Chapter 4
„Consider your goals in improvisation and find people interested in aiming for that same place. (…) There are people who don’t care to do the type of improvisation you’re interested in. Forget them.“ (David, 32)
„There are times we come across people who just can’t be reached. If we speak to someone and explain how what they did destroyed the show, they still don’t get that. (…) If they can’t recognize that their selfish desire for one laugh destroyed something that everyone else built, then I don’t think they get anything at all. (…) You are better off without those people.“ (TJ, 33)
„If we play with a sense of participatory feeling when we’re off to the sides, we will be much more likely to be present for a timely edit. (…) We don’t have to worry about how to enter that scene, because mentally we’re already in it.“ (David, 34)
Chapter 5
„Our stage partners provide all we need. And their faces, especially the eyes, are the first place to look.“ (TJ & Dave, 37)
„The way [TJ] behaves and what he says in front of me tells me about the nature of our relationship.“ (David, 37)
„A line is not delivered until it is received.“ (Del Close, according to David, 39)
„We won’t listen if we’re afraid.
We won’t listen if we think we know how the scene is going to go.
We won’t listen if we’re thinking about what funny thing we’re going to say or do.
We won’t listen if there are too many bees in the room.“ (TJ & Dave, 41)
„David says you can improve your memory by paying attention to the people you speak with, by caring enough to be concerned with what they are saying, and not merely waiting until you can talk about yourself again. (…) TJ helps his memory through specifity and emotional touch pints.“ (TJ & Dave, 43)
„Listening is all there is.“ (TJ & Dave, 44)