I think this concept shows up earlier with the Green improvisers and Advanced Beginners too. Sometimes they want to work towards a goal so bad that they miss the "have fun" part.
For me I think attendance affects which style I lean towards. If I want a troupe to get better at something I'll tend towards deliberate practice if they are all there, but if a few people are missing then it doesn't make sense for some of the cast to focus on a specific skill while others miss the jam and won't be on the same page. In those cases I tend to make jams more Deliberate Play.
Agreed that deliberate play isn't something you need to "withhold" for upper levels. I see now how my structuring of this series reads that way. Thank you for clarifying!
I like your attendance barometer! I'd add that if the group is really small, like three people, I'll ask what they're all individually working on and run a more deliberate practice. It gives them the chance to get a lot of reps in their specific area of interest...a reward for showing up!
I am both loving these posts, and side-eyeing my improv teachers. "You mean you DIDN'T plan that short-form session because it was an inherent part of the curriculum, but because we were being way too intense about long-form and you wanted to bring some joy back into it? I feel BETRAYED!"
I think this concept shows up earlier with the Green improvisers and Advanced Beginners too. Sometimes they want to work towards a goal so bad that they miss the "have fun" part.
For me I think attendance affects which style I lean towards. If I want a troupe to get better at something I'll tend towards deliberate practice if they are all there, but if a few people are missing then it doesn't make sense for some of the cast to focus on a specific skill while others miss the jam and won't be on the same page. In those cases I tend to make jams more Deliberate Play.
Agreed that deliberate play isn't something you need to "withhold" for upper levels. I see now how my structuring of this series reads that way. Thank you for clarifying!
I like your attendance barometer! I'd add that if the group is really small, like three people, I'll ask what they're all individually working on and run a more deliberate practice. It gives them the chance to get a lot of reps in their specific area of interest...a reward for showing up!
I am both loving these posts, and side-eyeing my improv teachers. "You mean you DIDN'T plan that short-form session because it was an inherent part of the curriculum, but because we were being way too intense about long-form and you wanted to bring some joy back into it? I feel BETRAYED!"
Hahahah THERE WAS ALWAYS A MASTER PLAN!