We have all heard the adage, “The most important things in life are not things.” This sentiment applies to improv and really good scenes. I have also found a way to apply this adage to really good parenting, I hope. As I started taking improv classes, and watching student shows, I noticed scenes got really boring when the performers only talked about stuff and things. This is especially noticeable in so-called “teaching scenes” when the focus is on a process instead of people. The more classes I took, the more I tried to notice what made professional improvisors so interesting in their scenes ..read more

After having two babies 19 months apart, I felt overwhelmed as a mom. I looked for rules and phrases to give me sanity. One phrase I started using was “If I can, I will say yes.” It was a wonderful way to approach parenting. In fact, this inspired a huge connection between parenting and improv. Let me explain. The first rule of improv is to say, “Yes, and…”. Improv is more fun and easy when we say yes! It progresses the whole scene, strengthens team unity, and improves entertainment value. It is fun to perform in improv scenes where my teammates agree with my reality and support my ideas. It c ..read more

I confess: I used to be a bossy mom. I was constantly telling my kids what to do. I was frustrated that I said things and was ignored. It was even more aggravating when my husband asked the kids to do the same thing I had been asking, and they did it right away! This drove me crazy. Finally, improv classes came to the rescue! First of all, improv taught me to really listen to the whole person. It gave me the skill of hyper listening. But once I had the skill of hyper listening, there was another step. I needed to acquire the next skill: match, mirror, and duplicate. In improv, you never know ..read more

If you really want to light your scenes on fire and have an insane amount of fun onstage, here’s a little known secret that turns good scenes into great, fun, interesting and meaningful scenes. The secret is: "Yes" UNTIL you can "and..." The Rule of "Yes, and..." Almost every class taught, almost all books and virtually all videos that train improvisers teach the first rule of improv is "Yes, and... " YES: To "Yes" means that each scene partner is required to embrace the thoughts, ideas, emotions and actions provided by the other as truth. No if’s, and’s or but’s about it. You accept it. AND ..read more