Books for applying improvisation - an annotated bibliography

[Paul Z Jackson]

Please join in with comments and more books - especially any by AIN members.

THE INSPIRATIONAL TRAINER
Paul Z Jackson, Kogan Page, 0-7494-3468-6

A wide-ranging handbook for trainers who aspire to inspire. Practical and provocative, tips and ideas, drawing on AL, drama, sports and psychology- wih particular reference to improvisation. Introduces concept of Rehearsals for Success, combining elements of role play, forum theatre and coaching..

(previously published in hardback as Impro Learning, Gower)


581/2 WAYS TO IMPROVISE IN TRAINING
Paul Z Jackson, Gower (hardback), Crown House (paperback)

A trainer’s step-by-step guide to amazing activities which teach communication skills, leadership and creativity. Good selection of clearly-explained simple-to-run games, organized by number of participants, visual/verbal/physical matrix, degree of energy and time taken to run.

IMPRO - IMPROVISATION AND THE THEATRE
Keith Johnstone, Methuen, 1979, 0-413-46430-X

Still the best introduction to impro for the theatre. Very readable, funny and illuminating. A major inspiration for staged impro in UK, USA, Canada and Australia.


ACTION THEATRE - THE IMPROVISATION OF PRESENCE
Ruth Zaporah, North Atlantic Books, California 1995, 1-55643-186-4

A 20-day course of exercises, with instructions and discussion. Plenty of intensive actvities, mostly theatre, some dance. Good understanding of the heart of impro - expressed in whimsical lines.

IMPROVISATION FOR THE THEATER
Viola Spolin, Northwestern University Press, 0-8101-4000-4

Johnstone’s main ‘rival’ as originator of theatre games as performance. Lots of exercises, thorough explanations, and useful ideas about things like side-coaching.


THEATER GAMES FOR THE CLASSROOM - A TEACHER’S HANDBOOK
Viola Spolin, Northwestern University Press, 1986, 0-8101-4004-7

Exactly what the title says. A better organised book, with helpful bibliography and appendices.

GAMES FOR ACTORS AND NON-ACTORS
Augusto Boal, Routledge London 1992, 0-415-06155-5

Political improvisation from the founder of Theatre of the Oppressed. Lots of great games, also plenty of concepts and jargon.


PLAYING BOAL - THEATRE, THERAPY, ACTIVISM
Eds: Mady Schutzman and Jan Cohen-Cruz, Routledge London 1994, 0-415-08608-6

Mixed bag of essays from Boal practitioners and watchers. Impro for politics and for therapy, links back to Moreno.

[Frederique Thiriet-Smith]

Hi Paul and all,

I have added a list of articles on http://appliedimprov.ning.com/notes/Impro_Reading_list and try to identify the ones who are more Applied Impro related (Use of Improvisation Theater Techniques in Organisations).
Can you help to review/identify more?
Thanks in advance.

[Frederique Thiriet-Smith]

Hi Paul,
In the list I posted on http://appliedimprov.ning.com/group/bookofcasestudies/forum/topics/... a few days ago, I had:
- Activities from Improvisation Theater to develop creativity, leadership, teambuilding, communication skills,...
* Training to Imagine: Practical Improvisational Theatre Techniques to Enhance Creativity, Teamwork, Leadership and Learning, Kat Koppett
*58 1/2 Ways to Improvise in Training: Improvisation Games and Activities for Workshops, Courses and Team Meetings, Paul Z. Jackson
* Jackson, Paul Z The inspirational trainer: Make Training Time Flexible, Responsive, Creative
* Working with groups to enhance Relationships : 46 interactive exercices to build communication, encourage cooperation and rekindle companionship, Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin and Sue Walden

- Improvisation applied to business or to life
* Bonifer, Mike, GameChangers -- Improvisation for Business in the Networked World,
* Brown, Shona L./Eisenhardt,Kathleen M. Competing on the Edge : Strategy as Structured Chaos, Harvard Business School Press 1998
* Nachmanovitch, Steven Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art
* Poynton Robert and Hirsch Gary Everything's An Offer: How to do more with less 2008
* Reynolds, Garr Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery (Voices That Matter) New Riders 2008
* Ryan Madson, Patricia Improv wisdom: Don't Prepare, Just Show Up, Bell Tower 2005
* Sawyer, Keith Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration,
* Shaw Patricia Experiencing risk, spontaneity and improvisation in organizational change: working live.
Routledge 2006,. Edited with Stacey, R.D.)

- Improvisation
* The Improv Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond Tom Salinsky, Deborah Frances-White, Deborah
* Gwinn, Peter Group Improvisation,
* Halpern, Charna/Close, Del Truth in Comedy, mp 1952
And all the classics (Spolin, Johnstone, ...)

As I am not sure it is easy to find these lists in group discussions, I suggest to create a page "Impro books" under "Resources" like Impro games. The advantage is that we can link to external web sites about the books for more information.
I can start with the list here and update it when more books are mentionned.

[Frederique Thiriet-Smith]

Here is a start http://appliedimprov.ning.com/notes/Impro_books. I will improve the layout later (tomorrow) and add/change some links.
Comments are welcome.

[Paul Z Jackson]

Thanks Fred
I love the way you take action swiftly. It really gets things done, and feels completely part of the impro spirit.

[Frederique Thiriet-Smith]

Thank you Paul.

Et voilà. It is completed, see on http://appliedimprov.ning.com/notes/Impro_books_in_English.

[Paul Z Jackson]

Hi Fred

Nice list and I think you are absolutely right that such a list is not easy to find under group discussions. (I had no idea about your list until just now, for example!).

A dedicated page under Resources sounds like a good idea - please go ahead, with Leif if that helps.

I'm also wondering how could we best include a) the one-liner description of the book (as in my list) and b) the possibility of people adding their own comments?

When the new resource is up and running, we'll mention it in the next newsletter.

Perhaps one day we can make a list even more prominent when we create an external-facing or appealing-to-potential-clients AIN.

Many thanks, Paul

[Frederique Thiriet-Smith]

Hi Paul, our messages crossed.
The ideal way to handle this would be to create a wiki, like wikipedia, that anyone can update.
Maybe someone in the network know how to set this, otherwise I will have a look later.
I have to leave now for an appointment.
Cheers,
Fred