Improv vs Impro

I've made my journey to New Zealand.  I've been here for about six weeks. So far it's been different and challenging to get my foot in the door, but I haven't noticed a ton of differences.  The biggest, most glaring and obvious difference is the Kiwis call it "impro".  Like Keith Johnstone's book.  Impro.  So far, it's just about the same thing.



I have noticed that improv, or impro rather, is treated a bit more like an arm of the theatre than an entity in its own right.  I auditioned for a group called The Playshop from Toi Whakaari, a local performing arts conservatory. The style of the workshop-audition was part improv, part really intense and subtle film-style acting. The auditioners side-coached during the audition.  Some of the instruction was geared more toward stage acting and extreme subtlety I've never played with or been coached on in improv or other acting classes.  I wasn't cast.  That being said, each group has their own style and not everyone is going to fit.  Overall, the people were quite nice and I had fun.  Unfortunately, the notes they gave me post-audition were a bit vague and I never received the elaboration I requested. The auditioners, most of whom I assume studied at Toi, had all been through the same certain training and had very specific ideas of what they wanted to see.  Because of that, the group to me felt like a very serious theatre group who just happen to perform pieces without scripts. All in all, I don't think that particular group is one I would thrive in as a performer but I am interested in seeing them on stage.

The improv groups here produce a lot of serial or closely themed shows, like improvised soap operas and the upcoming dirty-romance-novel styled show from the Wellington Improvisation Troupe, Thrills and Swoon.  I'm not completely clear yet on how these shows work, especially the latter.  I'm used to shows being just the troupe itself without a theme or title.  That being said, our troupes back in Kansas usually played once every week, two weeks, month, etc but most would only advertise as "Come see EmuProv!", and that was the draw.  I guess my point is, the way improv is performed and booked seems to be quite different than what I 'm used to.

Regardless, I am very excited to see some performances!  I arrived just after the New Zealand Fringe Festival and everyone was totally performed-out.  I believe the next upcoming show in town is a vaguely Comedysportz-style show, Gorilla by WIT on April 21.  I had someone try to explain it to me, and I read the description online but I'll have to see it to really understand.

I've also attended a free-play workshop class hosted by WIT, and I've signed up for a Storytelling for the Stage class, also hosted by WIT.  Ah, I was so spoiled by free/barter-style classes back in Kansas. :)  More to come!