The Hundred Thousand Dollar Improv Game

Over the years, we’ve had many of our High School League team, or Minor League team as we called it, use their experiences, or skills as inspiration for their college admission essay.  One student wrote a poem, one create an entire song of which I still proudly own a copy and play from time to time.

The students that have shared their story with me, also shared that they received admission to the college of their choice. One student’s story stands out among many.  Perhaps it’s because he was the first to share his story, or perhaps it’s because of his mom!

Some years ago, one of our original High School League members was inspired to use one of his experiences at ComedySportz in his college acceptance essay. He received a full scholarship to Duke University. Now, I am assure that Keven “Super Genius” Fogg would have received a scholarship with our without his ComedySportz experience, however, his mom firmly believes that it was ComedySportz, and specifically one particular game, that urged a closer look at his application.
While cleaning out files I found Kevin’s essay, and my heart was filled with those warm fuzzy feelings of gratitude and appreciation. Grateful to have had this amazing student, and appreciative of the lessons he has taught me.  Allow me to share the first paragraph.

“A heavy base rhythm thumped away in the background and a bright light shone on the stage. I nervously watched my fallen comrade descend to her seat. An audience member bellowed out the name “Skip.” My mind started racing, how many words could I rhyme with Skip? Sip, trip, flip. How many of these words would my opponent use? Lip, rip, hip. We were on the stage at a professional improv show. I and my fellow performers were playing the game “Da-do-run-run,” based on the old fifties song. The objective is to continue the song through as many rhymes as possible, the player who cannot come up with a thyme is out. We were down to the last round, and the outcome of the match depended on who won that game. All the pressure was on me. Zip, tip, clip. My opponent fires a skillful line, employing the word “quip”. I quipped back just as easily. “The isle of Ceylon used to be called Serendip!” And with that, I won the game.

Kevin is now a Faculty of History, at University of Oxford. As of Friday he received confirmation that he will be teaching at Oxford for the next four years! Congratulations Super Genius! We always believed in you, we love you, and we know you’re doing great things.

I suspect you are an amazing teach, as I know that you have taught me many, many lessons oh wise one!

Yeah So…

Improvisation is all about Yes And. Yes, I hear the offer And, I will accept and build. A “Yes And” response, in any situation really makes the improvisers hearts sore, if only silently. It makes us feel heard. When we get a yes but, a yes or, or any other variation it can cause us to get grumpy.

Shannon is such a delightful upbeat person. She’s effervescent, energetic and childlike, great qualities that help keep us young. I’ve learned many lessons from this woman child over the years, but one stands out among the many.

One day Shannon came to ComedySportz Improv Theatre ready to play. She was playing in both shows that night and very excited because she had something special that day to make her more exuberant then usual. For this day, she had new socks to wear with her red and white baseball style Richmond Legends Uniform and Referee uniform.

For those reading that do not know what a ComedySportz show is, it’s two teams of performers that compete against each other for points and laughs based on the suggestions from the audience. In Richmond VA the teams wear either red and white or blue and gray baseball style jerseys.

As she came into the theatre she first connected with the box office manager Darlene, and said “Darlene, Darlene look at my socks are they great!”

“Yes, Shannon they ARE great!” Darlene said matching Shannon’s enthusiasm.

“Why, Darlene, why are they great?!” Asked Shannon.

Darlene answered “Well Shannon, the red and white stripped socks are great to wear when you’re playing for the Richmond Legends team, and the black and white socks are great to wear when you are the referee.”

“Yes, exactly, EXACTLY! Aren’t they GREAT!” then she went bounding into the theatre repeating this interaction with each person she met, until she came to Steve. I observed from a far, biting my lip. Shannon came into the office ready to have this verbal exchange with Steve…

“Steve, Steve! Look at my new socks aren’t they great?! Aren’t they awesome?!

“Yeah.” Said Steve almost emotionless.

Then Shannon said “That’s right they are! That’s right they’re awesome, do you know why they’re awesome?! Do you? Do you Steve?”

To which Steve said almost smugly “uh, because they’re socks.” Not wanting to play with Shannon’s impish delightful folly.

At this Shannon crinkled up her nose, clenched her socks in fists, and stood as if she had just evoked the power of Lucy Van Pelt, and said defiantly “That’s NOT HOW IT’S DONE!”

At this point Phil entered the room. Phil is chock full of folly, and just the kind of happy go lucky kind of guy Shannon needed at the exact moment.

“THIS IS HOW IT’S DONE!” She said and she went over to Phil.

“Phil, Phil look at my socks! Aren’t they great! Aren’t they amazing socks?!” She said.

“Yes Shannon they great and amazing socks!”

“Why Phil? Why are they great?”

“Because you can wear the red and white stripped socks when you play for the Legends team and you can wear the black and white socks whey you referee!” Explained Phil.

“EXACTLY! That’s right Phil! That’s right!”

Then, Shannon went and stood over Steve, looking down at him, with her hands clutching her socks in fists, and said emphatically “That’s how it’s done!” Then marched out of the room.

Steve hadn’t “Yes And’ed” Shannon. He didn’t even given a”Yes But” or “Yes Or” or even a “Yes, NO”. He simply gave a “Yeah, so.” Shannon’s actions clearly indicated that his lack of commitment, connection, and acceptance was less then acceptable.
Shannon is leaving Richmond in a few weeks and moving to Texas. Be sure to come to one of her last shows before she packs her backs and goes to Oil County!

Find out more about ComedySportz Improv Theatre in the latest update.

Simple Answers to Why

I simply love improvisation. That’s really all there is too it. It’s not something that’s made me rich. Actually, one might even say it’s my pennants, but non the less, I love it.  I say this because this is an art form, and this pull in our guts to continue doing improvisation no matter what, pays like…well, an art form. Not many people are making a living at this art form, sure we make something, and some do make a living, but most of us also have another job.

Why then, why do we love it? There are so many reasons, and these are mine.

I love the joy it gives others.

I love that we support each other no matter what.

I love that you never know what will happen, but when you commit to the connection of each other – magic happens. You can’t explain it, it just happens.

I love watching people gain confidence through class work.

I love watching little children realize they can make people laugh. Watching them finally realize and “get it” is an amazing moment of joy. You can see it in their face, and it just about makes me cry with joy.

I love watching teams learn how to connect.

I love setting up players/performers to excel, making my partners look good. That’s our goal; to make your partner look good.

I love observing someone communicate in gibberish, (a made up language) and know exactly what they are saying.

I love the silly, impish teasing that happens between the players during the games.

I love interacting with the audience.

I love the science of comedy. For example, we can’t explain it, but when we say something once in a scene that gets a laugh that’s good, if we repeat it, it’s a little funnier, three times the audience goes wild, and four times  it is almost always, no long funny. This is the golden rule of 3.

I love how players can leverage a scene to get a larger response from the crowd.

I love the many, many, many people I’ve meet in ComedySportz international that all have that “I’ve got your back” attitude!

I love our Loyal Fanz!

I love “Yes And“. The improvisers philosophy for play and life.

In this little video piece you can see the joy in our eyes as we play. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykr_29BO2q8

So, what are your reasons? Why do you love improvisation?

 

Yes AND…PUSHUPS!!!

It is not always easy to teach improv! Especially when the students want to act out, not follow along, not focus with the class, or worse yet, when they pull focus from the class!

A few years ago, I had the great fortune to be teaching at Fork Union Military Academy. As you might suspect, it is an all boys high school, and it is located in VA. I had never been in the situation to teach such a school. After the first lesson, I explained to the boys that we work together, and never but never throw team members under the bus! By this I mean, we don’t insult, chide, or mock fellow students. In improv, it is going to be necessary to be or act silly, and that tends to make people feel vulnerable. Thus it is not a time to laugh at a person, but to laugh with and show support. Sure, that’s a tough concept to grasp, but generally speaking, most do.

Remember, this is an all boys boarding school. Their entire mindset is one of survival, to fit in and act cool. To insult, chide, and mock is everyday behavior for boys, which can be true for many men in an all male setting. This is not something I can say I understand, well, being a girl and all.

Non the less, it was part of the lesson to teach teamwork and respect for others. The end result on that first day was frustration. As I drove the long 60 minutes home, there was plenty of time to reflect and plan for the following weeks lesson. Nothing like a good car ride to clear the mind, and by the time I pulled into the drive way I had an answer.

The following week I started the class and explained that there would be no “throwing each other under the bus”! If this behavior occurred, the student doing the “throwing” would have to do 10 push ups. If it continued they would have to do 20 push ups! If it happened a third time it would be 30 push ups and “Mama” would sit on their back! In this case, I’m “Mama”! And if someone did do push ups and another student laughed at the person doing push ups they too did push ups!

That day only Malcome did push ups. He did a round of 10 push ups, and then around of 20. The second time he had to do push ups, Drake joined in saying “if he has to do them and we’re a team then I have to do them too”! Then Jake joined in, then Jonathan, soon all the boys in class did push ups with Malcome. I would have welled up with tears right then and there to see such team spirit, save for the fact that it was a boys school after all.

It never got to the point of “Mama” sitting on anyone’s back thankfully. The idea was scarier then the presumed pleasure derived from insulting or mocking a peer. They got the message, and taught me an unexpected lesson of team unity as well.

She Failed Big and Won Bigger

We attend Unity church, and are involved with the Family Youth Ministry programs at the church, specifically the Youth Of Unity, or Y.O.U. programs. The Y.O.U is the teenager program that teaches the principles of Unity, the lessons of the golden rule, leadership, teamwork, and spirit.

 
The program includes four weekend retreats throughout the year  including the East Coast Region. These programs usually have as many as 100 in attendance. Twice a year the programs are held at the YMCA camp Tockwock in Maryland.

Each program is full of inspiration as we all sing together, cheer together, enjoy entertainment provided by the Y.O.U teens, and listen to truth talks. The truth talks are among my favorite as these are well presented, heartfelt, talks Y.O.U. teens share with the entire group. Generally, I need tissues when listening to these inspirational message of the amazingly strong, courageous, encouraging teens; or should I say teachers.

This past March, at the Leaderhsip Conference Miss Kindra Rae Wyatt shared her story. I remembered meeting her at the previous Spring Y.O.U Rally. She was running for a leadership role as Communication Officer for the Regional Council aka “regi’s”. Those interested in running stand in front of the Y.O.U audience answer questions on leadership throughout the weekend on Unity principles, lessons of their life etc. Not knowing her prior to this event I remember thinking that Kindra was a shoe in for the position. However, she did not get the position, another young lady did. She too was exceptional, and after seeing her evolve in the position this year, she did an amazing job. Kindra accepted defeat with grace.

This past March, at the Unity Y.O.U Leadership Conference, Kindra shared her truth talk which was based on the experience of her loss the previous year. I was grabbing  tissues as she taught us all the valuable lessons of failure and the benefits found as a result.

Here is Kindra.

How To Fail With Elegance

Here is Kindra’s truth talk essay.

I’ve been involved with Y.O.U. long before I knew what it really was. My older sister, Rose, was a regi, so growing up with concepts like ‘heart talks’, ‘joysongs’, and ‘rally’ were commonplace. Though I’m sure I imposed it upon myself, I felt this absolute sense of need to live up to her, to be as important to my community as she had been in her time. 8 years of age difference is a lot to live up to though and finally, as I went through my time with Unity and eventually, Y.O.U. , I felt like I was just crafting my experiences to become regi. I had purposefully taken on leadership roles in my home church as chapter president, led family groups at rally and had even begun a formal 4-year leadership certification at my college.

 
This goal was shattered during Spring Rally of last year when I ran for regi. And lost. I hate to admit that I don’t feel like I handled it gracefully. I hate to say that it hurted. A lot. Not only did I feel like I had failed, I also felt like others had expected me to fail. Try as I may to put the positive Unity spin on things, underneath everything it still felt like a personality contest to me and my loss felt like a mark that said “you’re just not good enough”.

 
How could I get over that? How could I get over the people who I thought loved me most, seemingly rejecting me? However, what surprised me as I finished out the rally weekend and went home was not the pain that I had felt immediately following the results or a pervading sense of rejection. What blossomed out of this experience was a new sense of purpose. Finally, I was forced to look at how I see myself, rather than how others saw me – I had to live from the inside out.

 
As I was writing this, I started looking at 2 repercussions – 1) I looked at how much I learned “training” for regi – the lessons in leadership that I gained have proved to be absolutely invaluable in my life and in my college career. 2) What if I had become regi? How would that have shaped this year for me? The week of fall rally, probably one the most stressful for any new regi, happened to be my week of midterms. I was stressed as is and probably wouldn’t have been able to put in the effort necessary to do justice to that Rally. Moreover, I certainly wouldn’t have had the time to write the 3 essays for a $10,000 scholarship that was due that weekend. I am pleased to say now that I was the recipient of said scholarship, an honor that has transformed everything. “Losing” at becoming regi may have been the tipping point that my life – with the scholarship that I received, I’ll be studying abroad in Bangalore, India for all of next year. Whether or not I had recognized it at the time, NOT becoming regi was probably the most powerful experiences of my life.

 
I believe now, fully and without question. Maybe not in God – I’m not sure I’ll ever believe in a mighty figure or even in the idea of a higher power. But maybe I believe in energy now – I believe in life plans, in future endeavors, in the self-realization that comes from learning and growing and failing and succeeding. I trust myself and from there, from the inside, that trust can only spread outward, giving myself more fully to those I love and even those that I don’t. This is my truth, my rock, my core, my belief, my mantra, my THANK YOU to Y.O.U. – for changing my life and for teaching me to live from the inside out.

_________________________________________________________

Thank you Miss Kindra for the fabulous lesson. This student is listening and learning. Yes And!

Yes And…Mama Mia!

Two Men and a Lady...A Funny Lady!

I’ll never forget the day our friend called us when he was visiting NYC and asked us if we wouldn’t mind being good friends, and breaking into his house… See his son, Zak, a jr. in college, majoring in musical theatre, was about to kick off his first true professional gig. He was going to be singing with the Broadway Boys on the Rosie O’Donnall cruise ship. This was huge; the Broadway Boys are comprised of top leading men that star in Broadway productions, not to mention that Rosie is a huge supporter of Broadway. Who knew what endless possibilities lie on that trip.

In all Zak’s excitement, he forgot his passport.

“Could you break into our house, and get Zak’s passport and hire a currier service to get it to NYC by morning.”

“Yes And” was the response.

My husband, or as I call him “The Dish” and I had friends visiting from out of state and we were about to start cooking a nice dinner, but that could wait. While “The Dish” went to burgle our friends, I lined up a currier service. The first quote was more than willing to make the six hour drive for the low, low price of $800.00. I know right. I was thinking about changing professions right then and there.

I called another service and this price was half, that was providing everything went with out a hitch. Then they promised to pick up the package in two hours. Problem solved! We cooked dinner and waited, and waited. No service.

We called. They explained that there was a “hitch” that occured. Oh they could still get the package to NYC, but it would get there by 5:00 pm, which was too late, as the ship would leave port at 4:00.

Our friends said, “well, you tried”.

Then we explained “Yes And”. They got excited, now it was a game. They wanted to help us solve the puzzle, to “move the scene” forward.

They thought of calling the performers at the ComedySportz Improv Theatre and offer the $400 if any of them can get the passport to NYC. They were just about to start the late show, so we had to catch them just before. We called them and explained the situation, and also explained to them “the solution is Yes And. Call me if you have any ideas.”

Two hours later I got a call from Thomas. “Boss, Boss, we have a plan. I’m going to drive the “package” to NYC. Yes and PJ volunteered to be my wing man so I don’t fall asleep. Yes And, you know my car use to belong to Fred Flinstone and is old as Bedrock itself, so I don’t think it’ll make the trip, so Jenni is letting us use her new car. I’ll be over shortly to pick up the package.”

Thomas and PJ drove all night. Then at about 9:30 I got a call. Boss, Boss the package has been delivered, I repeat the package has been delivered, the fox is in the henhouse, the eagle has landed, Elvis has entered the building.

Because of “Yes And” Zak made the deadline and was on that cruise ship. “Yes And” he got to sing with the Broadway Boys. “Yes And” they got to sing with the original Mimi from the musical Rent. “Yes And” during that song a photographer took a picture. “Yes And” that picture landed in the New York Times. “Yes And”, on that cruise ship he made many connetions that are helping with his career. “Yes And” Zak has since graduated and is living and working in NYC.

Zak is extremely talented and it’s easy to know that with all his hard work and dedication of course he’s going to achieve his dreams. We’re glad we were able to assist with this one. We all felt joined together to create this wonderful team for that one moment in time. And to update this story further and if you wanted to know…”Yes And”…Zak will be playing on Broadway in Mama Mia!!!

Congratulations to you Zak! We are so happy and proud of you!

The Improv Student

Recently, one of the students turned major league player of ComedySportz

shared his story at one of our High School League practices. Many of us had not heard his story, and we were moved and asked if he would write and share his story. Thank you for sharing your story

“I was not a particularly happy child during my formative years. In middle school, I fluctuated between having zero friends to maybe a maximum of about 3. Most of my time in class was spent either being sarcastic or being quiet. I went to school, I played video games, I ate, and I slept.

My parents were not a fan of that lifestyle, as it turns out. As punishment for my apathy, they shoved me into a couple weeks of ComedySportz kidz camp. CSZ camp lasted 4 days per session, three hours per day, plus a little showcase on the last day for our folks to see what we learned. In terms of content, the camps were rather simple. We were taught to work as a team, get out of our heads, and enjoy ourselves via lots and lots of improv games, ranging from simple scene games to wars with poison swords.

I was not amused.

They wanted the kid who hated people to be a team player. They wanted the perpetual thinker to act on instinct. They wanted the child with the eternal scowl to get rid of it.

My thoughts after one summer of CSZ: NO NO NO A MILLION TIMES NO.

Naturally, I had a lot of problems throughout the last year. My parents were concerned, once again, about my ever-simplifying lifestyle. I ate less, slept less, and aside from spring track, did virtually nothing of substance. So, naturally, they signed my surly butt up for another three weeks of camp.

I will admit, these sessions were a good deal better than the previous ones, for two reasons. First, my quiet side had pretty much gone extinct, so only sarcasm remained. While this wasn’t necessarily the best thing for the people around me, it was much easier to get out of my shell this time around. Second, I made a friend. Only one friend, yes, but quite a good friend, especially considering my penchant for driving people away at this point. By the end of week three, me and the aforementioned friend were close enough that she was able to twist my arm into auditioning for the CSZ high school league with her that fall.

(SIDE NOTE: I still have no idea why they let me audition at that point, let alone why they let me in. I was below high school age, I wasn’t actually in high school, and, other than a reasonable sharp mind, I showed no aptitude for improvisation. I routinely tried too hard to be funny, I picked my spots too meticulously, and I was an absolute black hole as far as team play goes. My parents were benefactors of the theatre at this point, and my little sister, two years my junior, was a much friendlier, much more responsive person. I guess it’s their fault.)

The rest of ComedySportz high school league did not take as well to me as my friend did. There were about 20 of us when I was accepted into the troupe, and the other 18 of them either hated me or were allergic to me. And, frankly, I don’t blame them. Did I mention that I was a sourpuss with a lot lot lot lot lot of teenage angst? I spent the first several months of CSZhsl stuck between a rock and a hard place. I hated being at home, so I spent most of my weekends there, between the practices and the major league shows (To which I had free admittance).

And, by spending time at CSZ, I mean I spent most of my time in the parking lot. During practices, I typically had the common decency to at least stay in the theatre (Though I’d take prolonged trips to the bathroom to avoid going onstage for games that made me uncomfortable. Read: Most of them). I pretty much sat in the back, shut up, and zoned out. During the major league shows, I’d typically grab my iPod and just walk around in the parking lot out back, which has probably become the most famous part of this story. It got so bad at times that my folks came to the shows JUST to make sure I actually watched. But I really couldn’t. I hated the people onstage. They were so good and I was so horrible. I didn’t get it.

Boy, I didn’t get it.

But then something funny happened.

There must have been a conference or something, because things turned after a while. A few people looked at me differently. I wasn’t a surly, unaccepting, sarcastic kid anymore. I was a kid with real problems who needed help. So they picked me up. I’m sure I tried a fair bit to shove them away, but they didn’t budge. And why would they? They were my teammates. And the only one that didn’t understand that was me. After 2+ years there, I still didn’t get the point of ComedySportz Richmond.

Coincidentally, this coincided with the worst summer of my life. My pre-high school summer was filled with all kinds of crap. I got slammed with all sorts of everything, and then some. I got thrown from my own little world into a world where I absolutely couldn’t survive. Since I had no school, there were no academics to take my mind off it either. It was either the real, suddenly cruel world, or it was ComedySportz. For the first time, CSZ wasn’t a convenient way to feign business to my parents (or myself). I needed it.

So, despite all my issues, I sat up a little straighter. I talked a little friendlier. I moved my chair a little closer. I opened my ears a little more. It took a long time, but the light came on. I was still a long way away from ideal: I still fumed on the inside every time somebody else was team captain (Which happened most of the time) or when someone beat me at my favorite game (Which happened less), and I still measured my shows on how many people laughed at me and what I was able to accomplished. But I was onstage, I was thinking less, and I was driven as hell to put a good product on that stage.

My social life improved dramatically after this, and I started to notice some things. Improv requires confidence, decisiveness, teamwork, trust, attitude, and drive. As I slowly added these traits to my improv repertoire (And I stress slowly. I was nowhere near complete at any point during my high school league career), they translated into my life. As I made friends, I got a little happier. I still had issues dealing with my life, but I had made it into something I could live with. As the improv experience grew, the life improvements continued to build in the long run, despite inevitable setbacks. I wouldn’t say at this point that I “got it,” but I was certainly in the process.

April 28, 2009, if memory serves, was the final day of existence for ComedySportz Richmond on Staples Mill road. I was crushed. I still needed ComedySportz. I wasn’t done growing into myself yet. I had never been one to show emotion, despite the troubled soul inside, and I still spent hours crying. I’m not sure something has ever made me as upset.

What I didn’t realize, though, was that the damage had been done. For good. (Well, perhaps damage is the wrong word)

Despite my lack of a stage, my confidence still found ways to build. My apathy continued to disappear. My faith in humanity continued to restore. My reliance on my fellow man contined to grow. My outlook on life grew increasingly bright. Why? Because CSZ was, is, and always will be embedded in my brain, my heart, and my soul. ComedySportz gave me a life worth living. It might sound cheesy, but that’s not an exaggeration. In fact, it doesn’t do CSZ enough justice.

In the years between CSZs, I did a few things to pass the time. I ditched my abhorrence for scripted acting and finally got my rear end into some plays. So far, I’ve been part of a school one-act that advanced to regionals, several plays (Including one lead role and another to come this summer), and a couple random open mic nights where I tried to do some stand-up (I don’t think I’m THAT bad at it. Others might disagree).

My name is Glenn Abernathy, and I think I get it.

The new CSZ opened up in Gold’s Gym Plaza in April 2011. As of July 12, 2011, I have been a player in the CSZ Major Leagues. I assist in a lot of the programs designed to teach kids the values of improv and the fun it can bring. I perform on many weekends in the shows I used to hate to watch. I regularly WATCH (and enjoy) the shows I used to hate to watch. I regularly perform in birthday and other child-audience remote shows.

And now, it seems as if I have become the poster boy for CSZ, and how it can make a happy person out of anyone. CSZ Richmond, and everyone involved between 2005 and now, thank you. You saved my life.”

Hello, My Name is Christine Walters

It was the first day of class. This is the second year that Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School is including improv in their curriculum, and I couldn’t be happier. Why? You may ask. Well, I’ll tell you.

Improvisation, as I’ve learned mostly through the masters of ComedySportz, is so much more that just silly shtick comedy; actually, it’s learning Attitude, Commitment, Trust and Teamwork. Comedy and the laughter generated through comedy performers is, and this is one lady’s opinion, the bi-product of ACTT-ing.  Improvisation also teaches communication and creativity, while also increasing self esteem and confidence. It teaches quick response, thinking, staying present, reacting and connecting in the moment. It teaches that we make mistakes and how to laugh them off and learn from them. All of these lessons are infused with laughter. It’s, as Mary Poppins would say, kind of like using sugar to help the medicine go down. Yup, no question about it, I love me some improvisation.

This year AJCSE has an entire arts program, art, music, and improv and the children got to choose which class they desired. My class has 20 students this year, many returning from last year, and a few new students.

The first lesson of each class is for each student to shake my hand as they enter the room, look me in the eye and say their name. Last year this proved to be a challenging task. Funny how a simple thing like looking each other in the eye while saying our name can be a challenge for some. The returning kids had tons of fun with this exercise as they seemed to want to test me. As Delmont reached for my hand he said “Hello, my name is Christine Walters”, and I knew my response would be to answer with saying his name. I figured out their game and played it with each child that wanted to test me.

Each week, my time in class flies by so fast that I can’t even believe that a full 90 minutes have passed. We meditate on being here and now, on being cool as we are, we play all sorts of warm up games, and talk about the importance of attitude and eye contact.

The favorite moments always come when you see a child you didn’t expect, connecting and being there for you, or as we say in the improv world “having your back”. Jamaica did just this today. When everyone was talking during instructions, Jamaica while sitting the farthest from the group, alone in the corner, observing the scene play out, yelled out “Y’all SHUT UP”!

It might not have been the most congenial way to get everyone’s attention, but it was her style. She wanted to hear, to follow along, and for every one else to follow along. Happiness lies in the little things, and that little demonstration of hers made my heart jump crazy high!

Great Things are Happening!

This Muse is one happy camper!

Here are a few upcoming events and some others news that I’d love to share. Hope to see all of you, or at least some of you there!

Come on out Cher, Clair, Mar, and bring your Opare.

‘Cus these events will be something extrodinaire

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/Lessons-Of-Laughter-Fun-New-Programs.html?soid=1101242677820&aid=zZlwLPdN3AM

The Kids Speech

Improv Classes Designed For Young People Who Stutter

Maryann Kaminsky of In Plain English, and Christine Walters of Lessons Of Laughter and ComedySportz, are teaming up to provide a series of improv programs to help students with speaking disorders increase confidence and learn theatre tips and techniques to aide in speaking with ease.

Maryann is a speech therapist, and president of In Plain English LLC. She teaches clear, confident communication skills. Christine is an improviser, director, and founder of ComedySportz Improv Theatre of Richmond and president of Lessons Of Laughter. Over the past 18 years of improv, Christine teaches acceptance, commitment, teamwork, trust, and how to fail, and fail big.

Both women worked with students at Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia during the 2010 – 2011 school year. A student of Maryann’s demonstrated dramatic  improvement in her speech in the early spring of 2011. When asked what was different, she replied; “I have confidence”. When asked what made the difference she stated;  in my improv class here at school my teacher expects me to do what everyone else is doing”.

After connecting with Christine and realizing how complimentary the goals of their individual programs were,  they decided to create programs, weaving both speech therapy and improv techniques together for people who stutter. This Fall three “LOL In Plain English” programs will be launched. Each class will offer 6 weeks of improv training and will conclude with a performance by the students for their family and friends.

Classes will be held at the new ComedySportz Improv Theatre 8906 West Broad Street, Richmond VA, 23294. Each class is two hours. There will be three programs offered; for Elementary, Middle and High School age students. A program for adults is in the planning stages. Please contact us for more information.

Dates of Programs:

Elementary Program: grades 2 – 5 October 4, 11, 18, 25, November 1, and 8
Middle School Program: grades 6 – 8 October 5, 12, 19, 26, November 2, and 9
High School Program: grades 9 – 12 October 6, 12, 19, 27, November 3, and 17

Program cost: $250.00

Classes are limited to 12 students per session. Scholarships are available for each program series. To register for the program contact maryannkaminsky@mac.com or call 804-539-8843.

To contact Christine, that would be me, with any questions about this program please call 804.833.2067.