Fighting for Improv
The first rule of Buffet fight club…take videos and share them online!
This past Monday, we had our very first coaching session! Coaches are a great way to learn new skills as a group or to have someone with an outside perspective ensure that the team is playing well together. We were very fortunate to have had Emma Crocombe lead our Monday night practice and teach us…wait for it… stage combat!
Stage combat is something that is normally choreographed to give the illusion of physical combat without anyone actually getting hurt. Unfortunately, in the world of improv, the idea of pre-planning anything is extremely taboo. So, Emma had the challenge of breaking down specific techniques into their individual elements so we could use them at a moment’s notice as our improvised scenes demand. Fortunately, Emma was able to deliver (and then some).
Over the course of our session, we learned how to slap, punch, kick, choke, and pull (both the hair and ears) of one another. We learned how to make our fight scenes look realistic, but also keep them improvised and, most importantly, safe for our Buffeteers. The session was high energy, super loud (sorry to those practising nearby), and a ton of fun!
We are very grateful to Emma for gifting us with her time and knowledge. We’re also really happy to add these skills to our improv arsenal. I have a feeling you may see us get a bit more physical in some of our future shows.
No improvisers were harmed in the making of this blog post…with the possible exception of Sarah who did bang her head on a door.
The only Canadian that was kicked out of his country for being too polite. He is incredibly loud and protective of his bike.