How can I chat?

Chapter 1 Preface
How many people in this world can perfectly imitate Janet Reynolds[1], George Walker Bush[2], Alex Tribeck[3] and Robert Gullett[4]?Even if it can't make people laugh, at least imitate it.

The only person I know who can do that is Will Ferrell.Only he has such ability.

The stand-up comedian, film and television actor, and improv comedian of Will Ferrell is the man who pushed American sketch comedy variety show "Saturday Night Live" (Saturday Night Live) back to the forefront one.

And for me, he was the first person who made me "involuntary".

I can't help but look at each of his works, without exception.Whether it was because of his sense of humor or his way of saying it that caught my laugh, Will Ferrell was an early role model for me, and the first person I admired at an impressionable age. man.

Somewhere, maybe on Wikipedia, I learned that his comedy career started with improvisation.

So obviously, if I wanted to follow in my idol's footsteps, I'd have to do some research on improvisation as well.

Compared to Mr. Farrell, I have had mixed results with my attempts, the main problem being that I often misinterpret other people's intentions as personal insults.I suck.

Too self-aware, I just couldn't follow the simple principles of improvisation.In fact, this is a typical case of being too attached to your own ideas.It can unwittingly get caught in a self-conscious loop that ruins the show.

Too much focus on repeating what you have prepared makes it impossible to really listen.Even after hearing the words of the other party, they ignore the hints and intentions given by them, and are still blindly clinging to their own ideas.That is, in fact, I've been waiting for my turn to speak.

In my head, I thought I knew the outcome and trajectory of the conversation situation.So, any little bit of a surprise would overwhelm me.I don't allow any possibility of deviating from the preset track, and I don't have enough confidence to talk about unfamiliar topics.

If you think the above is bad for chatting, it will be even more obvious for improvisation.Because of this, I would lead to one embarrassing situation after another, while the partners had to continue to perform in embarrassment.

Fortunately, my friend pointed out the principled problems in my method in time.

Improv is like a group dance, rising and falling with each member's performance.Members are united.Even if you are not familiar with or good at a certain type of dance, you will get the support and help of other members to overcome difficulties and move towards the common goal.

I have made some progress because of this, but my career in improvisational drama performance is doomed to be short and ignorant.

However, after three months of training students, I realized that my attempts to become a second Will Ferrell had paid off in some ways.It occurred to me that everything I taught about social interaction, chat, quick thinking, and witty humor was closely related to what I learned from improvisation.

First and foremost in improvisational drama is the ability to speak out and "make something out of nothing."They are all about constant interaction and deep communication with others.

Isn't this what a pleasant chat should be?
Many times, we feel that we are short of words when chatting, the process is full of embarrassment, and we simply have nothing to say to the other party.But we still want to get to know each other better and deepen our relationship through chatting.

Then, the principle of improvisational drama performance itself can be applied to chatting. Is there a better way than this?These principles in impromptu drama performances have been pondered over many years of practice, and can solve the same problems in chatting and achieve the same goals.

Do you want to eliminate awkward silences and keep chats flowing?Do you want to listen better, communicate deeply, and connect effectively?Are you ready to crack jokes, have friendly arguments, drop your ego and enter unfamiliar conversational situations without thinking about it?The answer is: OK!OK!OK!

Let's use the framework that improvisation has set us up to discover how improv actors can be eloquent, quick-witted, quick-witted, and deliver some of the funniest jokes in the world.

Notes:

[1] Janet Reynolds: the first female Attorney General of the United States;
[2] George Walker Bush: the 51st and 41st President of the United States;

[3] Alex Tribeck: Host of "Jeopardy" for 30 years;
[4] Robert Gouret: Renowned artist, hailed as the most famous baritone of our time.

(End of this chapter)