Comedy is hard enough as it is. When you add in the element of making it up as you go, the difficulty factor increases. This is why, despite the hundreds of articles celebrating the benefits of learning improv, most people will never set foot in a class.
But once you experience improv with a great teacher, it swiftly comes together. You become more comfortable with not having every line in a scene meticulously planned and you even begin embracing the unknown. You quickly learn it’s less about being the funniest person in the room, and more about staying in the moment. Your confidence skyrockets.
You realize that change is inevitable in this improv scene, that just because you, as a doctor, told your scene partner that they had less than 24 hours left to live, doesn’t lock you into doing a scene about death. They could take that information and choose to celebrate their final day on Earth. That’s an entirely different energy.
Improv training gives you the confidence to be prepared for anything. Things can transform rapidly in the beginning of a scene as the details of your relationship and setting are being revealed. The more improv you do, the more likely you are to adopt the change that is inevitable on and off stage.
It’s ironic how challenging the concept of change is for humans because that’s the only real guarantee in life – that things will change.
It’s better to be prepared for it.
It’s more fun embracing it.
Improv gives you the confidence to be the kind of person who accepts change and builds off it.
Next month I’ll be teaching a three-days-in-one-week course for people who want to jump into this work and see how it can inspire your life. Register here for my March Virtual Improv Classes.
“Chris creates a learning environment that is energetic and supportive. Even the most reluctant participant was, by the end of the session, gleefully part of the action. His joy and warmth are contagious — he is a human and teacher of the highest caliber!”
Julie, Launchpad Live Summit (January 2021)
In June I’ll be teaching how improv gives you confidence for The Nomadic Network.
