Improv Syllabus and Reflection

Running head: SYLLABUS AND REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS 1

Hector Solis-Ortiz

Syllabus and Reflective Analysis

Loyola University Chicago

February 10, 2015

SYLLABUS AND REFLECTIVE ANALYSIS 2

Part I. Course Syllabus

PACE UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF THEATRICAL STUDIES

THEATER 201: Improv for Actors

Stanislavsky Building #204

Friday 12:00 PM-3:00 PM

Instructor Information:

Hector Solis-Ortiz, M.Ed.

Adjunct Professor, Theatrical Studies

408.712.7687 (cell)

[email protected]

Office Hours:

Office hours are scheduled by appointment. My availability is listed below:

Tuesdays 1pm-6pm

Wednesdays 12pm-3pm

Course Description:

This course is designed to provide a foundational grounding in improvisational acting. Specific

attention will be paid to the history of improv and how to connect emotionally with a scene using

humor. Given that this class is only for theater majors, students should have background

knowledge of stage performance before attending this class and should have already taken


Theater 101. This class will help with developing improv scenes by having a chance to “play” in

the classroom using a variety of short-form and long-form improvisational activities.

Learning Objective:

Students will gain a deeper understanding for the role of improv through the various learning

activities and course assignments.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be exposed to the history of improvisation.

2. Students will be exposed to various improv exercises, which will aid in creating scenes.

3. Students will recognize how to adapt to different actors styles based off how they approach

the work.

4. Students will be able to provide critical feedback to peers about their performances.

5. Students will be able to appreciate & critically review improv performances on stage.

6. Students will perform a “Harold” performance.

7. Students will reflect on their experience in the course and express how they can continue

developing their improv skills.

Reading Materials:

The required text for this course is available for purchase at the Pace Bookstore or online. Please

purchase your book as soon as possible since reading assignments will begin the second week of

class.

Required Text

Halpern, C., Close, D., & Johnson, K. (2001). Truth in comedy: The manual of improvisation.

Colorado Springs, CO: Meriwether Pub.


Course Assignments:

Assignments are due at the time specified in the course syllabus. Since most of this class is

performance based you are expected to attend every single class session. The only late

assignments that will be taken are the improv reviews. Each assignment will be docked one full

letter grade each day that it’s not turned in. If you have an extreme circumstance feel free to

outreach to the instructor and if need be we can accommodate based off individual

circumstances. Below is a full list of all the assignments and activities that you will be expected

to complete.

1. Improv Jams (10 points): Improv Jams are also known as participation. At the end of

certain class sessions each student will be expected to participate in an improv short form

game alongside other classmates. Some of these games include: four square scene work,

onion peel, freeze tag, etc. These games will be elaborated in each class section and you

will learn the functions of each activity throughout the end of this course. The purpose of

these improv jams is to gauge the level of how well you work with others and how

engaged you are in the work. You will be evaluated on your level of engagement

throughout the activity. There will be 10 improv jams throughout the semester, but will

be completely random as to which day they are to be played. If you actively participate

you will receive the point for the week and each point will add up to a total of 10 points.

2. Improv Review (30 points): You will need to see either three departmental improv

shows or professional improv shows in the city and write about your observations of the

production itself. These theater reviews need to be at least 5 pages in length. You will

need to support your statements by citing examples from the text. In your review you

should be critical as to how well the players on stage did “yes, and” to their ensemble


players and be critical of the character development of the scenes. The purpose of this

assignment is to see how you form opinions in improv work and to gauge your

understanding of the mechanics of art form. These improv theater reviews will be worth

10 points each for a total of 30 points by the end of the term.

3. Armando Mini Ensemble Performance (20 points): The class will be split into three

mini ensembles that consist of 4 students. There will be three in class performances of

the “Armando” long form improv model. Each performance will be a 30-minute in class

performance. As an improviser its important to learn while still being critical of your

peers/ensemble and you will have a chance to assess your peers and review their

performances. After the performance you will evaluate your peers based on the

worksheet that I provide in class. Each student will have one other student as to who they

are assigned to. The peer review will be a total of 5 points possible and you will also have

self evaluate yourself for 5 possible points. The instructor will administer the rest of the

10 points possible.

4. Harold Performance (30 points): The Harold is the oldest form of long form and is an

exciting form of storytelling. At the end of the term you will perform a long form Harold

show with the entire class. This performance will be the culmination of your entire

training throughout the course and will be an hour-long performance. You will perform in

front of a live audience of your family, friends and theater faculty. You will be evaluated

on your overall stage presence and how you work with your peers by three theater faculty

members.

5. Reflective Monologue (10 points): In order to have a moment to reflect each student

will develop a 5 minute improvisational monologue in which you tell the class how this


class impacted you or what you’ve learned from this experience and how you can take

the craft of improvisation into your work as an actor or as a person and continue to grow

in this discipline.

Grade Breakdown:

Your grade will be based on your performance in classroom participation, improv reviews and

on your performance. To do well in the class, you will need to read beforehand to be prepared to

talk about the course topic of the week and participate in discussions and improv games. Your

grade will be weighted as follows depending on how many points you receive for each

assignment.

Total Points Earned Final Grade

100-94 A

93-90 A-

89-87 B+

86-84 B

83-80 B-

79-77 C+

76-74 C

73-70 C-

69-60 D

59-0 F

Attendance:

Attendance is mandatory in order to do well. Every class we will be participating in performance

exercises with other classmates. If you miss a day you will have missed the opportunities to build


up points and there is no way to make up those points for the day. In this course your peers will

hold you accountable since there will be various group projects and since improv involves

having a strong ensemble in order to be successful you need to come to every class.

Academic Dishonesty:

Cheating and plagiarism (copying an answer or an idea from someone else's essay or a book or

using the text or ideas and arguments of another person without attribution) are the most serious

offenses in academic life. If they occur, you will lose credit for the work in question, and your

grade will certainly suffer. In addition, Pace procedures for handling cases of scholastic

dishonesty will be initiated. We will discuss what plagiarism is so that you can avoid making

mistakes in attribution and citation without intending to do so. Essays that have been plagiarized,

whether in whole or in part, will receive an F.

Disability Accommodations:

“If you are a student with a disability, this experience can be especially challenging. Resources

are available to students with disabilities through the Office of Disability Services to enable them

to have equal access to Pace University's educational programs and facilities.

Federal law, including the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, both as

amended, as well as state and local laws prohibit institutions of higher education from

discriminating against students with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act defines an

individual with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment, which

substantially limits one or more major life activities of the individual, has a record of such an

impairment, or is regarded as having an impairment.

Students with, among others, hearing, visual, or mobility impairments, or psychological

conditions may be eligible for a reasonable accommodation. More specific examples of


impairments include such things as specific learning disabilities, attention deficit and

hyperactivity disorder, traumatic brain injuries, bipolar disorder, vision and hearing loss, cerebral

palsy, paraplegia, and certain chronic health conditions.

Major life activities include, but are limited to, activities such as seeing, hearing, learning,

reading, concentrating, communicating, standing, walking, eating, sleeping, speaking, caring for

oneself, thinking, and the operation of a major bodily function.

Each student diagnosed with a particular disability will have a different level of functioning even

within the same disability category. Further, compensation skills will also vary from one student

to another and in the same student over time. Therefore, accommodations are determined on a

case-by-case basis according to a student's documented needs, guidelines suggested by federal

and state law, and criteria developed by the University.

Identifying and implementing a reasonable accommodation for a student with a disability is an

interactive process that includes shared responsibility between the University and the student.

Accommodations include, for example, academic adjustments or modifications, auxiliary aids

and services, and adjustments to make the campus, residential housing and transportation

accessible. Academic adjustments include such things as extended time to complete

examinations, a distraction-reduced testing environment, permission to record classes, and

course substitutions. Examples of auxiliary aids and services are note-taking services, readers

and/or scribes for examinations, sign language interpreters, and caption services.

The University is required to provide a reasonable accommodation; it is not required to provide

the specific accommodation requested by the student. In providing accommodations, the

University is not required to lower or effect substantial modifications to essential requirements or

to make modifications that would fundamentally alter the nature of the service, program or


activity. Thus, for example, although the University may be required to provide extended time

within which to complete a test, it is not required to change the substantive content of the test.

Personal attendants, individually prescribed devices, readers for personal use or study,

wheelchairs, hearing aids, and other devices or services of a personal nature are the responsibility

of the student, not the University. Finally, the University is not required to make adjustments or

provide auxiliary aids or services that would result in an undue burden on the University” (Pace

University, n.d.)

Campus Support Services:

“Walk-in tutoring is available free of charge for this course in the Tutoring Center in the Center

for Academic Excellence, located at 41 Park Row, 2nd Floor. Other services include Study Skills

Workshops, which include note-taking strategies, time management techniques, and methods for

reducing math anxiety.

How to get the most out of a tutoring session:

1. Start right away. Students who begin tutoring from the beginning of the semester typically

do better than those who wait.

2. Come prepared. Please bring your class notes and textbook. Look over the readings and try

the problems. If you can, bring a list of specific questions. The more you prepare, the more

you will get out of the session.

3. If you miss a class, please get notes from a classmate before your session. Tutoring is not a

substitute for attending class.” (Pace University, n.d.)


Course Calendar:

DATE TOPIC READINGS NOTES DUE Jan. 9 Getting Started Course

Introduction

Jan. 16 Improv Crash Course

Ch.1-What is Improv, Anyway?

Create Mini Ensembles.

Jan. 23 Don’t be Funny: Just Do

Ch.2- But Seriously, Folks

Intro to the “Armando”

Jan. 30 Trust on Stage Ch. 3-Support and Trust

Feb. 6 Yes, and? Ch. 4-Agreement Improv Theater Performance Review

Ensemble #1- Armando

Feb. 13 Learn to Play The Game

Ch.5-Initiations and Game Moves

Peer Review Discussion

Feb. 20 Character Play Ch.6 –Moment to Moment to Moment

Improv Review #1 Due

Feb. 27 From Dream to Reality

Ch.7-Building a Scene


Mar. 6 Working in Unison

Ch. 8-One, Mind, Many Bodies

Mar. 13 Know Yourself, Know Others

Ch.9-Environmentally Aware


Mar. 20 Intro to the Harold Performance

Ch.10-Responsibilities of a Harold Player


Mar. 27 Harold Workshop #1

Ch.11-How to Do a Harold

Apr. 3 Harold Workshop #2

Ch.12-Harold As a Team Sport




Reflective Monologues Due

Apr. 24 LAST CLASS Final Harold Performance


Part II. Articulation/Description

The syllabus is the backbone to the entire course that an educator puts forth towards its

students. As I went about in creating my syllabus for my Improv for Actors course there were a

few things to consider in order to create significant learning experiences. Nilson (2010),

mentions that when constructing a syllabus more often than not students come out with asking

more questions than originally intended, and that a well constructed syllabus should be detailed

and can run from anywhere from 5 to 10 pages. My hope is to create a comprehensive syllabus

in that it addresses all key points of the course and serves as a road map for the students that I

would be teaching.

The syllabus is broken down into 11 sections that include: course description, learning

objective, learning outcomes, reading materials, course assignments, grade breakdown,

attendance, academic dishonesty, disability accommodations, campus support services, and

course calendar. The reason that it is split up into these sections is to reflect Nilson’s (2010),

items that should be listed in the syllabus to build a comprehensive plan as to how to go about in

providing the necessary information for students.

The course description delves deeper into the content of what the course is designed to

accomplish and whom it is meant for. This class in particular serves as a progression in the

acting coursework for students that are solely studying theater and is meant to build on their

theater background. At this point students should have already taken Theater 101 where they

learned the basic theory of acting anywhere from characterization to stage direction. This class

will pay particular attention to the art of improv and how to incorporate humor into scene work.

Students will be required to work with other classmates to put on performances together based

off the particular short and long form types of improvisational games that will be taught in class


every week. The overall learning objective of the course is for students to gain a deeper

understanding of the role that improv takes in developing meaningful scenes through

performance and critical review assignments.

Fink (2013) states, “teachers can create...conditions in which flow activities are likely to

occur if students can begin to experience flow in their learning, it will lead to the realization of a

need for more challenges and more learning” (p. 172). In accordance with Fink’s (2013)

interactive nature of significant learning model, I derived 7 learning outcomes that would focus

on providing significant learning experiences in the classroom. These outcomes were as follows:

students will be exposed to the history of improvisation; students will be exposed to various

improv exercises, which will aid in creating scenes; students will recognize how to adapt to

different actors’ styles based off how they approach their work; students will be able to provide

critical feedback to peers about their performances; students will be able to appreciate and

critically review improv performances on stage; students will perform a “Harold” performance;

and students will reflect on their experience within the course and express how they can continue

developing the craft of improv. The hope is that these learning outcomes would guide the work

and activities that students would partake in during the semester.

In order to make sure that these learning outcomes were in line with Fink’s (2013)

significant learning model there were 5 major assignments that students would need to complete.

The first assignments are the “Improv Jams” which are worth 10 points. These “improv jams”

would tie in with the first learning outcome of establishing foundational knowledge. Students

will be required to read, Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation by Charna Halpern this

will inform the history behind improvisation as well as help students gain the knowledge to

manifest scenes through the various exercises that are outlined the book. These jams are also


meant to monitor participation in the classroom. Since the art of improv requires working as an

ensemble it is important to be present at all class sessions. Students would also be fulfilling the

second learning outcome in the syllabus that of being exposed to various improv exercises that

will aid in creating scene work which ties in with the application goals to a significant learning

experience. Students would be able to think creatively and create scenes based off the mechanics

of the activity while working with others.

The second assignment are the “improv reviews” that account for 30 points of the overall

grade in which students are required to attend an improv show that is sponsored by the theater

department or they may choose to attend a public one in the city. The intent behind this

assignment is to gauge how well students understand the properties of improv as an art form.

The hope is that students will be able critically review a performance and speak to the way in

which improv is demonstrated based off the theoretical framework from the required text as well

as forming personal opinions. This would go hand in hand with the third learning outcome,

where students will recognize how to adapt to different actors styles based off how they

approach the work and also ties in with the integration goal of the significant learning

experience. Fink (2013) states, “teachers help students learn how to make informal and

thoughtful decisions...that are consistent with their own values” (p. 183). This integration goal

comes in the form of encouraging students to trust their own artistic opinion and be candid as to

how they felt watching a live performance and how they could adapt their improv styles based

off seeing different shows while still being critical based off their training throughout the

semester.

The third assignment is an “Armando mini ensemble performance” that will be a total of

20 points of the overall grade. Students will be divided into three mini ensembles that consist of


4 actors. An “Armando” is a long form improv activity that resembles a storytelling-style

monologue, based on an audience suggestion. After the monologue, the students play

improvised scenes inspired by the monologue. The “Armando” will be a 30-minute in class

performance. This assignment will focus on the fourth learning outcome where students will be

able to provide critical feedback to peers about their performances and would also tie in with the

human dimension goal of the model. Students will learn how to understanding their classmates

process and how to interact with others while working on their self-awareness in scene work.

The hope is that students in this in class performance have a chance to rate their fellow ensemble

members in order to get better at the craft as well as empower students to grow artistically being

in a safe space with their peers. In addition, students will also be filling out a self-assessment in

order for the instructor to see where the student feels they are in their artistic development.

Since all of improv has to do with audience interaction this will be especially beneficial in order

to get better as they move on to their final performances later in the semester.

The fourth assignment will be a part of the the 6th learning outcome in which students

will perform a “Harold” that will consist of working with the entire class which is a total of 30

points. A “Harold” is a long form improv game that consists of a number of sub-formats and

consists of 3 components: scenes, games, and monologues. The students will begin with an

audience suggestion and based of this the actors in the scene will be inspired and start a new

scene. There will be 3 rounds of scenes that are based on the themes found from the first scene.

Since these themes originate from the audience suggestion they will hopefully see the links

between scenes. The hope is that this assignment will tie in with the students caring goal. Fink

(2013) states, “the teacher first does something to connect students with their own feelings about

the topic and then has students take an action that was informed by the first step” (p. 179). The


hope is that by the time of this performance students would have already learned that improv

comes from raw emotion and scenes should always have a sense of sincerity and truthfulness.

Once students realize that learn how to harness those emotions when doing longer scenes. This

“Harold” performance will be a 60 minute showcase in front of a real audience and housed in the

Pace playhouse. The instructor and two other theater faculty members would then evaluate the

acting students.

The fifth and final assignment is a reflective monologue, which is a total of 10 points.

This assignment is intended to fulfill the seventh learning outcome of being reflective and

showcasing how to be a self-directed learner. Students will have to develop a 5-minute

improvisational monologue in which they share with their peers what they have learned in the

classroom and how they can take the craft of improvisation into their work and continue to grow

artistically. Fink (2013) mentioned that you want to gauge their interest in the subject by

focusing on parts that they enjoyed and then building on that idea by encouraging them to find

ways in which they can continue to develop. Hopefully with this assignment students will have a

chance to express those concerns and find a way to continue to learn more about improv as they

progress in their theatrical degrees. Finally, all of these assignments went in line with the

learning outcomes, but also complemented Fink’s (2013) model.

The course calendar is important to highlight to showcase that the class will take place

over the course of 16 class sessions. Each session has it’s own designated topic area that will be

covered, but will be based off the readings from the book and will elaborate more on what was

read for that given week. It also notes when all of the assignments are due for the class. The rest

of the syllabus is very much just a breakdown of how the point distribution will work out, late


assignments policy, attendance policy, academic dishonesty clause, disability accommodations,

and campus support services.

Part III. Reflection

Creating a syllabus has been one of the most challenging things that I have done in this

program. It was a great way to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that go into

creating a meaningful learning experience for the students that you are serving as an educator.

The most challenging part of this exercise was trying to find ways in which to connect Fink’s

(2013) interactive nature of significant learning model into the learning outcomes. The main

reason for this is, is that my class was not a traditional introductory course and was also an arts

based curriculum. Since most of the assignments were meant to be performance based I also had

a difficult time trying to incorporate activities in which students that might be introverted rather

than extroverted would have an opportunity to engage fully in the classroom. This is why the

class that I developed was purposely for students that were majoring in theater and would have

an existing background in performance. Knowing the background of my student demographic it

made it easier to structure the course. I believe once I understood Fink’s concepts a bit more it

was a little easier to find ways to incorporate the 6 significant learning experiences model. The

easiest part of the assembling the syllabus was finding ways in which the assignments intersected

through various learning outcomes and how fluid that process was throughout. For example,

there are two large performance based assignments in which students have to work together to

create scenes, but students have a chance to build on their knowledge from previous assignments.

Nilson (2010) states, “the syllabus has evolved from a short sterile list of required readings,

topics assignments...to an elaborate, detailed blueprint...the document has even added several

opportunities for instructors to place personal trademarks” (p.41). Throughout this exercise it


was a liberating experience in that I had total autonomy on what to do and how to structure my

course, but at the same time that was nerve-racking in that you as an educator want to make sure

that you are putting your best foot forward into the work. I have learned that a syllabus sets the

tone as to how things will run and students will hold you accountable to what you say you will

do and that is a big responsibility. Overall, this was an enlightening experience in that I

personally gained a deeper understanding on how to create not just a course, but create

experiences that transcend over time. My hope would be that students who did take my course

would be able to use the skills of improv in their work as they move forward in their theater

degree and find ways in which to make this craft relevant in their work as artists moving forward

in the future.


References

Fink, L. D. (2013). Creating significant learning experiences: An integrated approach to

designing college courses (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Nilson, L. B. (2010). Teaching at its best: A research-based resource for college instructors. San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Syllabus Statement | Center for Academic Excellence | Pace University. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.pace.edu/center-academic-excellence/tutoring-center/new-york-city-campus-

2/syllabus-statement

Documents

Improv Syllabus and Reflection