ImprovSpirituality

Peter Block in Flawless Consulting writes that there is no more profound question in consulting than, "What do we want to create together?" I see this as the foundational question, not only in consulting, but for any organization or group. It doesn't matter if the group is a business, non-profit, church, or social club, when individuals work together to create something unique to themselves the whole becomes greater than the sum of it's parts.  As a church pastor for thirty-seven years, I've learned that groups are more successful when they focus on sharing ideas, supporting one another, and building relationships. I've certainly done my share of trying to push for change in an organization. I've subscribed to the popular theory of the "visionary leader." This theory holds the belief that growing churches all had one thing in common, a leader with a strong vision. The congregation would spend countless hours on self-evaluation, group meetings, f...

There is always so much to do! Even in retirement, I find my days go by so fast that I often don't get the things done that I want to. I may not go into the office daily, but I still preach most Sundays. It's amazing how people think that doesn't take time, after all I have thirty-six years of sermons piled up. And then there's my improv workshops, the Facebook improv page I have to keep current, and my blog. There are family obligations, a house to keep up, meals to shop for and prepare, you know, regular life. I've heard many retired people say they don't know how they ever found time to work! For those of you who are still gainfully employed, I know it can get even worse. The forty-hour work week seems to be a thing of the past. Most people I know are spending more and more time bring work from home, and if they happen to work from home, there are no such things as time clocks.  As a parish priest, I lamented that church activities no longer drew the numbers ...

When doing scene work in an improv workshop, I've seen people get stuck in their heads trying to come up with a response that is out of the box, funny, and original. That's a lot of pressure and it takes it's toll by pulling focus away from the scene. You can almost hear the wheels turning in their head as they look off into space in search of the perfect comeback. The secret, of course, is that the answer is right there in the scene. Focus on being in the scene and say the first thing that comes to you. It's obvious.  Wait, they say, it can't be obvious. You have to mine for the gold to make a scene really funny. One must think outside the box. The "box" contains the who, what, where, and why of the scene. Stay in the box and use what you've been given.  Keith Johnston, a pioneer in improv and father of Theatresports, teaches us that the more obvious one is, the more original one appears. In Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre  he writes, "I con...

  The Perils of Pauline  began in 1914 as a melodrama film serial produced by William Randolph Hearst. It was later serialized again in 1933 and then made into a movie with Betty Hutton in 1947. Most of us are familiar with the story; rich heiress refuses marriage in order to explore the world, eludes the villain who wants the family fortune, and always ends up in some sort of danger by the end of the reel. The danger is highly dramatic, she's laid out in front of a buzz saw, or locked in a room full of dynamite, or tied to the railroad tracks. The audience knows Pauline will survive, but they are glued to their seats with anticipation as to how. Now the story of a spunky, independent heiress on worldly adventures could have been interesting on its own, but the filmmakers raised the stakes by adding the elements of risk, danger, and intrigue. What could have been an interesting story becomes a nail-biting adventure. I see a lot of good scenes in improv. The basics of story-tel...

 After I retired from full time parish work, I began working on an idea I had about combining my love of improv with my church work. That's the reason I titled this blog "Improv Spirituality." I find that the tenets of my faith and of improv go hand in hand.  The initial course I wrote for improv in the church is a two-day seminar entitled "Innovative Church." Over two days and three sessions, I lead church boards, clergy, and staff through the skills required for improv, which are the same skills required for innovative thinking, creativity, and adaptability. These are the skills needed for congregations to be vital and life giving in this age of stress and uncertainty.  Now that most of the pandemic restrictions have been lifted, I am also returning to coaching in-person improv workshops. The workshops are not performance groups, per se. The point isn't to book gigs at the local pub or comedy joint. The purpose of the individual workshop is similar to that...

  “Alice laughed. 'There's no use trying,' she said. 'One can't believe impossible things.' I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast. There goes the shawl again!” ―  Lewis Carroll When I ask people if they are interested in an improv workshop, I can't tell you how many reply with, "Oh, that's impossible. I could never stand up in front of somebody and do that!" They say they aren't funny, or they're an introvert, or they aren't creative. There's never a lack of excuses why they can't improvise. Pretty much almost all the excuses boil down to one basic root cause, fear. People are afraid of failure, of looking foolish, of what other's might think. We can always think of reasons not to do that which scares us. For a change, lets focus on the reasons on...

Improv is all about the choices one makes. When presented with an offer from your scene partner, your job is to make a strong choice that moves the scene forward. It is the basic Yes, and of improv. One's choice should be made using all the information at hand by playing at the top of your intelligence. Playing to the top of your intelligence means  not making the obvious choice but rather make a choice that is honest, real, and not contrived. Improv isn't necessarily just saying the first thing that pops into your head, but the most thoughtful, real thing. There is an improv game called "Make another choice." In this game the moderator observes the scene and at any time may ask a player to "make another choice". The player then has a second chance to come up with a different response to an offer. I play the game with a small school bell. When the improviser hears the ding, they know they may not being playing at the top of their intelligence. It's usual...