Object work: the oft overlooked and under-practiced piece of the fully armed improv arsenal. So many improv scenes, especially in an improviser’s beginner years, are what I call, “talking head scenes.” The two players in the scene usually stand 2-3 feet apart near the middle of the stage and proceed to have a conversation. All they are really thinking about is the words they choose to say. It could be performed in the dark or on the radio and it would make virtually no difference to the audience at all.
These scenes can be fine and real life does in fact happen that way sometimes, but if every scene in your set is that way, if every scene that you do ends up that way, the performance lacks the dynamism and variety that could make an okay improv show into a fantastic one. Why be on stage in front of a live audience if you’re not going to use that stage and play to that audience? We as human beings communicate with much more than word selection alone. We use tone, expressions, body language, and (back to the point of this post) the way we execute a task and engage with the “physical” world, can often communicate more than words.
Don’t just tell the audience what’s happening, show them.
Benefits of Using Object Work in Improv
Object work has many benefits and can not only enrich your scene work by adding to it, but it can also make your job on stage a little easier. Here are the top benefits for improving your object work in improv:
- Improve the Base Reality – Object work adds a touch of depth and sophistication to your improv scene when done with a greater care toward precision. I don’t mean that you have to be full mime for it to be real, but you have to remember when you’re holding something so it doesn’t mysteriously evaporate, or that you put a car in the middle of the stage so don’t walk into it. Don’t just let the things disappear because you forgot about them. The audience will notice. It might not ruin their whole experience, but it can feel like a record skipping, planting a seed of distraction in their minds.
- Buy Yourself Time to Think – Sometimes it’s nice to have an extra second (or 10) to think about what comes next and decide which direction you want to take the scene in. Focusing on your surroundings can keep the audience engaged while you sort through your thoughts.
- Add to Characterization – Different characters will do things in different ways. One character might open a gift carefully, trying not to rip the paper, while another would just tear into it. Furthermore, we all do things differently depending on our emotional state. Doing your dishes while rocking out to your favorite song looks a lot different than doing your roommates dishes because the buttface left them in the sink for past two days.
- It Can Get the Laugh – In the same way that a facial expression can get a laugh, your object work can too. Actions can speak louder than words. Cram the stolen sandwich into your mouth when its owner asks you what you’re eating. Take off your invisible headphones after someone pours their heart out to you. Sometimes not talking is funnier than talking.
- Surprise the Audience – I’m not suggesting that your improv scene should be like a game of charades, but sometimes it can be like a kind of guessing game. It might not always be immediately clear what you’re doing, but the human brain loves to try to figure it out. You don’t have to name what you’re doing (or worse, talk about it and nothing else). In real life we don’t usually talk about the things we are doing as we are doing them. Let the audience wonder. Perhaps it will end up being important later, maybe even the tagline. Perhaps it will never come up at all and you just used it to ground your character and fuel your choices. Either way, it looks more interesting than you just standing there talk talk talking.
Tips and Pitfalls
Once again, you don’t have to be a Marcel Marceau-level mime to make your object work successful. No one is expecting perfection and getting the technical details correct will never be as important as the relationship, contrast, and stakes in the scene. However, bad object work can break the illusion and the suspension of disbelief that we want to create with the audience. Here are some helpful tips and common pitfalls to be aware of when using object work in an improv scene:
- Objects Have Mass – It may seem silly to say but remember that things are tangible. They have weight and take up space. The “hang-loose” hand gesture is not a phone. Finger guns are not real guns. Account for the mass of things.
- Avoid Putting Things in the Way – I know it’s all pretend, but it can still spoil the illusion or the suspension of disbelief when someone creates a table in the middle of the stage, then proceeds to walk right through it as if it weren’t there. You’re also missing a fun opportunity to awkwardly interact with obstacles. You don’t have to make the whole scene about it like you’re Mr. Bean, but it can be a fun little detail that adds reality to the make-believe.
- Invisible Surfaces – You don’t have to put that invisible object you’re holding on the ground or on a stool. I see students and beginners do this all the time. Put the invisible object on an invisible table, whydon’tcha, or an invisible shelf. Remember: while the reality is that you’re standing in a black void, your imagination is in a room full of stuff. Use it!
- Use the Fourth Wall – This relates to stage picture and blocking as well, but if you’re going to be looking at a map pinned to a wall—just like with surfaces—it’s an invisible map, so put it on the invisible wall. It doesn’t have to go on an actual wall. If you put your objects on the fourth wall, you also face the audience making for a better performance. If you’re looking at something big (a boat, a car, an elephant’s coffin), don’t put it on the stage, put it in the audience.
- Be Precise (enough) – Paying attention and treating the invisible things with respect is important, but don’t get too bogged down and let perfection interfere with scene itself. Take improv cars, for example. Cars are hard. They are big and they wouldn’t realistically fit on most improv stages I’ve seen, but we improvisers love doing scenes in cars. Respect the doors: use them. Respect the steering wheel and what side it’s on and the fact that most of the time while you’re driving it is completely still and not swishing side-to-side like windshield wipers. Respect that you need to walk around the car to get to the other side. But since the car doesn’t completely fit on the stage, taking a shortcut through the trunk or the engine is just fine.
- Yes And – If a scene partner tells you that you’re doing something other than what you thought you were doing, then you are now doing what they thought you were doing. Adapt. Maintain what you already established physically but shift your intentions and add something specific to what they thought so it seems like you were actually doing that the whole time.
Conclusion
Incorporating object work into your improv scenes is a game-changer, transforming the mundane into the memorable. By paying attention to the tangible details of your imaginary world, you create a richer, more engaging experience for your audience. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about making the stage come alive with actions that complement your dialogue and bring your characters to life. So next time you step onto that stage, don’t just stand there talking—pick up that invisible teacup, dodge that imaginary end table, and let your actions speak as loudly as your words. Embrace the full spectrum of human communication and watch as your improv scenes become more dynamic, believable, and ultimately, more entertaining.