The Note Session
The post-rehearsal or post-show meeting where a coach or director gives feedback to the ensemble — the primary craft-transmission mechanism in improv.
Known for
- Usually 15-45 minutes after a rehearsal; notes range from scene-specific ('your second beat never returned to the game') to meta ('this team hasn't been listening for three weeks').
- Craft norms vary: Chicago tradition leans direct ('that scene didn't work because you blocked'), UCB-style leans more systematic (written notes, game identification).
- The note session is also where toxic coach-performer dynamics historically lived; post-2017 consent norms formalized how notes get delivered.