Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Far more than simply an overview of improv comedy, this book helps actors, writers and comedians learn the basics as taught in all the major comedy schools. First, the do'sand don'ts of the Comedy Improv Commandments. The concepts that, when understood, hit the student like falling anvils: Anvil 1: Collaboration -- Working with the 'Group Mind', Anvil 2: Agreement -- 'Just say Yes', Anvil 3: Foundation -- 'Who, What and Where", Anvil 4: Exploring -- 'Finding the Game'. Successful improv requires the skill of the actor, the talent of the comedian and the ideas of the writer rolled into one. This book tells how it can all be done for performers or teachers.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Foreword (p. 1)
• Introduction (p. 3)
• Section 1 Improv Comedy Schools (p. 5)
• Chapter 1 Why Study Improv Comedy? (p. 6)
• Chapter 2 Comedy Schools (p. 7)
• The Curriculum (p. 7)
• The Teachers (p. 8)
• The Classes (p. 9)
• Chapter 3 Auditioning and Placement (p. 10)
• Audition Exercises (p. 11)
• Placement (p. 12)
• Chapter 4 What Have I Gotten Myself Into? (p. 14)
• The Three-Minute Medium (p. 14)
• Failing Forward (p. 14)
• "I'm a Standup. I'll Do Just Fine." (p. 14)
• Receiving Notes (p. 15)
• Evaluation Criteria (p. 15)
• Performance Reviews (p. 16)
• The Odds of Making It (p. 17)
• Where's the "Ensemble" Feeling? (p. 18)
• Feedback from Fellow Players (p. 18)
• Gestation Time (p. 19)
• Improv as a Profession (p. 19)
• Be a Jack-of-All-Trades (p. 19)
• Fuzzy Syllabus (p. 19)
• Warm-Up (p. 20)
• Summary (p. 20)
• Section 2 Improv Comedy Basics (p. 21)
• Chapter 5 The Enlightenment (p. 22)
• Your First Lousy Improv--Help! (p. 22)
• Chapter 6 The Comedy Commandments (p. 23)
• Don'ts (p. 24)
• Dos (p. 25)
• What Good Are These "Comedy Commandments"? (p. 26)
• Summary (p. 26)
• Chapter 7 Four Falling Anvils of Improv (p. 27)
• Chapter 8 Falling Anvil #1: Collaboration (p. 28)
• Group Mind (p. 28)
• Rolodexing (p. 29)
• Helpful Hints (p. 30)
• Summary (p. 32)
• Chapter 9 Falling Anvil #2: Agreement (p. 33)
• Just Say "Yes" (p. 33)
• Don't Argue (p. 36)
• Positive Start (p. 37)
• An Offer You Just Can't Deny (p. 40)
• Nothing Pre-Planned (p. 41)
• Summary (p. 42)
• Chapter 10 Falling Anvil #3: Foundation (Who, What, and Where) (p. 43)
• Object Work (p. 43)
• Setting Up the Foundation (p. 45)
• Helpful Hints (p. 48)
• Summary (p. 52)
• Chapter 11 Falling Anvil #4: Exploring, Heightening, and Finding a Game (p. 53)
• Exploring (p. 53)
• Heightening the Game (p. 56)
• Summary (p. 58)
• Chapter 12 Basics Wrap-Up (p. 59)
• List of Improv Side-Coaching Phrases (p. 59)
• Summary (p. 60)
• Section 3 Developing Comic Characters (p. 61)
• Chapter 13 Overview (p. 62)
• Get Personal (p. 63)
• Who Are My Models? (p. 63)
• The Class (p. 63)
• The Requirements (p. 64)
• Preparing for Character Exercises (p. 65)
• Chapter 14 Developing Character Essences (p. 68)
• The Format for Most Solo Character Exercises (p. 68)
• Taking the Plunge (p. 69)
• Exercises (p. 71)
• Maximize Your Solo Exercises (p. 74)
• Summary (p. 75)
• Chapter 15 The Character Toolbox (p. 76)
• Building Character History (p. 76)
• Building Character Game (p. 77)
• The Longevity Test (p. 78)
• Character Psychology 101 (p. 79)
• Labeling Your Partner (p. 82)
• Helpful Hints (p. 84)
• Summary (p. 85)
• Chapter 16 Character Workout (p. 86)
• Developing Your Character's Lingo (p. 87)
• Classic Character Exercises (p. 89)
• Bringing Your Prepared Characters to a Two-Person Improv (p. 93)
• Summary (p. 95)
• Celebrity Impersonations (p. 95)
• Chapter 17 Character Wrap-Up (p. 97)
• Summary (p. 97)
• Section 4 Long Form Improv (p. 99)
• Chapter 18 Introduction to Long Form Improv (p. 100)
• Harold (p. 100)
• Other Long Form Styles (p. 101)
• Another Long Form Example (p. 102)
• Structure vs. Freestyle (p. 103)
• Chapter 19 Long Form Skill #1: Building a Logical Absurdity inside One Scene (p. 104)
• Summary (p. 105)
• Chapter 20 Long Form Skill #2: "Circling Up" (Replicating the Problem inside One Scene) (p. 106)
• Summary (p. 108)
• Chapter 21 Long Form Skill #3: Extending the Game across Multiple Scenes (p. 109)
• Types of Scenes (p. 110)
• Building Accord, Not Accuracy (p. 110)
• Summary (p. 113)
• Chapter 22 Long Form Skill #4: Editing Scenes (p. 114)
• Summary (p. 115)
• Chapter 23 Long Form Extras (p. 116)
• Exercises (p. 116)
• Long Form--Don't Plan Ahead (p. 116)
• Cheating (p. 117)
• Bartender, Don't Cut Me Off (p. 117)
• Create Your Own Long Form Structures (p. 118)
• Themes (p. 118)
• Long Form's Influence on Sketch Comedy (p. 119)
• Summary (p. 120)
• Chapter 24 Long Form Wrap-Up (p. 121)
• Summary (p. 121)
• Section 5 Writing Sketch Comedy (p. 123)
• Chapter 25 Sketches: Getting Started (p. 124)
• The Classes (p. 125)
• Chapter 26 Finding and Shaping Sketch Material (p. 127)
• Turning Life into Sketch Comedy (p. 127)
• Exercises (p. 132)
• Guidelines (p. 133)
• Summary (p. 134)
• Chapter 27 The Sketch Writing Toolbox (p. 135)
• Revising--Sketch Comedy Shorthand (p. 135)
• The Understructure of Sketch Writing (p. 137)
• Summary (p. 152)
• Chapter 28 Getting Your Sketch on Its Feet (p. 153)
• Tricks of the Trade (p. 153)
• Writing and Working with Others (p. 154)
• Preparing for Performance (p. 157)
• Summary (p. 158)
• Chapter 29 Sketch Writing Wrap-Up (p. 159)
• The Writer's Voice (p. 159)
• Summary (p. 159)
• Appendix Exercises (p. 160)
• Sample Audition Exercises (p. 161)
• Warm-up Exercises (p. 162)
• Exercises for Group Mind and Rolodexing (p. 163)
• Building a Story (p. 166)
• Practice Object Work (p. 167)
• Practice Adding the Foundation (p. 167)
• Beginning Improv Scenes (p. 170)
• "Taking the Plunge" into Character Essences (p. 172)
• Characters from a Random Suggestion...Like a Blender (p. 173)
• Building Characters from an Exaggerated Trait (p. 174)
• Solo Exercise--Characters from People You Know (p. 176)
• Building Characters from Labels (p. 176)
• Using Characters in Improvised Scenes (p. 176)
• Long Form Preparation Exercises (p. 178)
• Long Form Structures (p. 180)
• Great Character Improvs for Use in Sketch Shows (p. 182)
• Exercises for Writing Character Monologues (p. 182)
• Exercises for Sketch Writing (p. 184)
• Index (p. 187)
• About the Author (p. 191)