like to tackle a few of these contradictions while acknowledging that explaining their paradoxical nature is a lot like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. We will see where it takes us.

   

   1)     “Follow the rules but, ummmm, there are no rules. Well there are rules; you just need to learn when to break them.”

There are a few trains of thought on the use of rules in improvisation. I will only be able to speak on behalf of my own beliefs. I believe there are rules that must be followed as you learn. In fact, there are a ton of rules. The problem I have with the idea of “no rules” is that it is impossible to teach something if there isn’t anything to learn in the first place. To me it would be similar to putting a 16 year old in a car and saying, “Just drive, there are no rules!” What a scary thought.

What kind of “rules” do I believe need to be taught to build a strong foundation for a well-rounded improviser? The first that comes to mind are the rules of theatre etiquette. A lot of today’s improvisers are not coming from a theatre background; this means that while we learn improv, I must teach students to face the right way on stage, use their upstage arm, speak loud and clear, and use down stage centre to play. If an individual never learns basic theatre etiquette they have no foundation to build on and will construct their improv-house on unsteady ground.

What I attempt to teach is that you must learn the rules before you can break them. We learn concepts and rules and, with repetition and diligence, beat them into your brain so that they become muscle memory. Once they become second nature, you can start to explore the idea of breaking them. Essentially, I teach the rules and then, once the improvisers have internalized the rules and understand them, I tell them to learn when to purposefully go against what they have just learned.

In martial arts they say that the yellow belt is the most dangerous. They are one level up from beginner and they think they know everything. They are a danger to themselves and those around them. They will want to prove themselves in a fight but do not have the control or actual skills yet to defend themselves or realize that you are actually learning these skills to avoid a fight. So telling newer improvisers that you can break the rules can be a dangerous dance. Contradictions!

   

   2)      “Don’t try, but try really hard.”

Or maybe, “try really hard to not try”? It takes a lot of work to get to a point where you can be on stage and be fully in the moment, committed and present, and to make strong choices. A lot of things all need to come together to get there. Hours and hours of both performance and workshops must be put in. You must be mentally prepared and ready before the show. You must be able to put into practice all your teachings up to that point. You also need to just do it. I believe you must have a good work ethic, listen to your director, not beat yourself up too much, and also take notes and use them diligently to continue to move forward as an improviser.

Perhaps knowing when to be trying and when to be flowing is the key. You should always be doing work and setting goals. You should always try to be able to gauge where you are as a performer, but when you get up on stage you need to put all that work in to practice. Flip a switch into play mode. Know when you need to play using what you know up to that point. You can do no wrong because this is where you are at as an improviser thus far. Then once you are off stage again you can continue to learn and grow. Seems simple, but this is something you will battle for your entire career.

   

   3)     “Think but don’t think.”

When on stage and in the perfect moment you will be saying and doing things that even you may not expect. Everything is going smoothly and there are no bumps in the road. The scene is great and you feel great. Your partner says they had a blast. The audience loved it. The director gave you praise after in the notes session. You performed the perfect scene—well, the perfect scene does not technically exist, but this came pretty damn close. So were you thinking during that scene? Some will say “No, I was fully invested and in the moment.” But I personally think that you were thinking. Thinking is something that we cannot stop doing. Perhaps what actually happened is that you were able to think and make decisions quickly with no judgment using all your skills to not hesitate.

Educated thinking is what happens when your scene feels close to perfect. All the work you have done up to that point all came together in a magic moment. Maybe similar to when you drive to work and you forget the trip as you pull into your usual spot. (Yes, I use car analogies a lot. I like them.) You have become so comfortable driving that you can do it without really thinking about it, but along the way there are times you must use judgment and make decisions on the fly. Should you run that red light or stop. You use what you know and make a quick decision. Hence thinking but not thinking.

I am not sure this is something that can really be taught. It almost needs to be stumbled upon. Telling newer improvisers to think is not really a good idea unless they really understand what educated thinking looks like. I see improvisers all the time that don’t actually improvise at all. They are super intelligent and think super fast. They are making decisions but more often than not they are decisions that hurt the scene or they prevent the other improvisers from progressing. They never truly let go and get in the flow. So what’s the difference? It’s hard to explain unless you have been there and felt it. It’s as if you know what to do with as little thought as possible, and when the thought happens it is the right one.

   

   4)     “Say yes and yet know when to say no.”

This is something we have been looking at in workshop lately. It came out of working on when it is a good time to enter a scene as a 3^rd or 4^th improviser. So we explored having improvisers just jumping into scenes on their first impulse and seeing what happened. We were doing this because we had cast members trapping themselves on the bench. They were over thinking whether they should come in or not and then wouldn’t enter the scene at all. Now we all know that the first impulse is not an educated one so it probably wasn’t the right answer either but it got people moving. (Even when told to go on first impulse it usually ended up being 3^rd or 4^th, in all honesty. We block ourselves really fast.) When exploring this, some interesting things were brought to light.

What do we do if someone comes in with a blind side offer or one that makes no sense at all with what our scene is about? I can sometimes be an aggressive performer when playing with asshole improvisers. I say it’s because I’m old and grumpy which I think is partially true. I also believe that I am very protective and like to take care of my scene and partner. I like to put my work in and hate to see it get plowed over by someone not paying attention, coming in with nothing to offer, or when someone is being a show boat. So I protect it by not always saying yes. Sometimes I think improvisers can be too polite and just say yes to whatever crappy offer gets thrown at them. They shouldn’t have to if they have a good foundation and are doing good work. Too easily do we just go with whatever is brought to us even when it makes no sense what so ever.

So we started seeing how we can own and protect our scenes. We hope this doesn’t happen often at our venue, but every once in awhile people come into scenes with nothing at all or aren’t paying attention to what the scene needs. I know I’m guilty of it. So without being a dink on stage we looked at ways to not give up our scene to someone just butting in. We looked at hosting techniques and physical changes as well as leaving the dink on the stage alone to deal with their mess.

Most improvisers felt a rush of satisfaction that they had not ever experienced. They felt good and strong. Not all felt positively, however, some actually felt bad. They felt as if they had done something wrong and rude to their fellow performer. When asked if the audience saw them looking rude or mean, the response was a resounding “NO”! When the improviser that was the dink was asked if they felt betrayed or mistreated, they also said no. So everyone was okay. No one died or was hurt emotionally. We should always be positive and be trying to move things forward, but that doesn’t always mean saying yes, despite improvisers being taught to always say “yes, and”. Sometimes we need to realize we are okay without everyone on stage. If we do our work and establish a ton fairly quickly then we don’t need someone plowing through or entering for no reason. You can ask them to leave.

This is a pretty big topic. I feel sometimes we just allow ourselves to be bullied. I am sure we can all think of a time where we felt dirty after a scene. Either because we came on and messed everything all up or that we had someone kill our scene. It was a very exciting and empowering exercise and is not over yet. We can be strong and not come across as an asshole.

There is on last thing I’d like to add to this segment. You can also say no when you actually mean yes. This is a loaded “no” that when done correctly should be obvious that you are actually saying yes to whatever offer is being given by your scene partner. This also applies to loaded questions. Questions are frowned upon in improv (See previous blog post) but if you already know the answer and your partner is there with you then ask away.

   

   5)     “Doing nothing can be a huge offer but you have to be doing something.”

Stillness and silence is power. Walking on stage with nothing is weak but if I were to take the stage and stand still and silent, feet planted and confident, I am indeed doing something. If I walk into a scene for shits and giggles and am coming on with nothing I am not going to be any help. I need to be sure of whatever it is that I am doing whether that thing is nothing or something. If I am not then I better hope my fellow performers are because I am acting selfish.

As an improviser you must do your work before you can expect to be able to help and support your scene partner. You should never come into a scene with an indifferent emotion or not certain of why you are there. You must make strong decisions to help your partner. (Strong does not mean a huge wild and crazy offer or creating a problem) A strong decision could be as simple as deciding you hate the way your partner smells. Stick to that decision and add to it as you go. Realize though that this is enough for now. Commitment to this is all you need to be doing something. So often improvisers try doing too much and miss all the beauty in the little offers and suggestions given by a scene partner. You must also use your hyper awareness to really see all the things in your partner that you can use.

Often in workshops or shows I see an improviser start a scene before they are even aware of it. They walk to the side but walk in a funny way, show emotion or make a face. They have already discovered something and yet don’t realize it. Even though they think they aren’t doing anything they in fact are. Then the worst thing is when they drop this magic thing they have discovered to enter a scene with nothing.

So what is it? If you choose to have nothing and own it then you actually have all you need. Not only that but your partner then has everything they need as well. That is if they are open and aware of what you are doing. Wait that’s not right either, you can’t actually commit to nothing. Everything you do is something. The awareness you and your scene partner have is what makes this “nothing” something. Always be looking for the little subtle things that can turn into those magic moments. They are there if you look for them. You will in fact be doing something even when you think you are doing nothing. When that thing is brought to light though then you must over accept it and say yes and to it. Then you move forward.

At the end of the day you must do your work. You must try to see as much as possible and hope that your scene partner is aware of all the little things they are doing. Then the two of you can have a blast playing off those things that some miss. (The audience never misses anything FYI. Bring that A game) Also realize that one thing may be true today but that same thing will not necessarily be true tomorrow. Embrace the uncertainties because life and improv are chalk full of them, and always have fun.

Get to the Meat

When you start learning improv you learn not to ask questions. Some places call this “whimping”. The name makes sense because you are essentially throwing the pressure onto your partner to decide what is going to happen next rather than doing it yourself. Questions are also a way to stall scenes. Sometimes this is done intentionally by more experienced improvisers and other times unintentionally by newer improvisers. It’s amazing to me that we can continue to explore advanced concepts and deeper meanings with our work and yet some of the best workshops come from revisiting basic beginner ideas. The originators got improv at its core. It’s a nice humbling feeling to be reminded of this.

During a workshop we decided to play the game Statements Only. We played this similar to how you play Questions Only but with the reverse idea. If a player says a question during the scene the audience buzzes them out and they have a new player rotate in for them. Right away we noticed that the scenes started to move along much more quickly. We started to get to the heart of the scene way faster than normal. The emotions and the who/what/where were decided at a much more rapid pace. By removing the questions, each improviser had to do their own work first. They were not able to rely on their partner as much. (The idea of looking after yourself first so that you can take better care of your partner is something I have talked about before.) So what we had were two improvisers always having to advance the scene because all they could do was make statements. It was also nice because it didn’t allow them to block ideas with questions. Making clear, confident statements made them say yes and move the action forward. It also seemed to allow better endowment to happen. You couldn’t ask your partner how they felt. You had to tell them.

It also forced action. Each line of dialogue was either followed by an action, or it forced the improviser to create action rather than talk because they were stuck searching for the next statement. This helps find silence and power in a scene. To me, a confident action is much the same as a confident statement. It is a good offer either way.

Status also became a focus without questions. High status was taken easily by a player who took control and endowed their scene partner. The status then would have a nice back and forth as they made confident statement after confident statement. Playing a low status character that couldn’t ask questions added a cool dynamic. Usual traits for a low status character are no eye contact, need for reassurance and repeatedly asking and needing recognition. Not only was it easier to play high status, but it also seemed to give the improvisers an air of confidence in their choices. The offers they made were much more concrete.

In scenes where only one of the improvisers is practicing these ideas (only using statements) it could easily turn into a bulldozer scene, which is a scene driven by one improviser while the other just hangs on and cleans up the mess. The beauty in this exercise came from both improvisers equally investing and pushing back and forth together. If one were to buckle and ask questions, it would unbalance the scene.

In discussion after the workshop we talked about how we are too polite. We would almost use the questions to see if it was okay that we make choices in the scene. Almost to say “Is it okay if I tell you do this?” “Do you like this offer?” This is much the same way that we are always saying sorry for no reason. We are so worried about stepping on someone’s toes or hurting their feelings that we won’t make a choice. It’s like dipping our toes into the pool rather than jumping in. So we were using these questions as a feeler and filler. The questions are the fat, and the meat of the scene is the statements.

Now understand that there is a place for filler. I was just blown away by how clean and tight these scenes were without the questions stopping it from moving forward. They were some of the tightest scenes I had ever seen. No BS. It was like eating a Double Down from KFC. A meat sandwich made with meat buns and meat inside the meat with bacon and cheese. Mmmmm.