Improvised scene work

The final scenes from Woody Allen's Take the Money and Run:


Whenever I tell someone that I'm going to improv rehearsal, they jokingly respond "how do you practice improv?" Well, there are multiple ways to practice improv, but one of the best is to practice the essentials of scene building - quickly developing C.R.O.W., creating high stakes, making strong decisions, etc. - and making all of that second nature to one's self. After that happens, the focus can be put on the "game" that is being played.

There are many important elements to the final scenes in Take the Money and Run. 1) The two characters focus solely on their relationship. 2) Virgil has strong motives - to rob this man. 3) Status takes a sharp turn in the end, changing the holder of it from Virgil to Eddie. 4) It's fun and doesn't worry the audience. 5)There is an obvious "game" being played.

The "game" was one of the best I have ever witnessed. It was to reminisce in a situation where two people would not be civil. But what made it stand out was that the game was about their relationship. It stayed about the two, and it didn't need any outside influence.

Though the scene isn't improvised, it is still one that can teach improvisers about the necessities of scene work. It's a great comic scene that follows a simple through line, it develops the essentials to scene building, and most of all, it is fun to watch.