A review by whoischels
The Improv Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond by Tom Salinsky, Deborah Frances-White

informative lighthearted slow-paced

4.0

I read this to prepare for leading a drop-in improv class, and this book is not particularly useful for that type of environment. It's good for thinking about how to improve a troupe you're in or lead a multi-week class. It was helpful to read someone agnostically talking about the Del Close vs Johnstone divide. I hear people argue about this in real life and it always seems really stupid. It seems the authors of this book think so too. 

Extremely cunty (positive) delivery throughout this book. They insult so many of the games I've always thought were a little pointless. Calling games stuff like "the wretched Bachelor/Bachelorette" is awesome.

The story-forward framing was helpful in understanding why some of the strategies I use work, and it also got me thinking about ways I can get over plateaus in my skill / scenes with favorite scene partners. It was, again, not super helpful for leading a drop-in improv group, which is why I'd been recommended it. The modular approach they have to teaching just doesn't work in a group where some people are showing up every week and some people aren't.