Law and Order (Special Improv Unit)
- Kendall Dunham
- Nov 16
- 4 min read
Welcome back, friends! Last time we discussed the superpowers of adaptability and risk-taking. This week, I will talk about an amazing improv show that I went to at Baltimore Improv Group (BIG). Open your minds, grab some snacks, and enjoy a quick read!
Show Overview
The show I went to was called Law and Order: Special Improv Unit. In the show, two improvisers playing detectives got a person from the audience to be the victim of a crime. I got there late, but from what it seemed, they also picked a different person from the crowd to draw a crime scene.
From this drawing, the improviser detectives had to figure out what happened to the victim as well as who did it. They accomplished this by having around five different scenes, in which they met a new person (improviser) each time, who they questioned about their relationship with the victim, and also showed them the drawn crime scene. In each scene, the story of what happened to the victim was built on the last, and the new suspect (improviser) created a character who could have committed the crime.
After seeing all the suspects, it was up to the crowd to decide which two suspects they wanted to interview again. After that, the crowd would pick who they wanted the two detectives to arrest, and then we would watch that suspect in an improvised jury trial. There was a prosecutor, a judge, a defense attorney, a suspect, and a witness, while we, the crowd, were the jury that made the final decision on whether the suspect was guilty or innocent.
Supportive Environment and Energy
I don’t think any individuals conflicted with the group dynamics. Every character added felt like a new gift to the scene, and they welcomed every new character into it. I think this game setup could have easily led to one improviser detective choosing who they wanted to be guilty, or even the suspects choosing to play the murderer and saying very obvious things. Forcing your ideas onto a scene is not supporting your environment because you are not actively building with your partners. If this were to happen, the game would not have been as fun, and the audience wouldn’t have felt in control of the decision. However, all the improvisers supported an open environment where no suspect was guilty or innocent.
"Selfless acts" - Rebecca Groner
In this video, Groner talks about the importance of "selfless acts". And how "yes, and" is a form of these selfless acts because it helps build trust. When you "yes, and" (pg. 12 UCB Comedy Improvisational Manual), people feel heard, and you can be on the same page, even if you don't agree with everything they said. This I the same thing in real like. You can agree with the reality without agreeing with the person, allowing for a work environment that will help solve problems better.
The show had very lighthearted and interactive energy. The improvisers often came up into the crowd and sat in the audience while still in the scene. It was me and about 10 other people in the crowd with about 7 or 8 improvers. This number made the show feel very intimate, and as an audience member, I often gave suggestions, especially since the group was so small that they were actually heard and taken into consideration.
Insights and Reflection
The show mirrored real-world professional situations because, in the improv show, the improvisers had to listen and keep in mind what happened in other scenes in order to build cohesion of the story. This is evident in the real world because, on a team, if something happened in the past to one of your teammates that is relevant to the current scenario or problem, you will listen and take that into account when making decisions in the present.
A takeaway I had from the show was that I want to go to more improv shows! After this show, I debated staying after for the karaoke; however, I had other assignments to finish. I went alone and didn’t know anybody there. The audience ranged from college students to older adults; however, by the end of the show, I felt like I wanted to be friends with everyone there. It was definitely something I would go to again and invite friends to come as well.
Conclusion
It was amazing seeing a group outside of my class. It really showed how the values of listening and supporting your partners are present in all good, cohesive improv groups. I hope you'll join me again for my next post in a few weeks. Feel free to go back and read my other posts as well. See you soon!
I want to leave you guys with one more fun video of Shawn and Arabella acting out a scene where Arabella has low status and Shawn has high status. Enjoy!
Besser, Matt, et al. The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual. Comedy Council of Nicea, LLC, 2013.
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