To Conflict or Not to Conflict?

We were focusing on the middle of scenes in workshop this week. We were looking at possible tilts, breaking the routine, and at what techniques can move the action forward. An improviser asked me if what I wanted to see was conflict. I, without hesitation, responded with a resounding “NO”. I have always avoided teaching conflict in scenes, especially when teaching newer improvisers. I do this because conflict makes me feel gross when I watch it. After the improviser asked me, he followed it up with, “Why not?” I blinked and with a blank stare started talking to see if I would find an answer mid speech. I knew I didn’t like conflict but hadn’t looked or explored closely at why I disliked it so much until that moment.

I believe it was Keith Johnstone that said, “The reason people love to watch improv is because it’s the only time you can see people getting along and working together rather than fighting and arguing.” We as people move easily to conflict. We do so mostly out of fear. When we get scared we tense up and protect ourselves. In fact we tend to over-protect ourselves to the point that we become negative, defensive and gravitate to conflict. So when working with newer improvisers I attempt to create a warm and welcoming environment in the hopes that they can relax and hopefully start what I like to call “happy and healthy” scenes.

I’ve been saying to improvisers a lot lately that they should “find their fun” on stage, or that they should figure out what they truly enjoy about improvising. This is all in the hopes that they naturally avoid conflict because they are having fun and, by extension, feel comfortable. This unfortunately doesn’t always work. It’s amazing how many times I’ve watched an improviser pretending to have fun in a scene. They sound sarcastic and are awkward to watch.

Most adults who are learning to improvise pretend to have fun rather than just simply having fun. Improvising as an adult is not as easy as you might think. I would argue that one of the hardest challenges is learning how to break through all the rules with which the world beats us down. Having fun can be scary for adults because it reveals a part of us that we are conditioned to believe is “childish”. Having fun means taking a risk by being genuine rather than performing. In some ways, improv can result in a more genuine presentation of ourselves than what we call “real life”. Makes you wonder whether we perform more on stage or in real life.

This is not to say that good improv cannot come from a scene with an improviser who is still learning to “find their fun”.  What I love most about seeing someone on stage pretending to be happy or pretending to have fun is that it creates a really fascinating dynamic between themselves and another improviser who is more comfortable on stage . All it takes is for one or both to notice the genuity and ingenuity of their characters and play to the true relationship dynamic. A player being disingenuous is such a huge amazing offer whether they intended it to be one or not.

Side note: Dynamic is a big focus of mine. I am as of late heavily exploring three different levels: real true dynamic between the improvisers, dynamic between the two characters and lastly the dynamic between the improvisers and the audience. There is so much to explore there and it really creates meaty scenes when you become aware of these dynamics. This is usually established in the first couple offers made in the start of a scene and can really help secure a strong platform off the hop.

There has been conflict scenes I have actually enjoyed. What makes them different? The conclusion I have come up with is that one or both of the improvisers were strong enough to look at subtext hidden under the disagreement in the scene. They were able to dissect the scene enough to have the conflict be important and focus on what was “really going” on in the relationship. They played to their relationship dynamic, rather than relying on the surface conflict to carry the scene. When we have two people on stage that do not play present enough to see the relationship dynamic, they miss the subtlety that is there. They argue and block the offers from moving forward.  They get into fight or flight mode and it turns ugly. You cannot be present in a scene if you are in panic mode. Fear will paralyze you.

Fun, however, enables you. Play makes you stronger and more confident. And with greater strength and confidence comes a sense of calm and comfort that allows you to be present and to see under the skin of a scene and to understand the intricate nervous system at work underneath.  

In our next class I am going to start to dissect conflict and attempt to create a safe environment to explore this part of an improv scene. There are certain tools we can use to help us if we end up in a conflict scene. I have performed in many shows where I am playing with someone who goes on the attack and stops listening to their scene partner; when an improviser becomes defensive or uncomfortable it can be difficult to recover the scene. I believe that by looking closely at where their anxiety is coming from, and by paying close attention to what’s underneath the conflict, we can do grounded scene work that is enjoyable for both audience and improviser.