Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques

Front Cover
Northwestern University Press, 1999 - Education - 412 pages

The thoroughly revised third edition of the bible of improvisational theater.

Viola Spolin's improvisational techniques changed the very nature and practice of modern theater. The first two editions of Improvisation for the Theater sold more than 100,000 copies and inspired actors, directors, teachers, and writers in theater, television, film. These techniques have also influenced the fields of education, mental health, social work, and psychology.

The revised edition features:

  • 30 new exercises, including introductions (Slow/Fast/Normal; Extended Sound; Mirror Speech; Unrelated Conversation)
  • More than 200 updated classic exercises
  • new section of traditional theater games for warm-up use
  • "Paul Sills' Sayings of Viola Spolin"
  • New glossary of side-coaching phrases, with definitions of their meaning and value
  • Alphabetical list of all games and exercises
 

Selected pages

Contents

IX
3
X
4
XI
6
XII
9
XIII
13
XIV
14
XV
15
XVI
16
CCXX
202
CCXXI
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CCXXII
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CCXXIV
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CCXXV
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CCXXVIII
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CCXXX
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CCXXXII
211

XVII
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XVIII
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XIX
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XX
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XXI
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XXII
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XXIV
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XXV
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XXVI
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XXVII
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XXVIII
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XXIX
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XXX
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XXXI
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XXXII
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XXXIII
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XXXIV
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XXXV
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XXXVII
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XL
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XLII
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XLV
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XLVI
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XLVIII
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L
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LI
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LIV
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LVI
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LVII
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LIX
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LX
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LXI
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LXII
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LXIII
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LXV
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LXVII
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LXVIII
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LXIX
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LXXI
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LXXIII
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LXXVI
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LXXVII
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LXXVIII
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LXXIX
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LXXXI
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LXXXIV
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LXXXV
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LXXXVII
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LXXXVIII
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LXXXIX
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XC
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XCI
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XCII
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XCIII
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XCV
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XCVII
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XCIX
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C
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CI
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CIV
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CVI
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CVIII
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CIX
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CXII
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CXIII
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CXIV
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CXV
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CXVI
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CXVIII
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CXIX
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CXX
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CXXII
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CXXIV
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CXXV
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CXXVII
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CXXVIII
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CXXIX
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CXXXII
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CXXXIV
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CXXXV
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CXXXVI
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CXXXVIII
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CXL
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CXLI
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CXLII
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CXLIII
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CXLIV
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CXLV
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CXLVII
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CXLVIII
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CXLIX
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CL
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CLI
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CLII
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CLIII
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CLIV
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CLVI
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CLVII
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CLVIII
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CLIX
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CLXI
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CLXII
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CLXIV
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CLXVII
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CLXVIII
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CLXIX
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CLXXII
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CLXXIV
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CLXXVI
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CLXXIX
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CLXXXI
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CLXXXII
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CLXXXIV
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CLXXXV
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CLXXXVI
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CLXXXVIII
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CXC
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CXCI
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CXCIII
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CXCV
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CXCVI
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CC
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CCII
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CCIII
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CCIV
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CCVI
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CCVII
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CCVIII
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CCXI
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CCXIII
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CCXIV
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CCXV
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CCXVI
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CCXVII
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CCXVIII
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CCXXXIII
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CCXXXV
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CCXXXVI
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CCXXXVII
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CCXXXIX
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CCXLII
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CCXLVI
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CCXLVII
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CCXLVIII
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CCXLIX
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CCL
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CCLII
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CCLIV
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CCLV
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CCLVI
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CCLVIII
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CCLX
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CCLXI
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CCLXII
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CCLXIII
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CCLXV
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CCLXVI
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CCLXVIII
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CCLXX
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CCLXXI
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CCLXXII
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CCLXXIV
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CCLXXVI
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CCLXXVIII
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CCLXXIX
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CCLXXXI
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CCLXXXIV
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CCLXXXV
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CCLXXXVI
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CCLXXXVII
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CCLXXXVIII
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CCXC
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CCXCI
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CCXCII
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CCXCIII
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CCXCIV
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CCXCV
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CCXCVI
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CCXCVII
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CCXCVIII
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CCXCIX
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CCC
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CCCIII
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CCCVI
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CCCVII
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CCCIX
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CCCX
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CCCXI
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CCCXII
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CCCXIII
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CCCXIV
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CCCXVI
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CCCXVII
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CCCXVIII
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CCCXIX
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CCCXX
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CCCXXI
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CCCXXII
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CCCXXIII
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CCCXXIV
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CCCXXV
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CCCXXVI
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CCCXXVII
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CCCXXIX
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CCCXXX
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CCCXXXI
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CCCXXXIII
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CCCXXXIV
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CCCXXXV
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CCCXXXVI
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CCCXXXVIII
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CCCXXXIX
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CCCXL
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CCCXLII
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CCCXLIV
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CCCXLVII
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CCCXLIX
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CCCL
329
CCCLI
330
CCCLII
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CCCLIII
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CCCLIV
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CCCLVI
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CCCLVIII
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CCCLIX
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CCCLXI
337
CCCLXII
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CCCLXIII
339
CCCLXIV
341
CCCLXV
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CCCLXVI
345
CCCLXVII
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CCCLXVIII
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CCCLXX
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CCCLXXI
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CCCLXXII
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CCCLXXIII
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CCCLXXV
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CCCLXXVI
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CCCLXXVII
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CCCLXXVIII
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CCCLXXIX
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CCCLXXX
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CCCLXXXIII
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CCCLXXXIV
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CCCLXXXV
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CCCLXXXVII
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CCCLXXXIX
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CCCXC
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CCCXCI
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CCCXCII
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CCCXCIII
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CCCXCV
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CCCXCVI
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CCCXCVIII
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CCCXCIX
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CD
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CDII
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CDIII
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CDIV
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CDVII
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CDIX
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CDXII
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CDXIV
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CDXV
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CDXVIII
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CDXXI
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CDXXIII
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CDXXV
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CDXXVI
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Copyright

Other editions - View all

Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing ...
Viola Spolin
Limited preview - 2020
Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
Viola Spolin
Snippet view - 2000
Improvisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
Viola Spolin
Snippet view - 1999
View all »

Common terms and phrases

acting problem activity allow audi audience ball become begin bring called center player character child child actors coach communication concentration costume create develop dialogue director emotion energy enter environment EVALUATION example exer exercise exhibitionism experience feel fellow players floorplan focus FOCUS:on follow the follower formal theater gibberish give and take group agreement hands heighten improvisational theater individual inner action integrated intuitive involvement keep listen mirror move movement Neva Boyd object on-stage Paul Sills performance physical play players agree players show playwriting POINTS OF OBSERVATION props psycho-drama reality relationship release response role scene Share your voice SIDE-COACHING simple Single player sound space substance speech Spolin spontaneity stage picture story student-actors sub-team teacher teacher-director tell theater games tion verbal Viola Viola Spolin walk warm-up watch word WORD GAME workshop young actors

About the author (1999)

Viola Spolin, the originator of theater games, was introduced to the use of games, storytelling, folk dance, and dramatics as tools for stimulating creative expression in the 1920s while a student of Neva Boyd at Chicago's Hull House. During her years as a teacher and supervisor of creative dramatics there, she began to develop her nonverbal, nonpsychological approach. Her books have been translated into Swedish, German, and Portuguese. She died in 1994. Paul Sills is Viola Spolin's son and the founding director of Chicago's Second City and of Story Theater. He is the coeditor of the third edition of Improvisation for the Theater.

Bibliographic information

TitleImprovisation for the Theater: A Handbook of Teaching and Directing Techniques
AuthorViola Spolin
PublisherNorthwestern University Press, 1999
ISBN081014008X, 9780810140080
Length412 pages
Subjects ›  ›  › 

Education / Teaching / Subjects / Arts & Humanities
Performing Arts / Acting & Auditioning
Performing Arts / Improvisation
Performing Arts / Theater / Direction & Production
  
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