How to Avoid the 'Mystery Problem' in Improv

Video Transcript

"About all we can tell you is, after doing thousands of shows, most travel times and shows have a mystery problem. So don’t be surprised by it, consider what the mystery problem might be. I would say on a four hour road trip up the only highway that goes to Dallas, it might be a driving problem. There might be something blocking off the road, also partially out of the mystery problem and partially out of superstition. I’m the sort of guy that on a driving road show, always has an extra SM58 with a fifteen foot cord in the briefcase anyway. But don’t be surprised by the Mystery Problem, plan for it, some people have a percentage; for driving time, it might be ten to fifteen percent increase in their driving time. You need to get there comfortably and don’t act like problems don’t happen. Act like you’re used to solving problems and making sure you have a good show anyway. That’s how you deal with the Mystery Problem. So there’s improv show prep 101 and we have some other segments on improv show prep that you need to look up too, so that you don’t have stumbling blocks when you’re trying to get your good art out in an improv show. That’s Les McGehee for Expert Village, see you in the next clip. "