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This article is about the great mystery of improv that has been called by many, many names over the years. I hope to give greater clarity to this mysterious force and to do so I will fall back, again, on my sports metaphors.

Back in 1981 Keith Johnstone had been asked to come to Vancouver with members of the newly formed Loose Moose Theatre company and compete and teach in the world’s first improv tournament. This was prior to the creation of the now 25 year old Vancouver Theatresports League and was the brainchild of several actors in Vancouver who had befriended the Calgary artists and wished to learn more from our experience.

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In my workshops I am constantly using sports metaphors to try and explain improv devices and techniques. What’s with that? Those of you who have participated in some kind of sporting event, from golf to football, are well acquainted with the concepts of focus, concentration, and reading the tempo of play. During practice, your coach had drills they insisted you learn and learn well. They would instill in you concepts such as: keeping your head on a pivot, reading the playing field, anticipating the puck/ball/whatever, keeping your head in the game and most importantly: focusing.

Improv is the same.

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Now that you are an expert in giving and accepting offers, and you are surviving on stage for a few moments, what's next? How can you hold the attention of an audience without a script, any rehearsal time, and with very simple production values? It's not an easy task.

Ask yourself why you go to the movies. What are you looking for when you sit down on those cushy seats and eat overpriced popcorn? When I go to a movie I am desperately hoping for two things: a compelling story and time away from my daily worries. Improv, as a form of entertainment, should satisfy those same desires. If you are telling a nice story, time becomes irrelevant to those who are watching, as they are involved in the story.

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In my early days of improv, circa 1978, I often marveled at the talent and skill of those who had been improvising before me. "How did they do that?" At that time Keith Johnston was toying with the concept of a competitive game based around not blocking or simply always saying "yes". To me this was the magic elixir. It was a Newtonian moment of, "Ah ha!". I could survive on stage in front of any number of people simply by saying "yes".

Saying "yes" to every offer that comes your way from your fellow actors not only helps the new player survive but also makes those that give the offers feel like you're a real team player, someone they like, and someone they can trust. Simply, you make them look good and they become pals for life. It's like karma; an offer arrives, its accepted with joy and good spirit and suddenly the scene you're in looks better. Really, what are we on stage for? To entertain the wonderful people kind enough to show up to watch.

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A bit of history of the Impro Depot. You may be wondering, "where did you get this incredible space to put on your incredible demonstrations?!" And if you are in fact wondering that very thing then (I am psychic and) this is the very place to read that tale.

In the cold winter months of aught eight the Imrov Guild was in a dire place. We'd been renting the Green Fool's Theatre as a Friday night sublet to put on our Friday night shows. We'd even managed to pack the house a few times… but disaster struck and the Green Fools were issued a cessation order from the city that left us without a space to perform in as well. Our Artistic Director however, and general guru, Rick Hilton was not without hope and, more importantly, an idea. He'd noticed that the former Electronics Recycling Depot just across the alley was sitting dormant and unused and inquired with the owner on the availability of the space.

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