The 5 "Nos" of "Yes, And"

The philosophy of Yes, And is an essential part of any improviser’s toolkit. And nothing derails Yes, And faster than negating—saying “no” to—another improviser’s ideas.

While negation takes all kinds of forms, a few of the more common ones reliably trip up new improvisers while they are first getting used to the idea of Yes, And. This book outlines the 5 most frequently seen negations that cause new improvisers to stumble, provides examples of these negations in action, and demonstrates how to work around each of them.

By keeping these 5 “Nos” out of their practices and performances, improvisers will quickly feel their scenes become more energetic, playful, and fun for everyone involved.