How Do You Learn Improv Terminology?
Improvisational, or improv, theater is fun for the actors and audience. Improv comes with its own terminology that can seem like another language if you are not familiar with it. Follow these steps to begin learning improv terminology so that you can jump right in and join the fun. Learn the term “ask-for.” This is when the improv actors ask the theater audience for specific suggestions to start a scene. Understand that a “beat” is a division of action in a scene, and that scenes are made up of several beats. Find out how to use “extending,” which involves taking the theater audience’s suggestion and letting it become the main theme of the scene. Know that a “handle” is the basis for a scene or game. Use “setup” by describing the handle of the scene to the audience before the scene starts. Learn the term “offer,” which is any dialog or action which moves the scene along. Offers should be accepted. Understand that “accepting” is when you support the offers made by other actors in order
