Great thread here!

Dare I speak the name of the mighty Mamet?

Improv is one of the ways to go...

Nothing like just jumping into some kind of Open Mic night is there? I've never done it since I generally have no time for gigs that aren't associated with paying my mortgage, but it seems cheap enough.
My collegiate experiences were NOT that helpful, but you aren't me. So maybe they could help? Why not?

Ad-lib and improv are not the same thing - the first is an occasional divergence from your scripted performance, the second is that you don't work from a script at all.

You can work from a script perfectly fine for 95% of the time in a mentalism performance. Even seemingly random routines like blindfold sequences and Q&A's can be structured and paced with your ad-libs building to a known outcome.

In fact, too much ad-libbing could be a warning sign that your blocking isn't tight enough and that you're trying to cover fumbling around with volunteers and props, or that you're yielding too much control to spectators and need to compensate with quips. Trust me, I've been there.

There are naturals who can improvise an entire stage act, it's a valid approach... but not for everyone and maybe not for most. For those starting out, I suggest the study of traditional stagecraft before improvisation.

Brilliant post Malchat. Very well and elegantly put.

DT3

Allan-

Based on your avatar, it seem you are lucky enough to live in a city that offers perhaps the greatest improv classes available- Second City. And that PARTICULAR Second City theater (and school), has a star-studded history. As in, ALL the "SCTV" members.

As a fairly green mentalist, but former professional actor and stand-up of 17 years, I can tell you that ANY stage experience, from straight public speaking, to improv, to dramatic acting, to stand-up, can only help your act.

After 10 years of television writing, I have recently returned to the stage- as a mentalist, not a stand-up. Not too long ago, I did a stage show. One of my effects was an add-a-no routine with a non-gaffed pad (Carlyle's brilliant idea). In getting one of the volunteers to offer a two-digit number that was a significant date for them in the 20th century, they wrote down "00". (I knew I was in trouble). When asked, "Why 00?", the elderly lady said, "That's when my father was born- 1900!" I won't go into which way I took the effect; suffice it to say that I was thankfully armed with 17 years of live comedy experience, didn't panic, and indeed, smoothly carried on the show. In fact, I ended up getting many laughs I hadn't anticipated due to the curveball thrown me, and it was perhaps the most entertaining part of the night. In addition, I still managed to save the effect, as I didn't panic; I just found a logical way to move on. If you're comfortable on stage... REALLY comfortabe, your synapses are wide open, and you'll be able to cut on a dime.

While I am in agreement with Malchat that one should focus on scripting the act FIRST, I believe it is EQUALLY important to learn how to think on your feet. In fact, one might argue it is important to learn how to do it CONCURRENTLY with scripting, as in the beggining of your stage career, more will go wrong during your act than later on, when you are more experienced. The ability to "be in the moment", as has been mentioned here, is essential. Waaaayyyy too many magicians and mentalists (and comedians, as well) sound like they're on automatic pilot, due in large part to the fact that they've done the same show, every night, for twenty years. But we must be able to audible, to change directions, to deviate, to ad lib... and to improvise. Get on stage as often as you can, Allan. There is no substitute for experience. Just remember to keep it real, keep it new, and as Johnny Carson said, "keep in interesting".

I was performing last year in Don's Theo's area at a gig with Second City. They were GREAT! If you can work with those guys, that would be really good!
However, not much can prepare you for those crazy things that happen other than your whit(sp) and experience.

I lived in NYC for 21 years and trained at Chicago City Limits on 61st street, and the Second City location in NYC as well... Great for any act or actor to train in improv and theatre games...

Improv teaches you to be prepared to say "Yes". That is CRITICAL in connecting with an audience. BATS rules!

Bay Area Theatre Sports does wonderful work. I should be able to get down to the Bay Area this summer, and they're on my list of things to do.




Curt

Indeed. But, having trained improv myself, I can honestly say that -for mentalism- you have enough knowledge under your belly with a workshop of four days.
Acting classes take more time, and are indeed more valuable. But if you're going to study both, I'd actually start with improv. Some people I met did it the other way around, which wasn't a good thing for many of them.
I mean : why would you go back to using a script if you know how to improvise, right ? Wrong.
But having knowledge of improv can only help in those moments when something goes wrong... it can help in the spur of the moment.
Afterwards, at home, you can go back to your script and analyse blocking, etc.
The two disciplines complement each other charmingly, only does the acting skill take a lot more time. Just my opinion, of course.

Wow! There's a ton of great opinions here to digest!

I've actually started scripting my routines after reading McCabe's "Scripting Magic" a few weeks ago and it has helped me understand my presentation more.

My main goal for taking this improv course it to be more confident,more entertaining and to be "quick on my feet" when certain unforeseen situations happen.

gabelson:
Well that's the thing, I have two options for the courses one is Second City and another one is a smaller theatre company called Bad Dog Theatre Co. and apparently, a lot of the instructors from SC also teach at Bad Dog but I'm favoring more for SC because of it's history.

Thanks guys,
Allan

I've never taken an acting lesson or improv class in my life so of course I feel perfectly qualified to pass on my expertise in this matter.

Confidence is one of the key ingredients to a good on stage performance irrespective of what you're doing. Anything you do that's likey to enhance that quality will be beneficial.

Neal

The only way to think on your feet during your act, and be prepared for any curveball thrown your way, is to be comfortable, relaxed, and confident on stage. It doesn't matter how you get there, just get there. Two words: "stage time".

The thing about confidence and competance are much like chickens and eggs.