Improvisation

Name: Improvisation
ISBN: 9787221157416

基思·约翰斯通 / 饶昊鹏Guizhou People's Publishing House · ChinaAug 2020

4.5

Word count: 146K words
Chapters: 45
ISBN: 9787221157416

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Summary

A hippo in a chain-mail sweater, a patient who caught woodworm and then infected his doctor's furniture, a poem that never existed... Welcome to the world of improvisation! Here you can set your nature free and take whatever risks you like; the only limit to what you can do is your imagination. This classic work delivers a profound critique of the "tightening band" of modern society and confronts the nature of creativity head-on. It is about more than performance, theatre, art and education: it is about human emotion and psychology, and it can inspire creative workers in every field, and all of us who hope to communicate with one another in a more open spirit.

Editor's review

First published in 1979, Impro has been reprinted many times and is hailed as a foundational work in the field of improvised theatre. Its value lies far beyond simple, formulaic "performance techniques": it offers a deep and systematic analysis of the seemingly mysterious faculty of "spontaneous creativity." Johnstone's core theory is rooted in his critique of traditional education—he argues that schooling tends to reward "correctness" and suppress "error," and that this fear rigidifies the mind, making it defensive and dull. Core concepts such as Status, Storytelling, and Masks & Trance open a window onto human improvisational interaction. In a broader sense, the book explores how, in social encounters, teamwork and even daily life, we can shed the inner shackles of judgement and rediscover innocence, curiosity and the collaborative spirit of "Yes, and." It is not a quick guide to "drama" but a work of philosophy and psychology about liberating the creative potential we all share and restoring our capacity for spontaneous response.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts and practitioners of improvised theatre, drama education and the performing arts who want to understand its roots and core theory.
Team builders, creative workers, product designers and leaders in any field that requires breaking out of mental ruts and unlocking collective creativity.
People who struggle with social interaction, self-expression or self-limitation, and who want a fresh perspective on human interaction and a freer way of expressing themselves.
Educators and readers interested in psychology who want to explore the social mechanisms that suppress creativity and to find teaching methods that encourage spontaneity and courage.

Not a good fit for

Readers looking only for a few quick humour or comedy tricks to get through a specific occasion (a speech, a party).
Readers expecting a clearly structured, step-by-step "communication script book" or "social guide" they can copy directly.

Reading tips

Treat the book as a thought experiment you need to take part in, not as knowledge to absorb passively. When you reach a key concept (such as the status games), pause and recall or imagine examples from your own life.
Some chapters (such as the discussion of "masks") delve into psychological and theatrical theory. On a first reading, grasp the core ideas; don't insist on understanding every detail.
The best way to read is to combine theory with practice. Try the simple exercises the book sets out with friends or colleagues (such as a "Yes, and" chain), and experience for yourself how theory turns into real feeling and change.

About the publisher

Guizhou People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

Guizhou People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher based in Guizhou, with publishing directions covering architecture, foreign literature, Eastern philosophy and history. Its library currently holds 232 titles, including representative works such as Liang Sicheng's A History of Chinese Architecture, Yasunari Kawabata's Snow Country, The Old Capital, The Izu Dancer and Thousand Cranes, Mou Zongsan's Nineteen Lectures on Chinese Philosophy, Jiang Tingfu's Modern Chinese History and Rashomon. Its author resources span architecture, foreign literature and philosophical studies. These titles show that the press both introduces foreign literary classics, including Japanese literature, and continues to publish academic and general-interest works on Chinese architectural history, Chinese philosophy and modern history, reflecting a publishing profile that balances Chinese and foreign works and combines classics with accessible reading. Public information on its fuller publishing history and key series is limited, so no speculation is offered here.

版权信息
推荐语
序言
关于我自己
姿态
1 跷跷板
2 喜剧与悲剧
3 姿态教学
4 侮辱
5 姿态专家
6 空间
7 主仆场景
8 最大姿态差
9 文本
自发性
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
叙事技巧
1
2
3
4
5
面具与催眠
1 乔治·迪瓦恩
2 俄国人
3 摧毁面具
4 脸
5 催眠
6 引导
7 附身
8 面具教学
9 流浪儿
10 刽子手、“长鼻”与“男人”
11 面具前的练习
12 文本
13 悲剧面具
14 危险
附录
出版后记

FAQ

Is this book suitable for ordinary people with no theatre experience at all?

Very much so. The author's aim is precisely to awaken the improvisational ability everyone is born with. The theories in the book come from observing the behaviour and psychology of ordinary people, not from the training of professional actors. Ordinary readers will take away profound insights into communication, creativity and psychological freedom.

I've heard this is a drama textbook. Does it really help with daily life?

It helps in a fundamental way. The principles at the heart of the book—status interaction, accepting and building—are essentially a deconstruction of the dynamics of human social life. Understanding them makes you more alert to the subtle relationships in the workplace, the family and among friends, so that you can make clearer, more active choices instead of being driven by unconscious patterns.

What is the writing style like? Is it very obscure?

The book is lively and outspoken, full of the author's personal observations, anecdotes and sharp commentary; it is highly readable. It is not a tightly systematised academic work but more like conversations with an exceptionally perceptive mentor, containing both brilliant fragments of thought and systematic training methods.

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About the author

基思·约翰斯通 Author

Keith Johnstone is an author whose work has been introduced to Chinese readers, though public information about him is currently limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and detailed biography are not clearly recorded. The database contains one work by him, Impro, commonly classified under film and television. Based on the available information, Johnstone's name is associated with improvisation and drama training, and the book likely addresses the methods, principles, and practice of improvisation for actors, screenwriters, and readers interested in the performing arts. In the absence of biographical background, it is difficult to comment on his teachers, career trajectory, or awards, but it is clear that his writing is practice-oriented, emphasizing intuition and collaboration under conditions without pre-planning—an approach of reference value in film, television, and stage performance training. Readers wishing to understand his ideas in depth may turn to the specific content of Impro.

饶昊鹏 Author

Rao Haopeng is an author about whom limited public information is available. The library currently holds one work by this author, titled Improvisation. Judging from its common classification, the book falls under film and television, indicating that it is a piece of writing centered on that field. Because the author's nationality, dates of birth and death, English name, and specific personal background are not clearly recorded, this introduction makes no inferences and offers only a brief account based on the available work information. The title Improvisation suggests that its content may relate to spontaneous performance and creation, or to improvisational expression, while the film and television category indicates that it is intended for practitioners, students, and enthusiasts in that area, with discussion grounded in image creation and performance practice. As for writing style and influence, the available material is not yet sufficient for a detailed assessment; readers may regard the book, within its film and television category, as a focused treatment of improvisation as a creative technique. Overall, Rao Haopeng's body of work still awaits further documentation.