Improv: "Yes, and" Demo

Video Transcript

"So we're talking about yes, and. This magic tool that helps people create scenes and stories on the spot by listening to each other's ideas, accepting those ideas, and building on those ideas. And now we're going to demonstrate this yes, and principle by doing a yes, and demonstration, so we're going to talk about planning by birthday party. And that's going to be my first line in the scene, and then Shannon's first line is going to be yes, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I'm going to respond with yes, and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, and we're going to go back and forth like that until the scene plays out. So, here we go. OK. Let's plan my birthday party. Yes, and we can talk about the kind of cake you're going to have. Yes, and we can have cake and ice cream. Yes, and it could be chocolate ice cream. Yes, and we can wear part hats. Yes, and I can get a pony for all the guests to ride on. Yes, and I can enter on the pony. Yes, and you can be throwing our rose petals as you come in. Yeah, and we'll have a pinata with candy in it. Yeah, and candy will also have gold coins inside it. Yeah, and everyone will get rich from coming to my party. Yeah, and then we could all retire together to an island in the Caribbean. And then every yes, and then everyday would be like a birthday party. Yes, and everybody would have a birthday everyday. Yay! Yay! OK. So you see what happens really quickly with yes, and. My birthday party becomes awesome, or whatever you're discussing. The ideas build on each other. So, so let's have cake, yes, and ice cream, yes, and it'll be chocolate, yes, and we'll have party hats, so on and so forth where you really are able to quickly develop an idea, because you're agreeing and building on the idea with something connected to it. So it's a great way to have creativity happen fast, and fluidly, using yes, and, and I encourage improvisers to literally in scene say yes, and. It will often lead you in the right direction. So that's a little bit about what happens to players when they have a yes, and kind of mindset or attitude, and we show that using the yes, and demonstration."