During Julie Payne’s Workshop, Powered by Women, Enjoyed by All- held in March 2012, she said something that stuck with me, “Improv Can Be Pretty.” I continue to reflect why such a statement amongst all the other great quotes from this influential improvisor has been rolling around in this way too busy brain of mine. I think it’s because it speaks to the subtle and under-represented beauty of how many females improvise. And- how the more mainstream style of today’s improv comedy (one-upmanship, speedy pace, and action-driven scene work) can often dampen many females’ natural artistic strengths.
Julie Payne, originally cast into SF’s legendary improv power house, The Committee, directed by Del Close, later went on to perform with The Wims, a 20 year all female improv collective in Los Angeles. The Wims took The Committee’s principles of personally and politically inspired improv and added their feminine flair. This flair often included the use of props, movement, song, and more specifically- a close attention to aesthetic.
During one exercise at the workshop, Julie placed various props around the stage, asking a few participants to explore these props and their qualities. A few hula hoops, red stretchy bands, white and green fabric, and a large long wooden dowel, were just a few props we creatively explored. Through simple movement exploration and patient discovery, the props soon became larger symbols of our lives. We watched as a white scarf became the shifting identity of a woman approaching her wedding day. A hula hoop became one woman’s struggle with living alone. A red stretchy band which was “stretched too thin” became the universal truth of compassion fatigue many women are feeling during the current emotional climate. The props became so much more then we were expecting. These simple objects brought vulnerability, patience, universality, discovery, and pure improv magic.
Many female improvisors, myself included, are often challenged by mainstream improvisation’s rule of using pantomimed objects only. As I watched a gathering of very talented female improvisors play with the added aesthetic choice of real props, their play took on a palpable freedom. There was a sense of liberation amongst the women to explore the way various materials could be wrapped, stretched, draped, and flung and how magically these visually pleasing actions birthed universal concepts. The props appeared to create another level to the play, tapping into collective unconscious, archetypes, and symbology. There was artistry to our improv that weekend. Together, we created beauty.
This experience solidified an educational component I often see missing in many improv training centers, artistic expression. The artistic process is a crucial element for all improvisors (men and women included). This is a holistic process that involves much more that studying up on current events, drilling the who, what, and where of a scene, and creating a space object kitchen. The making of art requires taking a brave and mindful inventory on one’s personal thoughts, feelings, values, and beliefs and translating this into a universal aesthestic. This is what allows us to truly create great theatre as we improvise. This artistic process is what I’m proud to say makes Leela, as an improv training center, so unique, and divine.
So… next time you have an improv rehearsal, performance, or class, try dressing up the stage a little with some props. Go ahead, make some pretty.
Julie Payne will be coming back to San Francisco for another All Women’s Improv Workshop on July 21st, brought to you by The San Francisco Improv Festival.