Blog-O-Ween! You Got Your Pop Culture In My Improv!

The dreaded Pop Culture suggestion or reference appearing in an improv show is enough to make some improvisers quake in terror. But fear not! Pop Culture can be a powerful ally in impressing your audience. I can't tell you how many times I've talked to audience members who were so pumped that we got their specific suggestion. It's not about having a magical, in-depth knowledge of everything, but it is about loving and respecting every single suggestion enough to give it a shot.

One of three things will happen when someone shouts out a suggestion:

1. You will have some weirdly deep knowledge on the subject.
2. You will know one or two broad strokes of the suggestion.
3. You will not know who the mayor of a small town in Michigan is.

If number one happens, great! You are gonna go ham on that suggestion and blow your audience member away. They are going to be ecstatic that they're not the only people on earth who have deep Animorphs knowledge. All you have to do is show off how awesome that suggestion is and reference a couple things in it during your scenes. If you communicate your references clearly, your scene partner who has no Animorphs knowledge will be able to join in on the fun and also look like a genius. Everybody wins!

Number two happens the absolute most often. I am a person who has not made it aboard the Dr. Who train, but you bet your butt I know a few basic things about it. I know that he time travels, rides in a Police Box called a TARDIS that's bigger on the inside, and that he frequently changes forms and loses female companions. Any one of those four things is enough to convince an audience member that you know their give and satisfy them. If you use all four cleverly, you may even end up with show-ending applause. 

Number three is a rare occurrence, but it will happen from time to time. If someone shouts out a suggestion that you have not even the slightest bit of awareness of, just ask them about it. "What's your favorite thing about this guy?" "What happens in this place?" or "Where would we know that from?" Keep in mind that if your entire audience is shouting suggestions that you do know then you should take those. But if that #3 suggestion is the only one you can hear, you need to take it and put your best foot forward.

No matter which of those three things happens, the most important thing is that you treat that suggestion as if it is your favorite thing. Don't snark at it or call it stupid, love it and enjoy it. Yeah it's totally cool that you think Honey Boo Boo is a perfect depiction of all the flaws in western society, but your audience may not feel the same. Have fun with it and highlight the unique things about your suggestions without being judgmental.

The second most important thing is just putting your best foot forward for each particular give. One improviser's #3 give is somebody else's #1. Never shrug your shoulders and tell your audience that you don't know anything about what they suggested. It's almost like saying, "Hey this thing that's important to you is totally not worth knowing! What kind of jerk even knows that thing?" And to top it off, if the person who gave the suggestion sees you struggle with their give they will usually feel very bad about it. Improv is about making our audiences happy, that's what they come there for! Do your best to give that to them.


Also, I would be a real jerk if I didn't mention that Nashville Improv Company is doing a Pop Culture show this Saturday, so if you're in the Nashville area and have $10 to drop make sure you get your butt there! Buy tickets at www.nashvilleimprov.com

What are some of the toughest suggestions you've received and how did you handle them?