Improv: "Yes, but" Demo

Video Transcript

"We're talking about the idea of yes and on building on each other's ideas with connected ideas. But just for the experience, we're going to show you a yes, but demonstration. This is kind of different or the opposite of yes and where we're contrasting or conflicting with each other. So this is a little demonstration what happens when people start every sentence with yes, but or have a yes, but attitude. So, Shannon and I are going to have another conversation. Let's plan my birthday party again. Shall we? That sounds great. That's going to be my first line in the scene and then Shannon's first line in the scene is going to be, "Yes, but, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." I'm going to respond with, "Yes, but, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah." We're going to go back and forth until the scene plays out and we'll see how it affects our conversation. So, here we go. "Let's plan my birthday party. Yes, but, your birthday isn't for six months. Yes, but, it's going to be a really big celebration so we should get started. Yes, but, we didn't have a really big celebration for me. Yes, but, you don't have a lot of friends. Yes, but, you don't let me go, ever do anything to have, make friends. Yes, but, that's because you don't know how to dress. Yes, but, it's because you don't give me enough money to dress well. Yeah, but, you need to get a job. Yeah, but, you need to get off my back". Alright, and that's how it goes. When you play with yes, but, it starts getting a lot of conflict really fast. It starts getting pretty negative. And, so instead of the yes, and, where we're building on each other's ideas, it gets to be yes, but this, but that. And again, what happened to my birthday party? Nothing. We got into a fight about how much we don't like each other. So it doesn't build or lead anywhere when we start with this yes, but thing. So it's a good demonstration just to show what will happen if we have this yes, but attitude in our scenes or in our conversations in life, or meetings or anything you might have, being aware of what happens when you yes, but each other. Because yes, but really is like no. And that's what we learn from this yes, but demonstration."