The Anthropology of Improv (I of II)
be careful of that gear shift," says Tommy.
"That not what you said last night."
Jeff yells, "Stop!" and concludes our game.
Although this brief improvised scene represented only a small proportion of our evening's presentation, it carried nevertheless the full weight of a cultural performance. In a single slice of time, the participants of the evening collaborated creatively to reproduce some of the more salient aspects of our cultural awareness. Wayne, Tommy, and I dutifully interpreted our roles within the constraints provided. The audience wickedly contributed snippets of tension between the ordinary and extraordinary in everyday life. Our director Jeff served as gatekeeper, editor, and storyteller, determining when and where to create drama and resolution. In the following section (to appear in the next edition of Topics in Anthropology), we will discuss how improvisational comedy does the work of culture and what an anthropological analysis of improv can reveal.
Part II will appear in the next issue of Topics in Anthropology
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