Whatever one participant suggests to another must be taken into account and integrated in one way or another into the development of the scene. Integration doesn’t necessarily mean subjecting our partner to all of the other’s proposals, but it does help build empathy and understanding in the face of potential conflicts that arise.
Participants working in improvisation workshops must be willing to be influenced by the situation and other participants, just as in real life. In everyday life, we react and adapt to the course of events at every moment, based on how we feel at that moment, and we are also influenced by the context in which we find ourselves.
Therefore, improvisation dynamics are a great tool for working on conflict resolution.
On the other hand, accepting reality as it is requires us to focus our minds on the here and now, which in turn is essential for living consciously and being able to recognize what is moving within us.
The vast majority of people forget that, without realizing it, we deal with countless situations every day that we have to deal with.
Creating a healthy environment is vital for the rest of our activities outside of work (family, friends, leisure) to be effective.
Theatrical improvisation is a free technique by definition. One of the ways it’s typically done is to schematically present situations for the participants to develop, merely defining the characters, the setting, and the conflict.
From there, everything that happens is created and generated on the fly, building and experiencing each moment based on what has already been said or done, and on the emotional displays of each character.
Through improvisation, we learn not to deny the suggestions made by our colleagues, encouraging active listening.
It is an opportunity to accept what comes from the other:
Their speech, their emotions, and observing their effect on us, as well as allowing ourselves to react frankly to what’s happening. This is key to improving the work environment, better understanding our colleagues, and knowing how to address a problem when it arises.
Acceptance doesn’t mean having to put up with it or resign ourselves to it, but rather seeing that the other person is like that, or feels that way, or thinks the way they do, and from that acceptance, we can decide what to do.
Their speech, their emotions, and observing their effect on us, as well as allowing ourselves to react frankly to what’s happening. This is key to improving the work environment, better understanding our colleagues, and knowing how to address a problem when it arises.
Applying these tools in our daily lives can significantly improve our social skills, our ability to take responsibility, and our self-confidence.
No matter your profession or your lifestyle, improvisation is a magnificent tool for expression, experimentation, observation, and integration. It’s also an infinite resource, just like imagination or creativity.
