Reddit reviews Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser

Coaching choices can be frustrating to players. Often (but not always) it's better to help them find ways to play the choices they do make on stage. There's a nice discussion of that in Jimmy Currane's Improvising Better book, which is one of the few I know that covers (a little) issues around improv coaching.

For what it's worth, I've been teaching and coaching for a couple of years now, and the struggle of figuring out the right balance of tough notes and positive encouragement doesn't really go away (just have gotten faster at finding the right balance for different troupes and individuals). You mentioned that these are new troupes, and while new troupes are the first to say they want tough notes and have thick skins, the reality is that they're probably new to getting direct notes on their scenes, and you've got to ease them into it and give them plenty of positive encouragement as well. Otherwise, they get bogged down in trying to "not make mistakes" that they lose the sense of spontaneous play that makes for better (and more fun) scenes.

Whenever I get the sense that the notes are weighing down on folks, I go to some exercise that gets back to play and the fun that got folks into improv in the first place. For example, give the exercise where they're trying to get their scene partners to break and laugh during a scene. Or play a rousing game of loser ball that's fun and is all about mistakes and support (get in circle, 1. someone throws an improv/mimed ball to someone else in the circle. 2. they miss and everyone gives boo's and gives light hearted heckles. 3. they scramble to pick up the dropped ball and then hold it high in the air. 4. everyone goes crazy yelling "yayyy!!!" and cheering for them. 5. throw the ball to someone else (who will miss) and the game goes on).

Okay, we assume you already know that your behavior is no good, so we don't have to dwell on that.

Improv, and any art or performance really, is not about attention and validation. Yeah, sure, maybe that's why we get in to it in the first place, but we stay because we have something to say. Attention and validation are beasts that always hunger. No number of jams or shows will ever be enough for you if you don't move beyond that, if you don't figure out a good reason for being on stage. Validate yourself.

Why do you do this? I dunno. Usually someone somewhere in your past didn't give you enough of what you wanted. Sometimes it means the person is deep down a narcissist. The good news is, that by posting this, you've admitted there's something you don't like and now we can start working on it. Read some Martin de Maat quotes and read the last few chapters of Improvising Better, they'll give you some good ideas.

Improvising Better: A Guide for the Working Improviser by Jimmy Carrane and Liz Allen