There are several important rules that every actor needs to know in improv.

You wouldn’t know it by watching one or maybe even two shows. Sure, you’ll see funny guys on stage saying funny things and doing funny things, but unless you understand the core principles behind improvisational theater you can’t really even begin to understand why those things are so funny.

Now, I’ve only been studying improv for three years now, but I’ve come to find that the principles applied in improv are also applicable in everyday happenings and interactions. Some of you may have already read my speech on the topic, but I’d like to really outline how it is that I attempt to approach life on a day-to-day basis using these principles. I’ll try and tackle these in the next few weeks.

RULE #1: NOTHING IS EVER WRONG.

As it applies to Improv

Improv actors work on a very tight time-line. From the beginning of a show to the end could be anywhere from 10 minutes to upwards of 3 hours, and any ‘mistakes’ made in that time are very clearly recognized by the audience. Improv actors, therefore, operate under the assumption that nothing they do is wrong, and anything that happens they simply have to go along with in order for the audience to enjoy a ‘no-mistakes’ performance.

As it applies to Life

For the us regular human beings, however, our lifespan is much longer than a 3 hour span.
Yup, it’s true. Everything you do in life is absolutely 100% correct. There are no mistakes, there are no flub-ups, and nothing worth regretting or getting hung up over.

The rule is very similar to the idea behind “fate.” With fate everything is predetermined, therefore whatever happens has to be simply accepted as a fact of life that you can do nothing about. If it was bound to happen anyway, there’s nothing worth crying about. All you can do is pick up where you left off and move on.

This improv rule is fate minus the pre-destiny part. I don’t believe that whatever happens is part of some great and calculated master plan, but I do believe that we write our own histories with our actions. Everything that you do leaves some impact in your life story, and it would be unwise to regard anything as a ‘mistake.’

Wrapping Up

Now this doesn’t mean that slacking off or doing bad things will garner you desirable results. They will certainly provide a specific TYPE of result, for sure, but not necessarily the type of result that many people are seeking. This rule means that you have full control over your decisions and actions, and is meant to inspire those who typically hold back from making risky or tough choices.

You are guaranteed to at least learn from every choice that you make, and you should keep that fact in mind as you progress.

Any comments or questions on the topic are welcome and discussion is encouraged. Join me next time when I talk about how although nothing is wrong, everything is imperfect.

NEXT: Rule #2 – Nothing is ever perfect.