You are in every scene
The Harold is just like football, baseball, or any other team sport — no one player is more important than anyone else.
Each player must share the responsibility. On an eight-man team, each player should do one-eighth of the work. If one person tries to lead a Harold, it is doomed to fail — the Harold must be followed by the group.
The best Harold player thinks of himself as a tool for the Harold, and tries to find his function in the piece, sublimating himself to the needs of the work. He is always thinking of the Harold, and what is needed throughout every moment of the game. He should not be thinking of himself. In fact, it is just as important for the player to know when he is not needed on stage. He should always believe that "seeing Harold" is more important than being seen by friends and family in the audience.
Many times, the best Harold players will do very little in an improvisation simply because they do not see a part for themselves. When the major tasks are taken care of by other team players, they are naturally there to provide support and backup for whatever ensemble work is required. Although they are standing by and ready if needed, they do not get in the way of the game if they are not. Bill Murray understands the importance of listening to others when improvising.
—Truth in Comedy - pages 71 & 72
I was talking to a fellow performer recently, and something that seems to be missing from many conversations about improv is the idea of restraint. I think restraint is a difficult concept for improv because we want to "Yes, and" and support any move. That said, not making a move is as much of a move as a move. If not making a move is a move, not joining a scene is a move.
This is hard. Sometimes the most supportive move is to tag in, walk on, initiate a scene, or respond, but sometimes it's staying planted on the back line. No scene needs you, but every scene can use you, even and especially if you actively choose to stay out. It's the tension at the heart of the Serenity Prayer:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.
The best thing is to have a great show, and great shows are created through team effort, but great shows vanish at the same rate as bad ones—one per show. I have talked about this before. The process of doing this over and over, the repetitions, builds the muscles of serenity, courage, and wisdom. Celebrate every moment you get to do this, even—and especially—where you aren't on stage. You're still part of the show.
