A Few Impro Books

Here are just a few of the books on improv and creativity that I’ve found interesting. Please note that if you are new to improv, I recommend not reading any books for the first year of classes or so. Just take the workshop and see what happens. Trying to control the process, study up, get better, jump ahead, etc., is bound to put you in your head, which is not what you want!

Having said that, here you go:

Impro for Storytellers by Keith Johnstone - a classic from the inventor of Theatresports and Maestro. One of my mentors, he’s a bonafide genius.

Truth in Comedy by Charna Halpern, Del Close, and Kim “Howard” Johnson - all about the Harold long-form game.

The Second Circle by Patsy Rodenberg - The foundation of how we talk about the actor’s state of presence in a scene

Theatre Games for the Classroom by Viola Spolin - Easier to understand without taking a workshop, this book for teachers explains her acting and teaching philosophy along with the games.

The Upright Citizens Brigade - Comedy Improvisation Manual by Matt Besser, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh. An offshoot of IO that specializes in irreverent long-form. They have interesting perspectives on long form worth studying.

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi - A fascinating look at what optimal experiences have in common. I relate it to that sense of timelessness that happens when playing in a great improv scene. It’s what we’re all chasing. :)

Improvise Freely by Patti Stiles - Patti is a friend and an amazing teacher and carrier of the torch for Keith’s work. Jun and I worked with her for 8 years on the International Theatresports board of directors. From the perspective of someone who studied with Keith Johnstone and is passionate about impro as a free and open art form, this book is targeted towards improvisors who’ve gotten bogged down in rules and over-thinking.

Life Unscripted and Ensemble! by O’conner and Katzman - Co-written by my friend Dan O’Conner of Impro Theater in Los Angeles, these books explore the way impro can transform your life and how ensemble’s help forge connections in a lonely world. Jun and I worked with Dan for years on the International Theatresports board of directors.

If you read Japanese, by all means read my husband Jun Imai’s classic:

今井純ー自由になるのは大変なのだーインプロマニュアル. The title means “It’s Tough to be Free - An Impro Manual”, and it covers impro vis-a-vis Japanese culture from the perspective of a pioneer in the field in Japan. He has four other volumes as well, which you can find on his webpage.

Enjoy!

Chris Wells

TCS School of Improv Director