Spontaneous Performance: Acting Through Improv

You might think improvisational theatre is nothing more than acting without the opportunity to rehearse lines or blocking. But it's much more and a far more valuable learning exercise than many realize. Doing improvisation correctly means learning within an ensemble to watch, listen and think on your feet. It helps to develop confidence, build characters and understand the various aspects of acting and drama. In this valuable resource, over 300 improvisational exercises and theatre games are offered to develop creative abilities and acting skills. Many different types of improvs are presented, ranging from the serious to the hilarious. All are easily producible, requiring only simple sets and props. This text has more breadth than most improv books and includes four specific sections: Conflict Among Individuals; Conflict with Non-Human Forces; Body Positions, Opening Lines and Objects; and Improvising Plays. Tips and examples are included on how to present or initiate each imp

Marsh Cassady has written more than forty books including novels, short story and drama collections, haiku, biography, and books on theatre and storytelling. His audio and stage plays have been widely performed (including off-Broadway), and he has written and recorded a three-set audio tape on storytelling.



A former actor/director and university professor with a Ph.D. degree in theatre, Cassady has worked with more than a hundred productions. Since 1981, he has conducted an all-genre writing workshop in San Diego and has taught various creative writing classes at UCSD and elsewhere. While teaching at Montclair State in the 1970s, he started a program of workshops, classes and special projects in playwriting. His own writing has won numerous regional and national awards.