TLDR: it’s awesome and I highly recommend trying it out!
(photo courtesy of TodayTix Second City Training Centre - Toronto)
I’m a disgruntled customer. I’m a jelly staple salesperson (great for PB&J’s). I’m a…pirate’s treasure chest full of “booty?” In the world of improv, all things are possible. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s basically a form of theatre in which a group of people riff off each other in all sorts of randomly concocted scenarios as part of what is usually a pretty comical show. If you’ve seen the old show, “Who’s Line is it Anyway?” you’ve seen improv.
Occasionally I muster up the courage to venture outside my comfort zone on my ever-present quest to be a better version of myself, which usually involves various endeavors aimed at being less awkward. In this particular adventure, I seized the opportunity to sign up for a seven-week beginner’s improv class from a Second City instructor, Jason (amazing!), who held classes on the Kellogg School of Management campus. Here are some of my lasting impressions:
1. Not So Scary: If the thought of attempting to be funny on the fly in front of an audience is terrifying, I’m with you. However, as our class quickly learned, improv is more about the “Yes, and…” philosophy of building on each other’s contributions than actually trying to be funny. The first few classes eased us into being comfortable with this idea through playing silly activities that often required more sound effects than coherent sentences.
2. Sweet Skills: When I signed up, I had hoped to become slightly less awkward, but even though I still don’t quite know what to do with my hands, I did learn a lot about using body language more effectively, having a higher awareness of the audience, and collaborating with others -- especially on the fly. I’ll take that dub (W).
3. Super Fun: I’ve tried quite a few random activities, but I have to say these improv classes are far and away one of the most pleasant surprises I've had. Each week I looked forward to the opportunity to let loose and be silly for a change, which was incredibly relaxing. Seriously, we spent basically the entire class (very) accidentally cracking each other up; turns out, this does wonders for your emotional and psychological well-being.
I will likely never draw any comparisons to Second City’s legendary alumni who include Steve Carell (Michael Scott, The Office), Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope, Parks and Rec), and Mike Myers (Austin Powers), among many other famous comedians, but between the new skills, new friends, and new experience, signing up for the subsequent intermediate class was a no-brainer.
If you’ve read this far, I highly recommend trying out your local improv class (especially if it's Second City). You don’t have to be funny. You don’t have to be comfortable in front of people. But if you can pretend to be a disgruntled customer, a jelly staple salesperson, or a pirate’s treasure chest full of “booty,” you can do improv.
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