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So I'm working on developing a character to play for my improv acting class. He's some sort of crazy old man. I'm thinking about making him a wizard, but I'm not sure. I'm hoping some of you guys might have some ideas for ways I can bring the character to life. The others in my group want to go along with the wizard thing, and want his name to be "Randalf," lolz?

Basically, our skit will be more or less improvised as far as the actual dialogue goes, but it will follow the basic dramatic structure. There are three characters. My character serves as a sort of guide to help resolve the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist. There will be a lot of comedy thrown into it though, so that's why I want to go with the "crazy" old man thing.

So I guess what I'm really asking is, what are things a crazy old man can do that would be funny? Any ideas for the voice, gestures, expressions, emotions, etc. The voice is probably the thing I'm having the hardest time on. I want this to be good! >_< Well, it will be stupid, but good laughs.

This may sound stupid, but old men have gas, play that up

and fall asleep a lot mid-sentence!

I don't think I could fall asleep mid sentence, it has to be high energy. I could lose my train of thought mid sentence though, and then ramble on about something that makes no sense at all, or keep saying "What?" to what other characters tell me, and then pretend I heard something different from what they said and respond accordingly. I could also be flirty with the girl in our group in a creepy way, haha.

I wish I could do the voice of the creepy old neighbor on Family Guy that likes Chris.

Oh, HAHHAHAHAHA Old men, have big ears, so buy a fake set of big ears and walk around cupping your ear saying what?!? WHAT?!?! getting louder and louder. hahaha that makes me laugh

Keep suggesting the girl sit on your lap with an evil grin. Had one old bugger that kept doing that to me every time I visited my aunt in her nursing home.

Any chance you can drive your car into the stage while it is decorated like a farmers market?

Make sure to soil yourself.

be sure your breeches are jacked up to your yin-yang.

Hahaha I love Mops idea about driving the car into a Farmers market.

If you want some good ideas go watch the episode of South Park where the seniors take over South Park

Old men are typicallya little bit sexist due to their time period. However, if you use a sexust comment, be sure to cheak around and see if your wife can hear you. Also, if you comment on worrying about a DEAD wife hearing you, it will add comedy. The voice will be easy. Just pretend you are running out of air. Stop talking for brief periods of time and kind of gaze into nothingness. Then when you come to, say something like...what? what you do whippersnappers want!?

If they are acting as if you can't solve their conflict, just send those pipsqueaks out to pick a switch for a good old fashioned spanking.

I have written, directed, and acted. I love the stuff. Maybe these ideas aren't for you. If so, feel free to throw some of your own ideas at me and I will let you know what my thoughts are.

Kirk out.

GET OFF MY LAWN! ... damn kids

Exactly!

Well, I don't think it's applicable to a crazy old wizard character from the middle ages, but maybe I can throw some twists in! Who knows~

Just watch Back to the Future and rip off all of Doc Brown's mannerisms.

Maybe the guy just thinks he is a wizard.

I thought improv meant you know... you improv it.

Develop Sundowners...
my great grandfather is hilarious & gets away with it too.

A couple years ago, he faked a coma until my great grandmother called the family to come see what was wrong with him... at that point he opened one eyelid and whispered, "get that nagging bitch away from me"

Dylan wrote:I thought improv meant you know... you improv it.

We're improv'ing the dialogue and plotline, not the characters themselves.

You are still taking on a character when you improv. That's why there were topics in "Who's Line is it Anyway?"

KaiineTN wrote:

Dylan wrote:I thought improv meant you know... you improv it.

We're improv'ing the dialogue and plotline, not the characters themselves.

So not improv

Dylan wrote:

KaiineTN wrote:

Dylan wrote:I thought improv meant you know... you improv it.

We're improv'ing the dialogue and plotline, not the characters themselves.

So not improv

What the fuck are you? The elitist improv police? Improv is not defined in its entirety by complete spontaneity in every way, shape, and form with no base foundation for character or dialogue creation.

Oh.

Dictionary.com wrote:improvisation

noun
1. a creation spoken or written or composed extemporaneously (without prior preparation*)
2. an unplanned expedient
3. a performance given extempore without planning or preparation

*Such as asking the internet for advice on a really bad character idea

Sorry, dictionary definitions don't help you here.
Art, including this type, is always open to interpretation, meaning the static definition you have provided is merely the foundation for which the play style is rooted. Its creation can take various forms as long as core parts are still tied with the base idea. In this case, the dialogue and plot will evolve through improvisation, and the characters are preconceived, which is perfectly acceptable.