Divided into four parts – "Statuses," "Spontaneity," "Narrative Skills," "Masks and Ecstasy" – which are presented roughly in the order a theatrical group might approach them, the book reveals the techniques and exercises that Keith Johnston himself considered the most useful and interesting.
The result is a book of ideas and at the same time an exciting exploration of the nature of spontaneous creativity. The book is the fruit of twenty years of patient and original work. It is a wise, practical, and hilarious guide to the survival of imagination.
It is an essential read for anyone with an "artistic temperament" who has experienced the same as the author: seeing their gift seemingly shrink and fade. Rediscovering the imaginary world of childhood, it reexamines the fundamental elements that comprise it.
What is a story made of? What makes people laugh? Which relationships capture the audience's attention and why? How does the improvisor think about the next step? Is conflict dramaturgically necessary? [...]
In answer to these and other fundamental questions, the book provides unexpected and always useful answers that extend the boundaries of theater into everyday interactions. The first thought one might have when reading these exercises for actors is to try them with one's children or oneself.
Like all great advocates of the unconscious, Johnston is a staunch rationalist. He applies a sharp mind, cultivated through anthropology and psychology, to the dismantling of intellectualism in theater. Where there is no technical jargon, he develops his own practical terms to name the ineffable.
