Yes, and... in real life

Josh

Yes and... is an improv concept that I hear all the time. Teachers push the idea of Yes and... non stop. I sort of got it in a half asses minor understanding way until recently. I'd think I was doing it, I'd have ok scenes, so does that mean I'm putting it to work. Doing this for longer the concept starts to get deeper meaning, my knowledge of why these concepts are so important start to reveal themselves. Partly because I'm really trying to "get" them and partly because they're out there and you just have to pay attention.

Yes and... is accepting what someone does, says, thinks, gestures and using it. You and your partners are building a world where everyone throws something in. Everything is usable, from the slightest mess up to an unintended facial tick. On stage if someone calls you a doctor you yes them by becoming a doctor. The "and" comes in when you respond with some sort of "gift" also. Perhaps you state what kind of a doctor you are, or even give an expression that defines the way you feel about your partner. It's such a great concept and so useful in scenes. It's really the only thing! But Yes and... goes deeper than just a two word combo that is the blueprint for good improv scenes. iI is also a great more fulfilling way to live.

That may seem like a hyperbolic statement but it's not at all. It's imperative!

The Situation: Brett Elam, Jill Goree, Dylan Kiney and I were watching Nanny 911 the other day. My sister has some wild kids, so I like to get advice on curbing their behavior from anywhere I can. I also like pointing out the rediculous gimick of having an British nanny that drives in an British car in America.

Brett's Story: We were exchanging memories of our parents parenting skills and Brett had a pretty great one. Brett's mom had made him a schedule when he was younger. I guess she was just trying to organize his life. Good parenting! Brett took the schedule and in turn made one for his mom. What! The schedule laid out things for his mom such as when to cook dinner and when she was allowed to smoke her cigarettes and read her book. Most parents wouldn't have it. They'd either laugh it off or get angry. She did one better than both of those. She sat down and looked at it. She accepted it and explained to Brett that she didn't need this much time to prepare dinner. Brett had allotted her two hours. She Yes and'ed it. She got together with her tenacious son and they worked together to make a better schedule for her. I still haven't asked what the revised schedule allotted for dinner.

My Story: I was more excited about that story than I should have been. I recognized it as yes and... I saw how that simple concept of accepting anything and using it is the best way to be about everything. I am a chess teacher for kids. The job pays nothing so I may not be doing it for very long. The kids are great though. They are so funny. There are, however, some real wild ones. Not all kids love chess. It's hard to believe but it's the truth. The day after Nanny 911 I taught a class and attacked. There are two kids in that class who don't have any interest in chess. They really only want to say things like butt and poop and other kid swears I'd ordinarily love, not in a classroom setting. I decided I was going to try to yes and... this behavior and teach them something. They honestly knew nothing. I sat down with them one at a time and ran through all the pieces. They both didn't know what any piece was called or how it moved. Here's what we did. I sat with the first kid and let him call the pieces anything he wanted. Here's what he came up with; Bishop=boogers, Knight=fatty, Pawn=tooty, King=king crab, Queen, Poopie and the Rook was deemed DSI! Those are brilliant! I went through one more time explaining how all the pieces move, but the only difference was I called them by his names. Fuck, it was so much fun! He actually remember and still remembers today, which is three weeks later. Eventually we ran through contrasting his cool names with my stupid names. This was also fun because we would say things like "What was the cool name you made for this piece?" he'd answer "Fatty!" "Good, now what's my stupid name that my dumb face calls it?" "Knight" he's say with his tongue stuck out. They got it and we both had a terrific time getting there. I yes and'ed his contribution and look what we ended up with.

It hasn't been that long since that moment, but I have been trying to find it everywhere and in everything. What other improv concepts can I apply to my everyday life? Why the hell did it take me so long to realize this? Is this a big deal? I'm relatively smart. Oh well. Improv is great.
It's greater than we all realize. If you want to get foofy foofy with it we can. It's also just a cool way to be. Thanks for reading.


This is where you come in. Yes and...