A Guide to Keith Johnstone’s THEATRESPORTSTM Published 2017 by the International TheatresportsTM Institute (ITI) 215 - 36 Avenue NE, Unit 6 I Calgary, AB I T2E 2L4 I CANADA Copyright © 2017 ITI Originally produced exclusively for ITI performance rights members free of charge. Now also available to non-members. This guide is in no way a replacement for performance rights. Cover Photograph: Non performance rights holders wishing to perform the TheatresportsTM format Teatro A Molla - Bologna, Italy should apply at: by Gianluca Zaniboni [email protected]. Photo next page: Loose Moose Theatre - Calgary, Canada Layout: Dagmar Bauer konzipiert & gestaltet, Stuttgart, Germany by Breanna Kennedy Illustrations by fotolia.com CONTENTS 8 INTRODUCTION 28 THEATRESPORTS™ 8 About This Guide IN MORE DETAIL 9 Keith Johnstone 28 Disaster is Unavoidable 10 Resources 28 The Start of the Show 10 The International Theatresports™ Institute (ITI) 29 Commentator 29 Competition 12 THEATRESPORTS™ BACKGROUND 30 Teams 12 What is Theatresports™? 30 Team Entrances 12 Theatresports™ Origins 31 Seating the Teams 13 The Global Explosion of Theatresports™ 31 Leaving the Stage 15 What Theatresports™ Can Achieve 32 Judges 15 Content 33 Judges Entrance 33 Hell Judges 16 IMPORTANT CONCEPTS 34 The Horn 16 What You Need to Know Before You Start 37 The Basket 16 The Spirit 37 Scoring and Scorecards 17 Failure 38 Fairness 18 Teamwork 38 Challenges 18 Misbehavior 41 Winning Prizes 19 Skills 41 Keith’s Advice 20 Terminology 22 LET’S BEGIN 42 ATTENTION TO DETAIL 22 Theatresports™ by Stealth 42 Scenography 22 The Quick Start 43 Notes 23 What You Need for Basic Theatresports™ 44 Games List 23 A Theatresports™ Show 24 The 10 Minute Game 46 IN CLOSING 25 The Free Impro 46 Final Words 25 The Danish Game 46 For More Information 26 The Regular Challenge Match 27 Variety ✻ ✻ ABOUT THIS GUIDE INTRO- We hope you find this guide to be a useful resource and worked with Keith over the past 40 years. Some of Keith Johnstone for information and inspiration about how to play The- them are, or have served as members on the board of The As an improviser, you are not trying to suceed all the time, you’re performing risky actions in search of a miracle. DUCTION atresportsTM. International TheatresportsTM Institute (ITI). It has been created to provide assistance for groups just Don’t do your best. Make the other people look good. Then you look good. starting out, to give direction to those who are unsure if Although there are insights here on improvisation, this they are heading in the right direction, and as a reminder guide is primarily focused on TheatresportsTM. We encour- Make the mistakes and stay happy. to groups who have been playing a long time to check in age you to continue building your improvisation skills on their progress and development. through study with informed teachers and various resour- ces, such as Keith Johnstone’s: Here you will find information about the history of KEITH JOHNSTONE TheatresportsTM, the skills needed to play, the spirit and Books theory behind the concept, as well as practical informa- IMPRO Improvisation and the Theatre Keith Johnstone was born in 1933 in Devon, tion on the structure, the components and how to put (available in many languages) England. He grew up disillusioned by school, them together in performing the format. Throughout IMPRO FOR STORYTELLERS finding that it blunted his imagination. The you will find useful Keith Johnstone quotes, suggestions http://www.keithjohnstone.com/writing/ Royal Court Theatre commissioned a play that might inspire discussion points with your group, and http://theatresports.com/keiths-books/ from him, and he continued to work there interesting TheatresportsTM notes to aid you in success- from 1956 to 1966, as a play-reader, dir- fully and enjoyably playing TheatresportsTM. DVDs ector and drama teacher, ending as an Impro Transformations Associate Director. In his classes he began Most of the material in this study Trance Masks to question the impact schooling had on his guide comes directly from Keith keithjohnstone.com/video/ imagination by exploring the reversal of all Johnstone via his classes, news- theatresports.com/dvds-on-keith/ that his teachers had told him in an attempt letters, his writings about The- to create more spontaneous theatre actors. atresportsTM in his book IMPRO Workshops It was at this time that Keith developed a FOR STORYTELLERS and through Keith Johnstone Impro intensives series of improvisational exercises to help conversations with him person- keithjohnstone.com playwrights overcome writers block and by SteveJarand ally. Additional material and The Loose Moose Theatre International Summer School for actors to work more spontaneously. He commentary is provided by loosemoose.com founded the improvisation group The Theatre Machine in Stanford University is home to The Keith Johnstone improvisers who have practiced Teachers from the ITI suggested teacher list the 1960’s, which toured Europe and North America and papers which consist of original plays, writings, corres- TheatresportsTM for decades theatresports.com/teachers/ was invited by the Canadian Government to perform at pondence, theatrical materials, journals, artwork, and ITI member companies (some with training programs) Expo 67. Keith moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the more. To be more specific, it includes early chapter drafts Vancouver Theatresports - Canada (ca. 1982) theatresports.org/our-members/ 1970’s and in 1977 co-founded the Loose Moose Theatre of IMPRO and IMPRO FOR STORYTELLERS (inc. early writ- Company. ings & drafts on TheatresportsTM), some of Keith’s original, letters (including letters to Keith from Del Close, Peter Enjoy your journey into the world of TheatresportsTM and Keith invented the Impro System and improvisation Coyote, Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter, Anthony Stirling, may you find the fun, inspiration, and great potential in shows such as Gorilla TheatreTM, Maestro ImproTM, Life Royal Court colleagues, Theatre Machine members, the format that many thousands all over the globe have Game and TheatresportsTM. He is a Professor Emeritus of etc.). It also includes many of Keith’s earliest short stor- Did you know?.... also found since 1977. The University of Calgary. His books (IMPRO and IMPRO ies, documents from his years with Royal Court, Theatre TM Theatresports has been FOR STORYTELLERS) outsell Stanislavsky in Germany. He Machine and Loose Moose Theatre plus newspaper clip- played on every continent ITI – Inspire The Improviser! is a playwright of children’s productions and both short pings, reviews, programs, photos, letters, artwork, and except Antarctica and in and full-length adult plays which have been performed in posters. 8 over 60 countries! ✻ Europe, North America, Africa and South America. 9 ✻ INTRO- DUCTION RESOURCES Biographical Information Keith Johnstone - A Critical Biography by Theresa Robbins Dudeck The Keith Johnstone Papers Questions about the “Keith Johnstone Papers” or inquiries about Johnstone’s literary works, contact Theresa Robbins Dudeck, Literary Executor for Keith Johnstone. [email protected] theresarobbinsdudeck.com Keith Johnstone It’s called playing. It’s a play. You’re a player. Think of that. THE INTERNATIONAL THEATRESPORTSTM INSTITUTE (ITI) In 1998, the International TheatresportsTM Institute (I.T.I.) Those groups who perform one or more of the formats: was created. It is a democratic organization to which Keith TheatresportsTM, Maestro ImproTM, and Gorilla TheatreTM Johnstone has entrusted the legacy of the format The- do so after applying for and being approved for perform- atresportsTM. The ITI is a membership association of groups ance rights. Rights are extremely inexpensive and there and individuals joined together by a shared passion in the are concessions for countries with a low GDP. Schools are work of Keith Johnstone. also required to obtain permission but there are no fees The purpose of the ITI is: attached. The ITI manages the licensing of the formats 1. To continue as the world’s most reputable authority to these groups and provides resources for learning and on Keith Johnstone’s formats: TheatresportsTM, Gorilla development in the field of improvisation. Fees collected TheatreTM and Maestro ImproTM. from performance rights go towards managing the ITI and 2. To create a lively, engaged and sharing community of giving support to its members. Keith Johnstone has always members. refused to take any money from TheatresportsTM royalties. All TheatresportsTM royalties go towards development and services for the ITI and its licensed groups. TheatresportsTM was the first form of international The ITI is here to support you and answer any ques- exchange in Improvisation. Groups from around tions you may have regarding Keith’s work including the globe first spoke to each other through the improvisation techniques, games and the use of the common language of TheatresportsTM. TheatreportsTM itself. Please don’t hesitate to contact us at: Randy Dixon - Unexpected Productions [email protected]. UWCSEA Theatresports Show - Singapore 10 Seattle, USA with permission from UWCSEA 11 ✻ WHAT IS THEATRESPORTSTM? THE GLOBAL EXPLOSION OF THEATRESPORTSTM TheatresportsTM is an improvisation based theatre Keith was exploring the basis of TheatresportsTM in his of this new show started to spread and TheatresportsTM THEATRE- format and the artistic creation of Keith Johnstone. It classes at the Royal Court Theatre in the late 1950’s and companies began popping up all over. Keith’s reputation SPORTSTM entertains and educates the performers and audience. testing it in front audiences with his group The Theatre and international teaching lead to a further spread of the On the surface it is a team based ‘theatre competition’ Machine around Europe in the 60’s. TheatresportsTM, as form and soon Loose Moose Theatre would host an array BACKGROUND with the same illusory struggle that professional wrest- we now know it, was first performed publicly in 1977 by a of international guests wanting to learn more from Keith ling exhibits. In front of the audience the competitors group of university students who later formed The Loose and more about TheatresportsTM.