IMPROVISATION/THEATRE GAMES

PRINT SOURCES:

Alexander, Robert. Improvisational Theatre for the Classroom: A Curriculum Guide for Training Regular and Special Education Teachers in the Art of Improvisational Theatre, ed. by Wendy Haynes. Washington, D. C.: Living Stage Theatre Company, 1983.

Atkins, Greg. Improv! A Handbook for the Actor. Portsmouth, NJ: Heinemann, 2003. 0- 435-08627-8

Barker, Clive. Theatre Games: A New Approach to Drama Training. London: Methuen, 1977. 0-413-45380-4
Includes chapters on simple movement games, releasing physical inhibitions, space awareness, and meetings and encounters.

Belt, Linda. Improvisation Through Theatre Sports: A Curriculum to Teach Basic Acting Skills & Improvisation. Thespis Productions, 1995. ISBN 0962079952
New Edition.

Belt, Lynda and Rebecca Stockley. Improvisation Through Theatre Sports: A Curriculum to Improve Acting Skills. Seattle: Thespis Production, 1989.
Exercises for trust, awareness, antomime, spontaneity, narrative, characterization, etc, with teaching plan.

Boal, Augusto. Games for Actors and Non-Actors. New York: Routledge, 1992. 0-415- 06155-5

Brandes, Donna and Howard Phillips. Gamester’s Handbook. London: Hutchison, n .d. 0-09-1364213
A good collection of workshop games.

Caruso, Sandra and susan Kosoff. the Young Actor's Book of Improvisation: Dramatic Situations from Shakespeare to Spielberg. 2 Vols. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003.

Clements, Paul. The Improvised Play. London: Methuen, n. d. 0-413-50440-9
Techniques to create scripted theatre.

Cossa, Mario. Acting Out: The Workbook: A Guide to the Development & Presentation of Issue-Oriented, Audience-Interactive, Improvisational Theatre. Accelerated Development, 1996. ISBN 1560325348

Custer, Jim. Little Book of Theatre Games. Nazarene Publishing House, 1998. ISBN 0834197731

Dezseran, Louis J. The Student Actor’s Handbook. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield Publishing Co., 1975.
Theatre games and exercises.

Fluegelman, Andrew, ed. The New Games Book. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1976.
From the New Games Foundation.

Goldberg, Andy. Improv Comedy. Hollywood, CA: Samuel French, 1991. 0-573- 60608-0

Halpern, Charna and Del Close and Kim Johnson. Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation. n. c.: Meriwether Publishing, Ltd., 1994.
Discusses show length improvisations centered around themes.

Hodgson, John and Ernest Richards. Improvisation. London: Methuen, 1966.
Improv skills; also how to apply improv to scripted shows.

Hoetler, James. Theatre Games. Urbana, IL: ERIC, National Council of Teachers of English, 1975.

Howard. Improvisation and Mime. Theatre Communications Group, Incorporated, 1998. ISBN 1840020121

James, Ronald and Peter Williams. A Guide to Improvisation. n. c.: Kemble Press, n. d. 0-906836-05-4

Johnston, Chris. House of Games: Making Theatre from Everyday Life. NY: Routledge, 1998. ISBN 0878300899
Exercises and how to facilitate them.

Johnstone, Keith. Don’t Be Prepared. Calgary, AB: Loose Moose Theatre Company, n. d. 0-9698382-0-4

________. Impro for Storytellers. NY: Routledge, 1999. ISBN 0878301054
Story games, character, spontaneity.

________. Impro: Improvisation for the Theatre. New York: Theatre Arts Books, 1979. 0-413-46430-X
Written by the founder of Theatre Sports, this book covers status, spontaneity, narrative skills, masks, and trance.

Kerrigan, Sheila. The Performer's Guide to the Collaborative Process. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2001. 0-325-0031104
How to work happily with others to create original performance material.

Kozlowski, Rob. The Art of Chicago Improv: Shortcuts to Long-Form Improvisation. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2003. 0-325-00384-X
"Kozlowski . . . provides a guide to improv troupes seeking a style that's just right for them, wtih detailed descriptions of specific productions and discussions of the implications of pursuing certain improv techniques." (Heinemann blurb.) Also includes history of the development of improv in Chicago.

Marin, Rod. Improvisation: A Guide to Unlock Your Acting Power: A Workbook for Teachers. Encore Performance Publishing, 1996. ISBN 1575140144

Nachmanovitch, Stephen. Free Play: The Power of Improvisation in Life and the Arts. Los Angeles: Jeremy P. Tarcher, Inc., 1990.

Newton, Brad. Improvisation: Use What You Know – Make Up What You Don’t: Improvisational Activities for the Classroom. Gifted Psychology Press, Incorporated, 1999. ISBN 0910707316

O’Neill, Cecily. A Framework for Process Drama. Heinemann, 1995. ISBN 0435086715

Paxton, Steve. “Contact Improvisation,” The Drama Review. Vol. 19, no. 1, 1975: 40- 42.

SAK Comedy Theatre Lab. SAK Comedy Theatre Lab Playbook.
Collection of games. Write SAK Productions, 45 E. Church, Orlando, FL, 32801 (407) 648-0001

Salas, Jo. Improvising Real Life: Personal Story in Playback Theatre. n. c.: Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1993.
Audience stories are played back by performers.

Schotz, Amiel. Theatre Games and Beyond: A Creative Approach for Performers. Meriwether Publishing, Limited, 1998. ISBN 1566080398

Spolin, Viola. Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching & Directing Techniques. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1999. ISBN 0810140098
New edition including a new appendix. Nominally a book on theatre for children, actually a useful text for all actor training.

Turgeon, Thomas S. Improvising Shakespeare. McGraw-Hill Companies, 1996. ISBN 007065527

Weinstein, Matt and Joel Goodman. Playfair: Everybody’s Guide to Noncompetitive Play. San Luis Obispo, CA: Impact Publishers, 1980. 0-915166-50-X

Wirth, Jeff. Interactive Acting: Acting, Improvisation, and Interacting for Audience Participatory Theatre. Fall Creek, OR: Fall Creek Press, 1994. 0-9632374-9-7
Describes the various styles of interactive performances with tips on how to encourage good audience participation. Also outlines basic improvisation skills.

Wright, Michael. Theatre Games for Playwrights: Working Through Craft. Heinemann, 1997. ISBN 0614273919