What Is Improv? (Showbiz Term of the Day)

Improv, Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Today’s showbiz term of the day is “improv.” If you type the word “improv” into just about any editor where spelling is checked, the word will be flagged as being spelled incorrectly.

But in the world of acting, the word “improv” is a term that is used regularly. It  is one of many showbiz terms that you encounter as you venture into the show business industry that you are not likely to totally understand.

You may have heard the term “improv” if you ever watched the hilarious tv show “Whose Line is It Anyway?” with Drew Carey and Wayne Brady. My daughter and I first encountered the term when she joined “Giggle Gaggle,” a kids comedy and improv troupe with Joy Theatre in North Hollywood.

As an actor, you are quite likely to be asked to do improv in a comedy class or show. It is also sometimes done in regular acting classes, particularly good acting classes. You may even be asked to improv during an audition.  If you are trying to become an actor, you’d better know what improv is and be ready to do some whenever you are asked to do it.

So, “What is improv?”

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