Fueling Narrative with Desires and Influence

Narrative improv is improvised theater which follows a coherent storyline instead of a series of disconnected scenes. Narrative improv can be very linear, with every scene following a single protagonist through a series of chronological events. However, it can also be more complex, weaving together a few separate threads into a larger whole by the end of the show.

A typical Wünderstudies show begins with three scenes, each of which introduces a separate narrative thread in a single world. Six players, three scenes, three narrative threads. These threads then collide throughout the show as the players enter scenes with players from the other threads. In the end, all of the threads combine in a big group finale, where all of the characters reach their natural conclusions together.

From the perspective of an individual player, there are three responsibilities to fulfill in the show:

1. Set up a very clear desire for your character.
   (e.g. Jen wants to take over the company, Bob wants to make his father proud, etc.)
2. Influence other characters toward or away from the object of their desire, and let other characters do the same to your character.
   (e.g. walk in on Jen at an incriminating moment, give Bob an award, etc.)
3. At the end of the show, let your character's motivation be achieved or thwarted.
   (e.g. Jen is given the company when the boss dies, Bob cannot show his award to his father after his father dies, etc.)

Typically, the biggest challenge is exerting influence on other characters, while remaining true to your own character. If your character is a janitor at a midwest high school, how will you influence the president of the United States? If your character is a dolphin in the sea, how will you influence the commander of a German submarine? Sometimes the threads are so far apart, it is very difficult to bring them together in a way that makes sense and drives each character's narrative forward.

The trick to avoid such difficulties is to choose a character which is well positioned to influence the desires of all the previously introduced characters. This is what I call the Heightening Influence Principle, because each new character has more influence than the characters introduced before.

It's pretty simple. If you're in scene 1, just introduce characters with strong desires. If you aren't in scene 1, pay attention to the desires of the characters introduced in scene 1 (e.g. kids who want to be astronauts), so you can choose a character who is well positioned to influence them. Then introduce that character in scene 2 with his/her own separate desires (e.g. leaders of NASA who need a big discovery to bring in funding).

If you aren't in scene 1 or 2, pay attention to all the desires in those scenes, so you can choose a character who is well positioned to influence them. Then introduce that character in scene 3 with his/her own separate desires (e.g. aliens investigating the Earth as a potential food source). Then collide the threads on the fly and see what magic happens. It almost writes itself.

The following video highlights the introductions of characters and their desires in the classic Wünderstudies Christmas show, Elves In Love. Then it briefly summarizes how the narrative threads weaved together to a satisfying conclusion for all the characters.


Note the way the way each new set of characters is set up to influence the desires of the previously introduced characters:

1. Female elves looking for love
   (These are the first characters, they just need clear desires.)
2. Male elves looking for love
   (These could be the male elves that the female elves are looking for. They could pair up and fall in love.)
3. Santa looking for a new life, and Mrs. Claus poised to take over
   (They rule the North Pole. They could help or hinder the elves in many ways.)
4. Mother Christmas bringing Christmas cheer
   (She has motherly influence over Santa, and genie-like powers to grant wishes. The ultimate trump card for the Heightening Influence Principle.)

Early after the introduction of these characters, it seems like love and cheer are both doomed, because Santa has left the North Pole in the hands of his rigid tyrannical wife. She pits the elves against each other in attempt to keep them miserable. However, Mother Christmas convinces Santa to return to his rightful position. Santa makes amends with Mrs. Claus, the elves fall in love, and everyone is filled with cheer.

Maintaining proper balance between overly-simplistic narrative and overly-complex narrative is certainly a challenge. However, with the simple principle described above, a complex-but-understandable narrative with a satisfying conclusion can emerge spontaneously on stage. Give it a try!

The Newsies

There's a very common improvised group number format, used for the opening number of many improvised musicals, which goes like this:

1. All improvisers take a position on the stage.
2. One improviser sings a chorus as a solo.
3. All improvisers repeat the chorus together.
4. One improviser sings a verse as a solo.
5. All improvisers repeat the chorus together.
6. Repeat steps 4-5 a couple more times, with new verse lyrics.

This is exactly how Wünderstudies started doing opening numbers. It worked well sometimes, but we ran into several issues with it:

• It felt more like a series of solos than a group number.
• Improvisers planted themselves on stage for each solo verse, which led to very little dynamic motion and dance.
• Choruses were either too complex to remember and repeat or too simple to start the song in an interesting way.

Here's an example from an early show, which exhibits the last problem with remembering choruses:


After one year of facing these issues, we debuted a new opening number format at our first anniversary celebration. Let's call it The Newsies, because it was inspired by the opening number to the Disney musical of the same name. Listen to the video below and see what you notice about the song structure:

Notice how the song begins with several characters bantering, building a verse together by trading lines, instead of letting any one person take on a long solo. This culminates in a big group chorus. The whole song is a group endeavor, trading lines during verses and singing in harmony during choruses.

This informed the following improvised group number format, which Wünderstudies has been using for the last year:

1. All improvisers take a position on stage.
2. Several improvisers sing the first verse, with each improviser singing no more than a single line per stanza.
3. After the first verse is wrapped up, one improviser initiates a very simple chorus, probably just 1-2 short lines.
4. All improvisers repeat the chorus together a few times.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 a couple more times, with new verse lyrics.

This format was an attempt to deal with all the issues mentioned above:

• There is no extended solo. The whole song is a group effort.
• It can be easier for the group to move around, without pressure to stop moving to sing an extended solo verse.
• Delaying the chorus encourages the group to find a simple and obvious chorus informed by the first verse, which is easier to remember because of both its simplicity and its obviousness.

Here's an example of The Newsies format from a much more recent show:

The observant viewer will notice that this diverges from the format described above in a couple of ways. First, there is a soundscape introduced in the beginning which returns after each chorus to provide a base layer of group sound. Second, there is a bridge in the middle, which provides a brief contrast to the rest of the song. These are just minor variations we've toyed with over the last year.

This format has not been without any issues of its own. The primary issue is the difficulty of trading lines with good timing. If you wait too long to respond to the previous line, there is dead air, the energy drops, and it seems like you've lost control of the song. If you respond too quickly to the previous line, two people might start singing at the same time, and the song could become jumbled and confusing.

It takes a lot of practice to get a good group rhythm where everyone can negotiate line trading together. It can help to set a pattern in the first verse and continue that pattern (e.g. trade lines in order of the way you're standing on stage). But ultimately, it comes down to careful attention to your partners on stage and willingness to jump in immediately when you feel that your contribution is needed.

This is an original song format created just for Wünderstudies, so I have never seen anyone else try it. I would love for another group to give it a try and report back with their experiences. I would love to see variations and improvements. Please try it out, and let me know how it goes for you in the comments below!

Hook line and sing 'er

Every improvised song should have a strong hook line. The hook line is the line that sticks with the audience after they leave the show. The line they hum on the drive home. The line they remember 2 weeks later when they reminisce about the show and invite a friend to the next show.

The hook line may be part of the chorus, or it may be part of the verse. It may be sung 4 times, or it may be sung 40 times. It just needs to be memorable. How do you make it memorable?

• It should be concise.
• It should be repeated.
• It should summarize the theme of the song.

Let's look at some examples from past Wünderstudies shows. Watch the following clip and try to identify the hook line for yourself. (The song begins at 1:50.)


It's really hard to miss the hook line in this song. The phrase "good enough" starts the song and is repeated over and over again in both the verses and the chorus. Most of the song consists of just these two words with slight changes in melody and harmony. This makes the song very simple and repetitive, but it is also exactly what makes this such a strong memorable moment in the show, clearly expressing the first mate's desire to live up to the captain's expectations. I can still recall this hook line by memory nearly two years later.

Here's another example. (The song begins at 2:45.)


This song begins with words spoken to rhythm and no clear hook line. Note that if it had continued this way, this would have remained a jumbled and difficult-to-remember song. However, once that hook line appears as "robots in the workplace," the song suddenly becomes catchy and memorable. The hook line is a simple four word phrase, repeated many times by every member of the group, and it clearly summarizes the theme of the song, which is the maniacal plan to replace human office workers with robots.

How can you use hook lines like this in your own improvised songs? In a musical improv scene, you should already have a character and a motivation by the time a song is initiated by the accompanist. When it becomes clear that you are about to start a new song, ask yourself the following questions:

• What does my character really need to express right now?
• How can I summarize that in 5 words or less?

You're a bumbling rookie cop who doubts that he will ever succeed? Hook line: "not meant to be a cop." You're the head of a crappy orphanage who truly believes that she gave the orphans a comfortable life? Hook line: "they got it easy." You're a hopeless romantic who has been rejected by his true love because he just grew a mutant second head? Hook line: "two heads are better than one."

Once you have that phrase, just repeat it many times throughout the song, wherever it makes sense. As a side benefit, this should relieve much of the pressure of coming up with more lyrics. Don't know what lyrics to sing? Just start repeating the hook line, and play with the melody instead!

With enough practice, this should become second nature, so you don't have to ask yourself these questions explicitly during a show. You'll naturally identify hook lines in the moment, and they will lead you through the song with ease.