Improvisation is a vibrant art of spontaneity and impulse. Audiences the world over flock to shows where 'anything could happen!' But lurking at the heart of many companies that perform it is a contradiction, a bait and switch. Students who sign up for classes are taught 'The Improv Rules': the strictly right and wrong way to be creative. Exploration is replaced with emulation and curiosity with compliance. How the hell did that happen?
Patti Stiles is an internationally respected improvisor, actor, director and teacher whose performance skills and deep understanding of the work shine out on stage and in the workshop room.
In Improvise Freely, she shows how 'rules' meant to guarantee success actually confine us in a counterfeit appearance of spontaneity and hamper our creativity. She turns 'The Rules' on their head and shows that other approaches are possible.
Is it okay to ask questions? Why must we Who What Where? And what if ' Yes, And' isn't all it's cracked up to be?
This book encourages us to explore the labyrinth ourselves, rather than follow a tour guide. Instead of handing us a map, Ms. Stiles offers us a light.
Patti is an actor, director, author, playwright and teacher who specialises in improvisational theatre. Her tutelage and mentorship has strongly influenced many improvisors and improvisation companies all over the world. She has an infectious enthusiasm for improvisation. Mix this with her insightful improvisation technique, strong narrative skill and her spirit of play, and it is no wonder she is responsible for inspiring many hundreds of people to improvise. Her understanding of Keith Johnstone's work and philosophy, combined with her own discoveries and her wealth of experience on the world impro stage, has made her a "must have" teacher for performers and companies wishing to create spontaneous theatre with fine skill, strong narrative, heart and elegant style. She is a Loose Moose Theatre Company Alumna, a founding member of the award winning Die Nasty - the live improvised soap opera and former Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU), and the International Theatresports Institute (CA).In 2021 she released her first book Improvise Freely. It has received an enthusiastic response from improvisors, teachers and impro companies around the globe. It ha been translated into Italian and French. Patti is a contributor to the book The Art of Making Mistakes and has been interviewed for the books Something Like A Drug and The Improv Handbook (which is dedicated to Patti in recognition of her mentorship.) Adding to her list of credits are three nominations for an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Theatre Award plus she holds the unofficial record for being the first female to improvise for 53 hours in a row in the famous Die Nasty soap a thon. The Canadian press has given her the titles "Impro Doyen" and "Queen of Improvisation".
