Improvisation — Acting It Out Instead of Acting Up!

By Lindsay Brill, MSEd English and Special Education, BFA Performing Arts
TMH Associate Director of School Programs

Improvisation, or acting without preparation, is fun and engaging for children and adults in every stage of life. Improv encourages spontaneity and cooperation which leads to the enhancement of social and emotional skills. Below are 9 ways in which improv can specifically improve SEL skills.

1) Pride and Self-Esteem
The act of performing in front of an audience, no matter how big or small, can help participants learn to be more confident and comfortable in their own skin. Similarly, participating in improv activities can lead to a sense of accomplishment and pride in one's abilities. Further, improv can foster a sense of belonging and community within a group, which can contribute to increased pride and self esteem.

2) Problem Solving
Improv asks participants to think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to challenges or obstacles that arise. Improvisers have to devise new ideas on the spot, under time pressure. This problem solving is generally done as a group, which is great practice for learning to work effectively with others to find solutions to problems.

 3) Empathy
Improv requires participants to pay attention to and understand the perspectives and emotions of others. By actively listening and responding to one another, improvisers can learn to see things from others' viewpoints and develop empathy.

For instance, if someone is playing a character who is feeling sad, the other players have to be able to understand and respond to this emotion in order for the scene to work. By doing this, the improvisers learn to be more empathetic and considerate of others' emotions. Additionally, improv can be a great way to practice perspective-taking, as improvisers are often asked to play characters who have different backgrounds or experiences than their own. By doing this, they can learn to see things from other's perspectives and develop a more empathetic understanding of the world.

4) Flexibility
As there is no script in improv, participants must think on their feet, be open to new ideas and adapt to new situations. One of the core principles of improv is known as "Yes, and...", which means that the improviser must accept what another improviser has stated and then expand upon it.

Therefore, someone might be expected to play a character or be in a situation with which they are unfamiliar, or uninterested in. In order for the scene to work, players have to be able to be open to change, or the unknown. 

5) Resiliency
Improv scenes present obstacles to overcome and failure at some point is unavoidable, which makes practicing improv a great way to work on bouncing back from challenges or setbacks. Additionally, as things almost never go as planned in improv, it is a great way to practice being more buoyant in the face of the unexpected.

6) Communication
Improv requires participants to express themselves clearly and concisely and be able to focus on their response to the meet the needs and cues of others. Thus, improv can help improve verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as active listening skills, which are essential for effective communication.

Verbal communication:
Since everything is created spontaneously in the moment, improv requires players to express themselves as clearly as possible. Thus, practicing improv allows participants to practice articulating ideas and speaking confidently in front of others.

Nonverbal communication:
Improv also involves paying attention to and responding to nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language.

Active listening:
In order to participate in an improv scene, players need to be fully present and listen attentively to what their fellow performers are saying and doing. This helps to improve active listening skills, which involve paying attention to and understanding what others are saying, as well as showing that you are listening through nonverbal cues such as eye contact and nodding.

8) Self-Awareness
Improv requires players to be fully present, paying attention to their own emotions and responses as well as those of their fellow performers. Moreover, as everyone makes mistakes, the practice allows for one to reflect on their mishaps and become more familiar with their own strengths and weaknesses.

9) Self-Regulation
Through the practice of improv, participants learn to manage their own emotions and responses as well as those of their fellow improvisers. Next, as improv requires participants to follow certain rules and guidelines in a fast paced environment, participants learn how to manage their behavior in order to find success in the exercises.

10) Friendship Management
When participating in improv, participants must see and hear each other, communicate effectively and work together as a team. The communication skills that this fosters, particularly expressing oneself clearly and picking up on the needs and cues of others, are vital for making and maintaining friendships. This type of play requires participants to work together and support each other in a way that mirrors strong friendships.