Relationship between Music, Theatre and Improvisation

Improvisation between actor and musician cannot be left solely as a question of movement and music. The actor cannot abdicate from the responsibility of bringing to life whatever lies behind his eyes. This is not surprising since the actor has reason to know better than anyone the dangers of relying on spontaneity or leaving things to chance. Obviously, improvisation as a technique for performance cannot get very far if it is simply another way of saying ‘let’s see what happens’. Traditionally, improvisation where actors are concerned is very much a means to an end, a rehearsal technique.Music can make us laugh and cry as well as frighten us, and so the actor cannot abandon emotional reality in favor of a series of physical gestures. In other words he must not reverse the conventional roles and become an accompaniment to the music.