Impro for Storytellers

Keith Johnstone's Impro for Storytellers is the essential companion and expansion to his groundbreaking earlier work, Impro. Published in 1999, this book is a massive, practical toolbox designed to help theaters, schools, and directors implement the Johnstone system. If Impro was the philosophy, Impro for Storytellers is the manual. It contains the specific rules, scoring systems, and side-coaching instructions for Theatresports, Maestro, and Gorilla Theatre—the competitive formats that Johnstone invented to bring the excitement of sports to the theater. Johnstone argues that the audience wants to see the actor in trouble; they want to see the risk of failure and the triumph of the rescue. This book provides the mechanisms to create that danger safely.

The work is organized as a vast encyclopedia of games, lists, and essays. It covers everything from Fast Food Stanislavski (quick ways to get emotional depth) to the strict rules of Narrative tilting. Johnstone provides a deep dive into Status Transactions, offering hundred of examples of how a raised eyebrow or a shifted foot can alter the power dynamic of a scene. The book is particularly noted for its focus on Audience Interaction, teaching the performer how to handle hecklers, how to solicit suggestions, and how to use the audience's energy to fuel the show. He challenges the actor to be mischievous, to break the fourth wall, and to treat the theater not as a temple but as a playground.

The text is written in Johnstone's trademark provocative, witty, and often contrarian voice. He rails against safe, boring theater and urges the performer to embrace their own dark imagination. He provides a detailed guide on how to judge and score scenes, a controversial element of his work that is designed to externalize the audience's judgment and free the actor from the fear of it. Impro for Storytellers serves as the bible for any group performing Theatresports or related formats. It is an inexhaustible resource for games, directing tips, and profound insights into human nature. It remains one of the most practical and entertaining books ever written on the craft of performance.

Impro for Storytellers is universally praised as a treasure trove of theatrical knowledge. Critics and practitioners alike highlight the sheer volume of practical exercises and the wit of Johnstone's commentary. It is considered the definitive manual for the narrative and competitive styles of improvisation. While some find Johnstone's personality abrasive, the efficacy of his methods is undeniable. It is a book that performers return to again and again throughout their careers.