How To Learn Improv Comedy

I was recently having a conversation with one of RA’s instructors, Murphy McHugh. We were talking about how to learn improv comedy and Murphy’s approach to teaching it, when he said something that surprised me:

What if you thought about Level 1 improv (Beginners Improv) as being about the first 90 seconds of your improv scene and Level 2 improv (Intermediate Improv) as being about the next 90 seconds?

I’ve been immersed in improv for 18 years now, so I’ve heard it all. But I never heard that. 

I decided it would be smart to find a time to talk with Murphy more about this approach to improv comedy. What follows is a word for word transcript of our conversation. In it Murphy explained to me the value of approaching improv with this mindset.

I hope you enjoy!

(Also, this is a strategic post, meant to give potential students a look under the hood at Murphy's teaching approach. Seems like a good time to look at these classes in particular, as Murphy is scheduled to start a new Beginners class at the end of the month, and a new Intermediate class later this week! You can learn more about both classes and sign up for them here.)

These improvisers are being timed.

Terry

So you were telling me that you were going to start approaching the way you teach beginning and intermediate improv classes a little differently I expected. That was so interesting. I wanted to explore it some more. 

Murphy 

Yeah, well you know, I think that longform improv is beautiful. And interesting. And the way it was done in Chicago in the 80s and 90s (where teams have an hour to do a Harold and there  are 16 people on a team) just isn't the same as it's being done now. I would guess that most teams are doing about 20 minute shows around me. A lot of the shows are just 15 minutes. 

Terry

Shows in DC now are only 15 minutes long?

Murphy 

There are slots out there in some of the shows that are 20 minutes sets or 25 minutes, but there are bills that are putting four acts in a show and each one has 15, yeah. 

Terry

Wow. So things are faster in DC now?

Murphy 

I think so. I mean you talk with people around the country, it seems like a lot of Harold nights would rather black you out at 20 minutes then at 25. 

Terry

Honestly, that's what it was like for me when I was on Harold Night at UCB. 

Murphy 

So, then break that down. With a Harold you're supposed to spend a few minutes on your opening and then your first three scenes and group game are going to be the longest scenes, while the rest of them are even shorter for time. So your longest scenes are only 2 1/2 to 3 minutes long.

Terry

I think that is fair.

Murphy

So that's sort of what's got me thinking about what's beginning improv (level 1) about and what's intermediate improv (level 2) about and it seems like especially in a UCB sort of world, if you can build a base reality and find something unusual in the first 60 to 90 seconds of a scene, that feels like you're setting yourself up to have another 60 to 90 seconds to play with a fun thing and heighten and explore.

Terry

OK.

Murphy 

Cause like how many times in practice Harold I know it's been. It's been this way for me. It's probably been this way for you too like when you're when you're just practicing improv you know you're you're learning Harold and the scene is just struggling and then it finds something towards the end of the scene and then you go like well. It's been a while. Let's just edit here. 

Terry

That's true. 

Murphy

That's where I think a level one class should focus, in addition to just sort of introducing the joy of improv and whatever. If you're looking to practice scenic skills for performance it's really like how can we find and agree on what this scene is early. How can we find a premise.

Terry

OK 

Murphy 

So that's Who We Are, Where We Are, What We're Doing. And then something unusual and that's the premise of the scene. 

Terry

Right 

Murphy 

And I think it's important to have time to play with it because the more you play with it the easier it is to recognize in second beats and go like, “Oh yeah that was clearly the game we got to play at three or four times in the first beat. And we made the moves a few times so we know how to do it. The back line knows how to support it, etc.“

Terry

Help me understand, because you're saying that your beginners class, you're now approaching it as what do we do about the first 90 seconds of the scene, right? 

Murphy 

Yeah.

Terry

And the intermediate class is what do we do about the next 90 seconds? 

Murphy 

Absolutely, absolutely, yeah once we establish the game how do we find a second, third, fourth beat where we activate that fun thing.

Terry

So, I might think, well, the hardest part is finding the thing, but you're saying it's a little bit more advanced to play with the thing once you found it. Do I have that right? 

Murphy 

I think it's a little more advanced. Tell me how many times you see this with students. You find the fun thing and you can't let it go. 

Terry

Yeah, sure.

Murphy 

The example I use a lot is like a doctor and a patient doing a check up in a check up room, that’s the base reality. The doctor has recently replaced his hands with lobster claws. There’s the unusual thing. How many times do you see that scene where the patient keeps asking questions about the lobster claws and we never get to do the exam?

Terry

Ha. 

Murphy 

And like the act of starting the exam is what helped us find the fun of it initially, so I think after we found it the next minute and a half to two minutes is about saying, “oh hey we as improvisers both know this is gonna be very funny to see this lobster hand doctor do a check up. And when you know, the first time, the doctor was like, “All right I'm just gonna put my stethoscope on your chest and breathe…” Clack Clack Clack. You know we’re gonna  get a laugh. What's the next part of the exam? Maybe a tongue depressor? And I'll bet there's gonna be fun lobster stuff at every step of the way so like find the unusual thing but also put it down sometimes. That's resting the game. I would say that's advancing the action, going back to the agenda of the scene. And letting that guide you because that's how you found the fun thing the first time so I'm sure you'll find it again and again and again if you stick with it.

Terry

So when you're working with a beginners group of improvisers, working with them on finding the unusual thing…

Murphy 

Yeah, absolutely I think one of the big challenges in improv is recognizing that there is an unusual thing and acknowledging it, focusing on it. I mean sure there's a doctor with lobster claws but why is the ceiling dripping blood, you know? 

Terry

That's a big problem, right? 

Murphy 

You already have something. There's an old Martin de Maat line where it's like, “You are enough, You are pure potential.” The fun thing that's in your scene, that's enough, right?

Terry

OK, so first of all, I have a huge interest in Martin. How are you connecting it to him? 

Murphy 

Just some old Martin quotes that I've I've read from stories about him where it's like you are enough. Bring yourself.

Terry

Right 

Murphy 

But I think it's also a great little quote for like, you know, you make a character choice and you go, “Oh that's fun, that's interesting.” You don't have to then invent other things. I would say the interesting or unusual thing. Because there are some scenes that don't have big wacky stuff, but they have something that's interesting.

Terry

So what do you do when someone is in a scene about joining a militia, like a local militia group? It's not funny, but it is interesting.

Murphy

Yeah I mean, I'm open to the scene being about it. I think we know that it's interesting or even unusual relative to base reality. I was in an Atamanuik workshop years ago and he was talking about playing at the height of your intelligence.

Terry

OK 

Murphy

I've never joined a local militia and I don't think you have either, right Terry?

Terry

No, not yet. 

Murphy McHugh

OK 

Terry

It’s on my bingo card for 2026.

Murphy 

So if you and I were doing a scene about joining a local militia, and we play it at the height of our intelligence, trying to play these characters as real as possible, maybe we'll do a really compelling dramatic thing where people go oh my gosh, that must be what it's like, but more likely than not there will be something unusual that shows up just organically in us trying to do this. 

Terry

I think a scene with a base reality of joining a local militia sounds interesting to me and I think it would probably be fun to play, but I wouldn't think that's the comedy of the scene. I would think that's the reality of the scene. We'll find something funny in it. You know something surprising about joining the militia. 

Murphy 

And if we never find the comedy in it, but we play a scene that's compelling, I don't think that's a wasted scene. When I talk about game, I talk about a pattern of behavior not in reaction to, but revolving around an unusual thing.

Terry

Ha ha sure 

Murphy 

So like the game isn't about the militia, it's about how me and you are acting with each other in this scene. Does that make sense? 

Terry

Yeah, it does.

Murphy 

So if I'm like a little too enthusiastic, that's enough. It's not crazy unusual that someone who's recruiting for anything would be a little enthusiastic, but if I can then open up that pattern, that behavior, and heighten it, then I can get more and more enthusiastic about militia stuff as we go.

Terry

Sure 

Murphy 

And that doesn't have to be like wacky. 

Terry

But it might be, it might be that 

Murphy McHugh

Yeah. 

You

OK, so level one with you is all about the first 90 seconds of the scene and that's gonna be establishing a base reality and settling on something. And the scene is going to focus on either something unusual that's gonna lead to a committed premise or something interesting?

Murphy McHugh

Yeah 

Terry

And then, after that, when it comes to how to learn improv comedy for level two you're moving onto the next 90 seconds of the scene, which you're using different verbiage for than I'm used to. Like I'm used to talking about justifying the unusual thing and then heightening a behavior pattern based on that justification. You called it, you said advancing? What was it? Advancing the plot, or advancing the action? 

Murphy 

I've spent close to a decade trying to nail down this thing, cause I think it's a little different. I'm calling it the action of the scene. I think one of the most neglected elements of base reality is what we're doing. 

Terry

Right…

Murphy

Who and the where are great typically, they're great for the first 90 seconds.

Terry

Yeah, that's true isn't it? We spent a lot of time with the who and the where and then the what is almost a lot of times not important.

Murphy 

Yeah 

Terry

We're cleaning dishes. 

Murphy

And scenes get stuck because they can't move past the discussion of, “Whoa that's weird. What are you talking about? Yeah that's weird. It makes sense to me. It's pretty weird to me. It makes sense to me.” It gets in those loops and we don't know how to rest the game because we're not using the what. The who we are and where we are is helpful but what are we doing here? You know I remember level one improv at UCB, I had a great time. I had some great teachers and we did object work stuff and environment work stuff, and it's like chopping carrots, or smoking a cigarette or whatever. 

Terry

Right 

Murphy 

But I think rather than having to invent a new thing that you're doing recognizing that chopping carrots or smoking a cigarette are sort of these micro actions and they're all part of something larger.

Terry

Yeah, I was just gonna ask. You're kind of saying, if I start a scene and we're siblings, were in the kitchen and we're cleaning dishes. Would you say then that my what is too narrow? 

Murphy 

I think it's I think it's surface level.

Terry

What do you want instead?

Murphy 

Well, cleaning dishes might be part of our after dinner ritual.

Terry

Ha ha, so if you're in a scene and you know what's fun about the scene and you also know who you are, where you are and the surface level what, then after those first 90 seconds you're gonna ask yourself, “What is the deeper part of my what?”

Murphy

Yeah, I mean like let's say we're two siblings in the kitchen cleaning dishes that's what we know at the start of the scene. A fun unusual thing shows up. You let me in on the fact that you're really getting into ancient Egypt at kind of an absurd level.

Terry

OK.

Murphy 

Yeah, you went to the museum and now you're thinking of living life as an ancient Egyptian.

Terry

Fair enough 

Murphy 

So like yeah, here's my sweet tunic and chest plate and I go I like, “Terry what are you doing? That's crazy! And you're like, no I really love ancient Egypt. 

Terry

Yeah, I've got my cuneiform and my stylus with me.

Murphy 

OK, look, you know we're just supposed to be doing chores, right? Because we could use washing dishes, we could take every dish that you dry and pass me and we can use that action to advance this conversation, but at that point the scene is just about a conversation. I think we can do so much more. Hey help me take these rugs outside and smack the dust out of them. 

Terry

Well, I like this. Sounds to me like working that way the justification becomes a little less important and maybe you can rely a little bit more on pattern?

Murphy 

Yeah, I think so and I mean a game is pattern of behavior right? If game is debating whether someone's crazier or not then it's conversational game if that debate is part of a larger pattern of behavior then it's action driven game. Does that make sense? 

Terry

Tell me again 

Murphy 

Like, I think that scenes and game is more than just talking and 

Terry

It’s behavior.

Murphy 

Yeah, it's about behavior and I think there's a really beautiful element of game when it can become nonverbal, when it can go from something that is said or how something is said and go into something nonverbal or gibberish and you can still see the pattern of behavior come through. And if our games are just based around whether it's reasonable or not for you to be slowly turning into a modern ancient Egyptian, then it's just gonna be a battle of wits you know who can say the smartest thing, but by going back to action it pushes us forward. It lets your unusual thing find us rather than spending the whole scene chasing the next example of the unusual thing.

Terry

Okay, got it!

Murphy 

Finally. Good.