Structures

You will often see familiar structures in a KIS show. An example of a very simple structure is "Try Again". In Try Again, a scene begins based on an audience input. During the scene, a moderator rings a bell whenever he or she does not like the last line that was spoken. At that point the previous line is essentially "erased" from the scene and the actor must come up with a new line. The scene then continues.

A Good Story

A scene is usually just a narrative, and most engaging narratives have similar characteristics. There is usually a beginning, a middle, and an end. There are usually several strong characters who have a clear relationship to each other, an environment, a conflict, and then, of course, a resolution. To create this improv-ers usually play by the rules.

There are rules?

The first rule is "never say no". That is, always accept whatever reality your fellow actors might create. Another rule is "up the ante", keep raising the stakes of the scene to make it bigger and bigger. Another rule is "no directing/teaching", don't tell your fellow actor what to do. And then of course "don't ask questions". Rather, come up with your own answer and contribute that to the scene.