Viola Spolin on Theater Games

Comment

Comment by Gary Schwartz on July 9, 2008 at 8:08am

Hi Jane,
That's true, but our culture promotes competition and it is easy to miss out on the spririt of play when we are programmed to win. Games do build in a win/lose sometimes but the old addage "it's not weather you win or lose, but how you play the game" is replaced many times with "I must win to be liked, successful, right, etc." That's our culture and it's destructive to real cooperation. Read more about her approval/dissaproval ideas in her book "Improvisation for the Theater".
Also there are some good articles at my site www.spolin.com/links.htm.
Thanks for the comments.

Comment by Jane on July 9, 2008 at 4:16am

Ciao, This is marvelous! I agree that Keith Johnstone's Status is a real contribution. I found it particularly interesting working with "emotionally disturbed' teens. They knew about status though some refused to play low and so it became a different kind of competition for who was highest. Her comments on approval/disapproval touch a core issue. I went to Calgary to see THEATRESPORTS and did not experience the competition as distructive, rather it was almost as though each team wanted the other to be good so that it upped the level. The players seemed to be well trained in basics though and I would not think it would work so well otherwise. So often new players just 'compete' to be funny. I wonder if this is also cultura, someone from Canada might know , as I've observed that perhaps competition isn't necessarily destructive when it's based in the true spirit of play not necessarily, I'm the best but 'this time... we played and won."

Comment by Gary Schwartz on February 29, 2008 at 6:48am

HI Colleen,
I have a video of Viola teaching 60 teachers in LA. It is for sale at my website. www.spolin.com.

I talked with Keith and took his workshop in Banff.
He is after the same thing. His approach is different and there are things about the two that are indeed different philosophically, but both see clearly what's needed to improvise.

I think Keith's best contribution is his work with Status.
Viola touches upon it in her games of Camera, Rejection and Supplication, but Keith's exploration is very in depth and I use it when I teach.

Yes, abolishing fear and the Approval/Disapproval Syndrome is the thing in our culture that is used to keep kids from their own treasure house.

Thanks for the comments. Have fun when Keith comes to town.

best regards,
Gary

Comment by Colleen Laliberte on February 29, 2008 at 5:50am

Wow Gary..thanks for sharing this video...what a gift...I have been a student of Keith Johnstone since 1993 and loved hearing Viola's discussion of abolishing "fear", the "approval/disapproval syndrome', success and failure...games...the connectedness of these brilliant minds is awe inspiring to me. In the interview it sounds as though the interviewer is telling Viola Spolin about Theatre Sports for the first time. I wish there was a video of an interview with her after she had an opportunity to read IMPRO and to talk with Keith Johnstone about his work. It seems to me thay have the same idea concerning games, direct experience and abolishing fear...Keith Johnstone's work as you know is NOT about competition...he describes is like" championship wrestling" ...the idea is to have improvisers NOT care about the competetion...the idea is to PLAY not to WIN...wish you could come to Chattanooga to work with us and Keith Johnstone again...he is coming to Chattanooga March 31st through April 6th for a ten day intensive. THANK YOU THANK YOU for the video...do you have MORE!!!

I would love to talk with you more at length...

see the tree..let the tree see you...brilliant!

colleen