Making Choices In Improvisational Comedy

Video Transcript

"On behalf of Expert Village, this is Paul Zuckerman with the cast of Chicago City Limits here in New York City, and today we're going to show you some techniques for improvisational comedy. As improvisers, we try not to ask questions on stage. The reason is questions really deflect a choice. They're not choices that are made. They're in some sense asking the other actor to make a choice, so when we ask questions we're really shutting down energy rather than building the scene. Let's take a look. What's that? That's...your new car. I bought it for you. Don't you like it? See, right away by that actor asking what's that he's not made a choice. He's made the other actor make the choice. Let's see what happens if the first actor made the active choice. Oh my gosh, you got me a new car! Happy 16th Birthday! Oh dad, you're the best. Who's got the best dad in the world? I'm never seeing you again. I'm jetting out of here."