Improvisation appears before my terrified eyes as an indomitable lion, an unpredictable beast that threatens to swallow me. I am defenseless upfront this spontaneous creature from which I do not know what to expect. Although the stage has always been my confront zone and acting my means for expression and a catharsis, I find improvisation rather challenging for me. I believe we share a love-hate relationship – I its admire messy beauty and daring nature, but it keeps trying to bite me. I want to tame this beast known as improvisation, but I know that this will not be an easy task.
The word "Improv!" welcomes care-free smiles and daring looks; everyone wants to be a part of this "fun game that does not require much work or craft". Yet, when confronted with improvisation most fail. Since the day in which I was introduced to Improvisation (I capitalize the word because I feel this form of theater is a complex creature, rather than a form of art) I have been intrigued by what it takes to tame it. And I secretly admire those who have the abilities to do so.
I have discovered, over the years, that my main fear is to make mistakes. This is a fear that society inculcates in us; mainly schools, which dictate that it is atrocious to be mistaken. But improvisation requires you to make mistakes, because it requires you to try. Failure is inherent in trying; when attempting to do something you are bound make mistakes. This does not mean that the process of trying is only making mistakes, but accepting mistakes propels success. Thus, improvising requires you to"let go" of everything and respond to what is given to you, without the fear of failure. This is why I have a hard time giving in; I am afraid to fail. This blocks my imagination and instinct to react to what is given to me.
One of my personal goals is to improve my improvisation skill. More than an objective for me as an artist/ aspiring actress, taming improvisation is something I want to achieve for me as an individual. I consider it more a challenge for me as a person, than a challenge of technique. Mastering improvisation would mean that I would become less self-conscious and accepting of mistakes, which, ultimately, result on success.
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