Heighten and explore
An improv tip that applies to standup too.
I’ve written before about what improvisers can teach standup comedians based on classes I took at UCB years ago.
Well, one of my ol’ UCB teachers,
, also has a Substack about improv – and he recently wrote there about the idea of “heighten and explore.” It’s helpful advice for standup too.“Heighten” was part of the “game of the scene” mentality. Find a game and heighten it. What’s heighten mean? Make it bigger. Raise the absurdity. Have someone walk in who agrees with the unusual viewpoint. Make a pattern, do it again.
But people get too mechanical. Someone starts a scene where they go into a McDonald’s and orders a filet mignon, and you just a get a line of performers with a bunch of fancy orders. It gets old.
So it became “heighten and explore” to remind people to keep making choices.
“Explore” meant to flesh out the world. Know who you are, why you want the things you want. Have a history with other characters. Look up from your patten. See the world you’re creating.
“Rest the game” is a popular phrase at UCB, but I don’t like advice that simply tells you to STOP doing something. “Explore” is active.
The simplest application: do something, say why you’re doing it, do something again.
“Can I have a filet mignon? Sorry if that’s crazy, I just like the finer things in life. May I have a seat cushion for my booth? I like to pamper myself. I just got a promotion at work, you know. I’m librarian number two now. Pushing for all hardcovers— softcovers are so low class, you know. We deserve better. Maybe I have thicker French fries? Can I see an ingredients list? How are you, by the way? Love your uniform, is it full rayon? Love rayon.”
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