Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #80928 in Books
• Published on: 1999-07-28
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 412 pages

From Library Journal
This new edition of a highly acclaimed handbook, last published in 1983 and widely used by theater teachers and directors, is sure to be welcomed by members of the theater profession. Spolin, who died in 1994, developed her improvisational techniques of using "game" exercises while teaching with the WPA Recreational Project in Chicago. Editor Sills, her son and founder of the Second City Theater, here updates over 200 classic exercises and adds 30 new ones. The creative group work and games, which can be used with all levels and ages of performers, and workshop techniques that enhance performers' natural abilities and intuition are all clearly explained. Also included are useful definitions of theater terms and a glossary of side-coaching phrases. Libraries with older editions will want this excellent update. Highly recommended for all theater arts collections.AHoward E. Miller, Rosary H.S. Lib., St. Louis
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

Physical Theater
Very good, I am from México and can read it and apply it in my teachings. I specialize in physiscal theater and I still can grab allot of exercises from it.

The gold standard ...
A good student must always seek a master, and Viola Spolin is a master of improvisational theatre. The book is filled with powerful games and information to support not only improvisational theatre, but truthful acting and being "in the moment", a hallmark not only of improvisational theatre, but acting.

Very dry, like a boring textbook ... odd, stilted language.
There's something strange about the way this book is written ... I can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's MEANT to be a TEXTBOOK, but ... it's just strange. It's like, you would think that the subject matter (improvisation) would be associated with a lot of excitement and energy, lots of enthusiasm ... instead, it's just a dry, boring textbook. Very cold and impersonal. The other books I've been reading, including Keith Johnstone's IMPRO, Chalma Halpern's TRUTH IN COMEDY, and Mick Napier's IMPROVISE, are written with enthusiasm and what seems like genuine joy ... the way you'd think a book on improv should be.

Another thing that was odd - one of the co-authors is Paul Sills, who is apparently Viola Spolin's son ... yet in his "Foreward" (or maybe it's the introduction), he refers to her only as "Viola Spolin" this and "Viola Spolin" that ... again it just seemed so impersonal, like he was giving an academic speech before a bunch of old professors. No warmth at all.

And all through the book, Viola Spolin uses the same cold, impersonal language to talk about what should be fun, amusing memories - like, instead of saying "Once in one of my classes there was etc. etc." she'll say "In a class taught by this author, an incident occured at which etc etc" ...

These are minor things, I guess ... maybe I'm asking too much but I guess the bottom line is that, for me, this book (unlike the other books I've mentioned) failed to convey any sense of the thrill and delight that improv is.