The Fear Factor and My Ghostly Voices
The Scene: Improv Class with the legendary Viola Spolin. “Alright.” she says. “Who wants to go next?” I hesitate. The ‘What if…?’ dialogue: “What if I can’t do it?” That’s where it starts for me. I get afraid. “Afraid of what?” “Not being able to do it? Then people will laugh at me?” “Hey! I’m.. read more →
What I Learned at the House of Genius
The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. – Pablo Picasso read more →
Transcend the known and knock on the door of the Intuition
The Games of Viola Spolin are designed to teach more than theater. They are doorways into an unknown. And by playing, we go forth unafraid and with joy! read more →
Some Thoughts on Improvising
I was looking through my journal trying to find what to write about as my next blog entry. I came across a stream of consciousness document I simply called “Ramblings”. I often ramble on trying to find a subject to expound on. In re-reading this old journal entry, I found it was pretty good advice.. read more →
Space is not nothing – it is EVERYTHING!
[Space]… It is our medium. It is the material we use for interaction with others and our environment. It is our support and our lifeline to reality. You are either in the Space or you are in your head. read more →
Living in Our Head: Connected yet Disconnected by Technology
As individuals we are isolated from one another, full of limitations, fears, tensions, competitiveness, prejudices, and preconceived attitudes. If our openness is more than just a hope, a sentiment, a word, certain conditions must be met. The first of these we would call mutuality or trust. True playing will produce trust. – Viola Spolin –.. read more →
The Paradox of Side-Coaching
Solving my “Shut-Off” “My work is not Psychodrama!! Never use your own tears! Use the character’s tears!” Viola proclaimed this very emphatically when we would try to work out our personal problems in a scene. Some actors in our workshop were trained to use ‘sense memory’ and transfer the sadness of a personal event.. read more →
Valerie Harper shares her life and work with Spolin Games
Valerie Harper’s Improv Odyssey has shaped her life and career. In this 1994 interview with freelance journalist, Carol Grey, she speaks about the transformative power and wisdom of Viola Spolin’s philosophy. I am proud to know her and have her endorsement as a fellow player on this fantastic journey. “Viola Spolin had genius. Gary Schwartz.. read more →
IMPROV and the ROI
“Bottom line, how will Improv increase our sales, improve our morale, or our team? What guarantees do we have that everyone is going to benefit from this training? What can we expect to see after your work with us is over? Will we be a more productive workforce? Can we measure that? Will our staff.. read more →
Just Be Yourself
We ape, we mimic, we mock. We act. — Laurence Olivier Have you ever walked into an interview or an audition and the interviewer, in an effort to relax you, tells you “just be yourself”? And rather than helping you, you only get more butterflies in your stomach? Your mind races. “What does that mean.. read more →