3 Reasons To Learn Improv

A few months ago, I blogged about my experience with learning the art of improvisation. 

If you are in the Boulder/Denver area, the same two improv workshops that I attended will be held in June. See below for more info.

If you are curious but need three reasons to attend, here they are:

• Improv is lots of fun.  When else can you imagine being a stubbed toe and act it out?  Or a newborn baby in the arms of a nurturing mother?  Or a too-eager woman on a first date?  All those smart aleck remarks from your daily life get put to good use. Photo by Pink Sherbert Photography

• Improv is therapeutic. I get to express a wide range of emotions with an intensity that one rarely exhibits in daily life.  Anger gets expressed with the whole body, not just a few words. Sadness has an energy that dulls the heart.  Regret shows up in visible angst. By the time I go home, I've had an emotional cleansing, all in the name of play and exploration.

• Improv gets you out of your head and into your body.  When I'm doing improv, I'm more aware of my body and how it can be a tool for expression.  Facial expressions and arm movements and how I stand or walk all play a part in communicating with the audience. Photo by Ernst Moeksis

So, what are you waiting for?  Here are descriptions for two Playback Theatre classes, which is a specific form of improvisation:

PLAYBACK 1:INTRODUCTION TO PLAYBACK IMPROVISATIONAL THEATER (SHORT FORMS)

Improvisational acting requires us to be in our bodies, let go of the critical mind, and say yes to the unknown.  It is important training for all performers, and helpful to anyone opening themselves to the creative process.  In this course, participants use the short forms of Playback's improvisational theatrical structures to access their performance strengths and learn to play back on-the-spot stories told by an audience.  Playback is unique in that it draws equally from the performer's ability to playfully engage both their creativity and their empathy to tell a story not only of humor, but of depth and passion.

June 4th-5th

Friday 6:30-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m.

Cost: $129 (20% off Playback 2 when you sign up for Playback 1)

PLAYBACK 2: PLAYBACK STORIES: IMPROVISATIONAL THEATER (LONG-FORMS)

The heart of Playback Theater is the long-form improv of storytelling.  In this class we will focus on how to structure an improvisational story and
find its essence.  The focus will be learning how to act out stories but we will also play with ways of accompanying stories musically as well as discuss conducting technique. 

June 11th-12th

Friday 6:30-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m

Cost: $129

To sign up, call 303-440-3682.

I don't receive anything for promoting these classes, other than the satisfaction of knowing someone else will discover the joy of improv.

Comments

[Lisa Dworkin]

Great points. I'm taking a week long improv class at Second City in Chicago in June and can't wait. I think it will be a blast.

[carolross]

How cool is that--a week long class at Second City! Looking forward to hearing about your experiences....

[Stan Stewart]

Agreed. My connections to improv started with InterPlay over 15 years ago. These days, in NE PA, I play improvised music and teach InterPlay classes and workshops. http://music4moment.com/

Blessings,
Stan

[carolross]

Thanks for stopping by, Stan! Nice to see different forms of improv and the different applications. Enjoyed learning more about InterPlay and it's spread to many kinds of groups.