The Underground Comedy Informer Dispatch #1: Statements (and Questions)

Statements

These truly are the building blocks of scenework. Without statements, declarative statements, the scene does not go forward. This may seem counter-intuititve to the way that normal conversation goes, and that's probably true. We, however, improvisers, are not having normal conversations, so different guidelines are followed.

Statements can also be unspoken. This is something that many forget. Statements are frequently the conveyance for emotional states. An emotional response is just as valid a statement as a description of surroundings. Make statements. If you get nothing else from this, get that.

How Questions Can Be Statements

Hold on, you say. We make statements, we don't ask questions!

Yes, and no. Questions can be effective statements, if they are creative or vivid enough. For example, ask: "Why, again, have you sucked all the blood out of my pet goat?", not "So, what are you doing?" See, one is interesting, and involves many possibilities, where the other is far too open-ended.

Consider the popular handle (improv game) 'Questions Only'. This game requires questions be asked instead of making statements. I, and fellow iCu player Larry, played once for three hours as we drove through Connecticut. Not one statement made. And we were not allowed to ride with that group of friends ever again.