WHO’S GOT THE STATUS?
by Ann Lo Ever since we discussed status in improv class I’ve been mulling it over. I want to learn how to play the part of a high-status person. That doesn’t come naturally to me…
Category: Student Blog
TRAVELING TO THE LAND OF IMPROV
Improv means facing the unknown like a traveler does when visiting a foreign country. It can be embarrassing when I do something that works in the Land of Austin that doesn’t work in the Land of Improv. In the Land of Improv, with many of the rules of normal interaction changed, it’s possible to be creative, flexible, and playful because those are the customs in this new “foreign country.”
The Experience of Stand-up
Stand-up comedy is the art of raw speaking and storytelling. There can be education, there can be stories. There will be laughs apart of the experience.
Smells Like Team Spirit
One of the things I like about improv class is the connection that develops among students. To learn improv, there’s an inherent need to be emotionally vulnerable, at least to some extent. And for some…
The Odyssey of Long-Form Improv
I‘ve been seriously dabbling in fiction for twenty-five years. Took three 16-week graduate-level seminars from published authors; wrote at least twenty short stories; submitted three or four for publication. And did I ever publish a…
Suffer Your Fool Gladly
When I told a friend I’m taking improv classes her response sounded like, “Wow, you are so brave. I could never do that.” While I might be brave, that’s not the trait that motivated me…
Yoga Can Improve Your Improv
A few weeks ago my musical improv teacher had us warm-up near the piano. Before we started our voice exercises, she stressed the importance of standing tall, having good posture and focusing on the breath…