what can you learn from taking an improv workshop with Dr. B?
Great question! Stefanie Benjamin, Ph.D. through engagement and dialogue, will focus on fundamental skills — knowing your audience, connecting with your audience, and building confidence. The improvisational games lead by Dr. Stefanie Benjamin enhances participants' critical thinking, listening, and communication skills allowing for a creative and open experience. The skills learned with improv workshops helps folks learn how to "yes-and" a situation and work through issues in a collaborative manner. Taking an improv workshop with Stefanie helps boost your confidence and be comfortable with the concept of failure ... below are just some tenets of improvisation!
Tenet # 1: You Must Agree. The first tenet of the workshop revolves around the concept of “agreeing.” Introducing the concept of “agreement” opens a space for an idea to grow and forces people to let go of their egos. Participants learn how to respect what their partner has created and relinquish being right. Thus, participants practice saying “yes” and agree to whatever scene or idea their partner created. However, learning how to agree or how to say yes is step one. Learning how to say, “yes-and” is step two, and the most important principle within improvisation.
Tenet # 2: Say Yes-And. This is the “Golden Rule” of improvisation (Gesell, 1997). Participants learn how to agree, but also, learn how to contribute. Learning how to say, “yes-and” helps individuals build upon people's ideas in a supportive way and boost creativity and innovation (Diggles, 2004). In a culture where the default answer is no, in order to avoid risk and possibility of failure, incorporating a yes-and mindset allows for a fast pace, energetic, forward momentum. This process harnesses the power of collaboration where participants contribute to and support the group's activity (Berk & Trieber, 2009; Koppett, 2001).
Tenet # 3: Make Statements. Speaking in statements, instead of apologetic questions, helps participants be part of the solution, whatever the problem is. Instead of asking hard questions, improv helps participants become confident so that they can set a direction for others to follow. Making statements helps to create a path where everyone works together to fix the problem instead of contributing to the chaos.
Tenet # 4. There Are No Mistakes. Within improv, there are no mistakes, only opportunities. Participants learn how to increase their flexibility and comfort level with the unknown in order to be willing to take risks. This allows for a space where participants learn how to manage change and respond decisively to unanticipated challenges. Thus, improv is about moving forward in order to
create something novel and unexpected. These tenets presented by Fey (2011) aligns with and contributes toward the six goals implemented in the workshops:
1. Build communication & team work
2. Increase confidence
3. Prepare for the unexpected
4. Practice being uncomfortable & develop self-awareness
5. Learn how to yes-and!
6. Learn how to listen empathetically and actively
“Practicing improv strengthens the muscles that allow us to stay in the moment, give and take, and sacrifice that part of us that thinks being right actually matters. In turn, those muscles allow us to become better improviser- better innovators” (Leonard & Yorton, 2015, p. 81).
