I've been listening to the “Zenprov”
podcast for a while now, and those guys are way into the meditation
as a good way into improv approach. First, as full disclosure, let
me say I've never pursued meditation seriously (or semi-seriously,
for that matter). I don't feel like my brain is the kind that really
takes to meditation well – I can't really sit still with an empty
mind much, if at all. I do appreciate some of the things that they
talk about that are adjacent in the topic, things that are found in
both Zen Buddhism and some improv texts – being in the moment,
reacting honestly, and I really do feel that they do know what they
are talking about. Just not for me, is all I'm saying.
That having been said, I do have a beef
with meditation as a way to warm up before improv. I was in an
improv troupe that did pursue quiet meditation, stretching, yoga and
other things which I'm sure have names, but I would probably end just
calling “that thing where we did the one thing”. Now, I know
that one data point does not make a pattern, but I would say that my
experience from that group tells me that meditation as warm up may
not be the best choice. What are warm ups intended to do? Establish
group mind, get energy up, get the mind working, get the players
listening – these are all good reasons. Meditation, doesn't appear
to do those things. This group would dutifully follow the whole
routine, spending 15-20 minutes clearing the mind and whatnot, and
then get up on stage and yell at and ignore each other.
I can see the benefit of the meditative
approach: spending some time focusing on yourself, the environment,
the other player (not necessarily in that order) before you muddle
the whole thing up with words. Really paying attention to things,
instead of just waiting for your chance to talk, sure, I can get
behind all of that. My point is that I have seen much better work
come out of a group that has taken the time to focus on the group at
the start of a practice with “zip, zap, zop” (which focuses on
energy, listening, and responding quickly) or a pattern game (focus,
listening, paying attention) that I have with silent solo meditation.
There has been a lot of talk from a number of different people who
are all saying the same thing, that we must first take care of
ourselves, but improv still is a team sport, and we need to still pay
some focus to our fellows on stage. Even the meditative approach to
scene starting (what my friend calls the “shut the fuck up”
method) is about tuning in to what is going on with you and your
scene partner.
This whole approach goes back to those
very Zen like principles of quieting the mind so you can a) turn of
your internal policeman that criticizes and second guesses your
instinctual reactions and b) really listening. Ultimately though, a
warm up regimen must be selected that fits your groups personal style
and benefits them, and if meditation isn't doing it for you (as in
getting you do all the good things you should be striving for), then
you've gotta try something new.
