Stop Being Cute!

Posted By: Peter Kim

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Cute: adj. affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious

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I cannot stand watching an improviser being cute on stage. Cute players are needy players - much like people who act cute in real life. Let me rephrase that - "acting cute on stage" - naturally cute improvisers are born that way and often forgivable.

I sat in on an Improv I session the other night and sidecoached a player to stop trying to be funny. He was pushing a joke that broke all the great character work he had done at the top of his scene. His retort: "but I like being funny, that's my thing!"

I get this response all the time by improvisers who get on stage and play for themselves. They want the attention to be on how smart, funny, attractive, and how much of a classically trained thespian they are. These players also usually steamroll scenes, walk on to scenes when they are not needed and tag out players as soon as they establish a fun game because they have a witty edit with which they are DYING to show off. To which, my response is always - "go do stand up".

Yes, our goal is to create comedy. I'm a big proponent of Improv Comedy (vs Improv Theater). If improv isn't funny, I don't care to watch it (nor does the general public who would pay good money). The difference is that when performing improv, you get to the funny together as a team, as opposed to stand up where you get to the funny alone. By selfishly going for the joke, some ridiculous endowment and personal cuteness, you are making it harder for your scene partner to play with you.

We laugh for 3 main reasons: 1) Surprise 2) Release of Tension 3) Reflected Truth. Sure it's easy to shock and surprise the audience with a dick joke, but we as long form improvisers are called to play at the top of our intelligence, both mental and emotional. We are striving for that 3rd funny factor - the Truth in Comedy. So stop being cute, and start being honest.