Arrested Development

Arrested Development is an improviser's asset. The show is a testament to the value in reincorporating ideas/words/locations. It's not genius to restate, "Mr F!" But, that Mr F., the second, third, and even fourth time around means something slightly different is genius.

So often, improvisers can panic, "no ones laughing! The audience hates me!" They begin jamming a scene with new ideas... lots of them. Inevitably, the scene is crushed under the weight of the half examined; hurling everything at the wall to see if anything sticks is death. The problem is you're substituting one assumption, "no ones entertained," with the truth, "the audience does not know where to focus."

If an audience is losing interest, and I've had my share, you can always reintroduce something. It adds something to a scene without overwhelming the audience with completely new content. Maybe, the taxi driver from the first scene suddenly calls and makes a proposition. Consider it a functional callback, because it contributes to the present while weaving in the past.

Watch Arrested Development, they twist the past in creative ways for new content.