Like millions of others in this world, I enjoy doing improvisational acting. Improv is the type of acting where you have no idea what you're about to do before you do it. It involves quick thinking, talent and teamwork. "Who's Line is it Anyway?" is improv acting. There are several different kinds of improv and, contrary to popular belief, it doesn't always need to be funny. Short form is the usually funny, quick, and silly games like the ones seen on the show. Long form is the type of improv that builds on itself for a long time, sometimes hours, depending on the type of improv show that you're attending. My personal favorite is short form because of the fast paced excitement that accompanies it. Improv is a fun activity and is useful for every actor, but it can also be helpful in your everyday life.
It can teach you discipline.
When performing improv, you must be able to make things up on your own out of nowhere, but you also need to be able to follow rules. (Yes, improv has rules.) You learn to follow instructions and to be an asset to others. You learn to play by the rules while also bringing your own flare to the situation.
You learn to never say no.
The most important and cardinal rule of improv is to never say no. You accept the information that your scene partner gives you and you move on. For example, if your partner says, "Hey we're having a nice day on the moon today aren't we?" You would't say "No, we're at Disney World." You'd say something like, "Yes and what a beautiful view of Mars we have." This is important in life because you need to be able to compromise and build on others' ideas to make them stronger, instead of dividing and causing problems within the group. The more that you say yes and build on the idea, the stronger that you become.
Your teamwork skills grow.
When you're on an improv team, you are trusting another person entirely. You are both out there and in front of people with no idea what you are about to do, but you put your faith in each other to create something beautiful and trust that they'll have your back while you're up there. Putting that much faith in a person really enhances your teamwork skills. In the real world, it is easy to think of it as "eat or be eaten," but improv teaches us that if you have people with you who trust you as much as you trust them, then you can accomplish almost anything that you put your mind to.
So give improv a chance. It's not just a theatre thing and it's not just a fun activity. It has so many real life benefits and all that you have to do is get out there and try it.
