Cultural Entertainment Perspective

Have you ever seen a foreign film with subtitles? And did you find yourself saying " I don't get it". The truth is: You don't get it. The stimuli influencing our entertainment G-spot are to a great degree determined by acculturation. The environment, experience, the mileau of our existance, all come together to influence neural stimulation pleasure pathways. The impressions in our mind, formed and codified molicule by molicule, form pathways of understanding. Literature: novels, stories, plays, movies, all follow a certain and specific formula. Deviate from the formula and entertainment will not be entertaining. We do not always focus on this reality when performing improv. As a remedy to this lack of clarity or "muddiness" of shows, certain devices have been created to facilitate the flow: The Harold is the most obvious example. My own impression is: performers do seem to have a certain intuitive understanding. In long form improv we want to tell a story with an enciting incident, emotion, climax. The best stories exhibit a moral, or basic truth. Good literature, including good improv should leave audiance members feeling they have learned something, or given them a greater understanding of emotion or the world around us. Steve