What we’re thinking about
In improv, we practice saying, “yes” – a lot. As humans we are conditioned to find all the reasons why something won’t work. We look for excuses to shut down, to predict failure, to use “no” as a protective shield. In improv, the “yes” moves things forward on stage. Yes can also be used to…
Whenever a Level 1 Improv class ends, students scurry around connecting on Facebook and Instagram. They drag their feet leaving the room, while exchanging contact information, as no one wants the experience to come to an end. Why? Because although they entered the room as strangers only six weeks prior, the group forms bonds through…
Sometimes I refer to improv as an alternate reality. Where in our every day world can we mix it up with people who have our backs, people who put “we before me,” people who support us in moving forward – together? Third Space Improv serves as a container for people of different walks of life…
Recently I was catching up with a friend who lives in a small town in Washington State and the conversation turned to the concept of adventure.
“I always thought adventure meant going to a third world country and surviving,” she told me.
In that moment I realized just how personal the concept of adventure is. Friends in Boulder, Colorado will tell me that unless they are climbing “a 14-er” they aren’t really having an adventure. Meanwhile at home in St. Augustine, I have Level 1 improv students who believe that stepping into the classroom in an adventure every week.
Some nights, after improv class ends, I spend time with my students by sharing a beer or a burrito. We’ll go over that evening’s lesson and then the conversation organically moves on to other subjects. Sometimes these conversations continue beyond the bites and brews – these are the ones I refer to as parking lot…
“I could never do that.” That’s usually the response I get from people seeing an improv show for the first time. Of course not. How could anyone go from watching an improv show to being in an improv show overnight? Perhaps the more appropriate phrase is, “I can’t do that right now.” With training, this…
