IMPROVISATION and FORUM THEATRE IN EDUCATION

Improvisation can be seen as the art of creating a scene given only an idea of character, setting and conflict. The audience gives the actor(s) a specific situation that needs to be dealt with, where it is to take place and who is involved. What the character does with the given scenario is left up to the actor’s imagination and ability to think quickly. Improvisation can be used for serious or comical purposes. It can be used to make a truthful comment about society, or it can be used to simply entertain an audience. When using improvisation for comedy, the actor(s) need the ability to add witty comments and physical comedy to their given scenario. Improvisation is an important aspect of theatre because it helps actors prepare for dealing with unexpected events on stage. The ability to think quickly will enable an actor to use a mistake made while acting to his or her advantage.

Forum theatre is very similar to the idea of improvisation. It is the creation of small scenes used to...