Intent Matters in Improv

I saw a FB post earlier today in a group to which I belong where people were asking about how to play the "Gibberish" game in ways that wouldn’t insult anyone's accent, nationality, or heritage. It was a fascinating conversation to me, but not for the reasons you might expect.

What became clear to me was that some people who teach this game simply don't know how to frame it in a way that helps to ensure success. For me, it starts with a simple premise:

Intent matters, so teachers must make clear for their students what kinds of intent are acceptable.

Teachers should never allow the intention to belittle, shame, or insult another person. Therefore, if it happens, they must make clear that it won't be allowed again.

I’ve never had to make that speech.

I think the reason why is that I teach my students to honor the RESPONSIBILITY they all have as actors when portraying other humans. Undertaking that representation requires an intent of care, kindness, and an effort to demonstrate another person’s full humanity, so I make that clear upfront.

The good news?

Making this speech pretty much covers any game where my students are exploring what it’s like to be another human: one sex playing another; one age playing another; one sexual orientation playing another; one religion playing another.

Intent matters. Context matters. And it's the responsibility of the teacher - not the student - to always make this clear before exploration begins.