improvisor
Makes it up
An improvisor is someone who improvises—creating or performing spontaneously without preparation or script.
The term appears most often in musical and theatrical contexts: a jazz improvisor, a comedy improvisor at Second City.
Also spelled improviser, with improviser being more common in general use and improvisor favored in performance communities.
Done without advance preparation
- unscriptedNot pre-written
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
- unrehearsedNot practiced beforehand
- off-the-cuffUnplanned, unrehearsed
on-the-spot · freestyle · unplanned · instinctive · intuitive · winging it · spontaneity
Fast, complex jazz style
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- scatImprovised vocal jazz
- jam sessionInformal improvisational music gathering
- soloPerformance by one
riff · groove · blue note · syncopation · chord progression · standard · ensemble · saxophone
Skilled at solving problems
- quick-thinkingMentally rapid, resourceful
- flexibleAble to bend freely
- versatileCapable in varied contexts
- inventiveShowing original thought
creative · responsive · agile · nimble · clever · ingenious · problem-solving · adaptable
One who portrays characters
- entertainerOne who amuses others
- comedianProfessional humor performer
- storytellerOne who recounts tales
- buskerPublic-space entertainer seeking donations
mime · clown · monologist · pantomimist · thespian · emcee · host · showman
Hasty informal drawing
- stand-upSolo comedic performance
- sceneDramatic unit or locale
- callbackFollow-up audition invitation
- bitSmall amount or portion
character work · short-form · long-form · Harold · edit · heightening · game · Groundlings
extemporaneous
Done without advance preparation
- unscriptedNot pre-written
- ad-libUnscripted speech or remark
- unrehearsedNot practiced beforehand
off-the-cuff · on-the-spot · freestyle · unplanned · instinctive · intuitive · winging it · spontaneity
bebop
Fast, complex jazz style
- swingSuspended recreational seat
- scatImprovised vocal jazz
- jam sessionInformal improvisational music gathering
solo · riff · groove · blue note · syncopation · chord progression · standard · ensemble · saxophone · trumpet
resourceful
Skilled at solving problems
- quick-thinkingMentally rapid, resourceful
- flexibleAble to bend freely
- versatileCapable in varied contexts
inventive · creative · responsive · agile · nimble · clever · ingenious · problem-solving · adaptable · resilient
actor
One who portrays characters
- entertainerOne who amuses others
- comedianProfessional humor performer
- storytellerOne who recounts tales
busker · mime · clown · monologist · pantomimist · thespian · emcee · host · showman · soloist
sketch
Hasty informal drawing
bit · character work · short-form · long-form · Harold · edit · heightening · game · Groundlings · Wayne Brady
- jazz bandsjazz band, big band, swing band, combo, ensemble
- creativesartist, artists, painter, painters, illustrators
improvisorliteralist
One rejecting figurative meaning
sight-reader · purist · textualist · conformist · copyist
- jazz improvisationSpontaneous musical composition during performance
- improvisational comedyUnscripted comedic performance
- musical improvisationSpontaneous live music creation
- improvisational theaterSpontaneous dramatic performance
- improvised comedyUnplanned comedic performance
- improvised explosive deviceCrude weapon from everyday materials
improvise, improvised, improvisation, improvising, improvisational, improviser