Improvisational theater helps foster interpersonal communication skills in many ways. It aids the development of relationships by creating a judgement free space for creative thinking. It furthers the formation of connections in the brain that aid retention of short term memories and faster cognition. Improv also can act as therapy for speech, learning disorders, ASD and dementia.
I know that my personal experiences with improvisational theater have increased my confidence exponentially, both onstage and off. I took my first formal improv. Class in seventh grade. I had been doing theater for a number of years prior to that, but the experience of having a class where we were given so much freedom was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. …show more content…
Fast forward a year or so and I am in a new city, I lived in Madison for thirteen years, and know absolutely nobody. I signed up for a two week improv. Class at The Waukesha Civic Theater in an effort to find some semblance of a community during the summer. In some ways I accomplished that goals, in other ways I failed. But I did gain confidence in speaking. I’ve always had a negative perception of my voice and have had trouble with articulation. That was my first experience with the wonderful Doug Jarecki, who threw every member of his class into the deep end with no floaties. Once I started into Perform I was able to improvise with the Theater Focus and I felt the way being completely ridiculous has the ability to bring people together. There are no unfair advantages or cheats when doing improv. The only thing you can do is hope for the best. You have to learn to trust your scene partners to support you and if there is anything that fosters a sense of community it is a trust fall with your entire sense of self. By the end of my sophomore year I knew myself enough that improv. Became something I could do without fear. It became a tool I could use everyday, academically and socially. I could be more concise in my explanations, I was able to
I know that my personal experiences with improvisational theater have increased my confidence exponentially, both onstage and off. I took my first formal improv. Class in seventh grade. I had been doing theater for a number of years prior to that, but the experience of having a class where we were given so much freedom was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying. …show more content…
Fast forward a year or so and I am in a new city, I lived in Madison for thirteen years, and know absolutely nobody. I signed up for a two week improv. Class at The Waukesha Civic Theater in an effort to find some semblance of a community during the summer. In some ways I accomplished that goals, in other ways I failed. But I did gain confidence in speaking. I’ve always had a negative perception of my voice and have had trouble with articulation. That was my first experience with the wonderful Doug Jarecki, who threw every member of his class into the deep end with no floaties. Once I started into Perform I was able to improvise with the Theater Focus and I felt the way being completely ridiculous has the ability to bring people together. There are no unfair advantages or cheats when doing improv. The only thing you can do is hope for the best. You have to learn to trust your scene partners to support you and if there is anything that fosters a sense of community it is a trust fall with your entire sense of self. By the end of my sophomore year I knew myself enough that improv. Became something I could do without fear. It became a tool I could use everyday, academically and socially. I could be more concise in my explanations, I was able to