Theatresports a type of theatre was developed by director Keith Johnstone in 1977. It is an impromptu, developmental type drama process, where opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions. The audiences are often drawn into the drama by becoming involved in tasks such as giving ratings, or there can be a panel of judges who are usually trained improvisers themselves.
The Development of Theatre Sports
Johnstone developed the idea for Theatresports when he observed techniques used in professional wrestling. To encourage audience participation in the drama and to stimulate audience reaction, various engaging strategies were used. The strategy of encouraging excited enthusiastic audience participation he called "generating heat. "
Keith Johnstone is a professor emeritus at the University of Calgary, and a founding Artistic Director of the Loose Moose Theatre. He has written many plays and directed in several theatres internationally. He is considered "... one of the few internationally recognized teachers of improvisation, most of which he created...," according to BBC Radio Four, February 2003.
Drama Strategy Called Generating Heat
It is common in this style of theatre to improvise scripts by challenging participants to become involved as they "cat call" judges acting in role, and by allowing audience member/s (perhaps plants) to offer an object as a prop. Perhaps the audience may be encouraged to start and/or end the impromptu performance by suggesting phrases. School students might be comfortable with strategies such as inviting them to summarise a major movie in one minute.
There is an idea that weaves through theatre sports. It wraps itself around the idea of "heat." This idea involves role playing within enactment about rule-breaking. Within this context the audience might be encouraged to enter the play by booing judges. These types of interactions can evolve as the audience participate passionately protesting low scores. or an interjector may act out in opposition until such time as the judges eject him or her from the game.
Devices such as taking an actor hostage might be pre-scripted as a way of forcing a story to go in a certain direction.
The Philosophy of Theatre Sports
Theatre Sports is based around the idea of spontaneity. The improvisers seek to encourage building characters and to kindle spontaneous, collaborative storytelling. The atmosphere must be one of experimentation and emotional safety, therefore, jokes and gags are seen as disrupting the narrative. It is important to establish a "platform" early in a scene to define the characters and background. This strategy is designed to build trust between actors both onstage and off. Once an atmosphere or platform of trust is established, then and only then, can conflict be introduced into the ongoings.
Ever-shrinking "Circle of Possibilities"
As the script evolves there is an ever-shrinking "circle of possibilities" effect that develops. This, when it has evolved naturally, defines what sorts of offers the improviser might reasonably make within the context of the scene.
As the script begins, there are endless possibilities for development. Once offers for scripting are proffered, a logical consistency arises. This logic will develop its own internal framework of the reality of the scene. As this becomes clearly defined, this consistency causes the circle of possibilities to shrink. Students would not be encouraged to step outside the naturally evolving circle of possibilities by making offers and contributions that seem inconsistent with this evolvement.
The Theatre Sports Trademark
"Theatresports" is a trademark and the copyright belongs to Keith Johnstone. This style of theatre has a managing body called the International Theatresports Institute. Impro Australia Incorporated is the Australian owned and managed branch and the trademark of Theatresports.
Plays and Books by Keith Johnstone
"Many people find my adult plays disturbing, but isn't the whole universe disturbing? Anyway, be warned. And I apologise for not being about to write more comfortable plays," says Keith Johnstone.
His book, Impro is one of the key authority books written on improvisation to date. The book, Impro For Storytellers, is a guide to teaching improvisation and Theatresports™. His many other publications show that he is a prolific and innovative inventor of many new forms of improvisation. These trademarks include Theatresports™, Micetro Impro, Gorilla Theatre and The Life Game. These types of theatre are developing and becoming internationally popular.
Resources:
Johnston.K Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre. Methuen Drama. Lon 2007 (key authority book).
Johnston.K Impro For Storytellers: A Guide to Teaching Improvisation and Theatresports™. Routledge. 1999.
Johnston.K Impro For Story Tellers: Theatresports and the Art Of Making Things Happen. Faber and Faber. Lon. 1999.
Taylor May.R Theatre Games for Children. Bringing Out the Creative Spirit With Theatrical Activities Theatre Ed. Suite.101 Canada. 2009.
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