Bringing improv’s healing benefits to everyone

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Written By Mhaya Polacco
 

Ever since its conception in 1950s Chicago, improv comedy has been a collaborative and social artform. There are many schools of thought on “how to'' improvise, but at its core, improv is undeniably one thing: two or more people making something out of nothing by “yes, and”-ing each other. These aspects of improv have widely accepted mental health benefits

According to Social Work Today researchers found that participating in improv lowered feelings of depression and anxiety and increased feelings of connectedness and hope. Learning and practicing improv is excellent for enhancing your social and public speaking skills. In a beginner improv class, you will often find a diverse mix of aspiring performers and office professionals looking to enhance their communication skills. Teen and youth-focused programs have also surged in popularity, offering safe spaces for self-expression and confidence-building. According to Michigan Daily, partaking in improv decreases uncertainty intolerance (the fear of the unknown) – which in turn decreases general social anxiety.

Jake Joseph is a researcher, analyst, and mental health coach for Healthy Gamer who focuses on research related to psychoeducation and creating content that helps young adults understand their mental health better. Joseph happens to also be an improviser, performing regularly at the Peoples Improv Theatre in New York. Joseph started doing improv as a method of dealing with alexithymia, often nicknamed “emotional colorblindness.” His experience with improv has helped him better recognize and describe his emotions both on and off stage. A lot of Joseph’s work with Healthy Gamer is aimed at what he describes as the “positive side of psychology” – helping young adults achieve their specific goals – whether it is a career goal or overcoming an interpersonal obstacle. Joseph often recommends improv classes to clients, especially when they are looking to improve social skills. For young people struggling with self-doubt or social anxiety, he sees improv as a fun and low-pressure way to build confidence in a supportive environment.

For younger generations, video chatting is nothing new. However, despite these technological advances, improv has remained an in-person activity – until recently. For years, people have flocked to New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago to learn and perform at one of the legendary theaters: Second City, UCB, Groundlings, etc. If you didn’t have the luxury of accessing one of these major cities, you would have to be lucky to have an improv theater grace your small city or town. For students and young adults without access to a physical improv space, this often meant missing out on the benefits of the artform.

The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the real-world operations of pretty much every theater and school around the world. For improv organizations, which had only ever existed in person, this was a time of intense uncertainty. As a business, how would they stay afloat? What would incentivize students to stick around? How will they keep all their performers engaged? As grade schools, colleges, and universities quickly moved their courses online – improv training centers soon followed suit. And this shift opened doors for younger performers in small towns or those without local improv programs.

For the first time, the big improv theaters like UCB started offering classes online during the pandemic. These classes attracted interest from people from all over the world – people who have never had access to improv classes before. Some of them never had access before because of their locations, but for others, it was a matter of lifestyle, medical needs, or a number of other considerations that kept them from attending. Many teens and college students, often balancing school and part-time jobs, might find online improv to be a flexible and affordable way to get involved.

Sarah Claspell is a longtime improviser, and one of UCB’s online teachers during the pandemic. Based in LA, Claspell has virtually taught people from as far away as Singapore. She is also a teacher of the World’s Greatest Improv School, an improv theater that was born during the pandemic and still has regular online offerings. Claspell has firsthand experience with the mental health benefits of improv and didn’t want to let the pandemic stop her from benefiting from them. 

When asked about her experience teaching improv online, Claspell said “I really love teaching people all over the world. I love seeing someone in Singapore doing a scene with someone in Kansas and how they’re still getting on the same page and making each other laugh.” Claspell says she intends to continue teaching improv virtually as long as there is a need for it – and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. 

Virtual technology brings improv to an audience that may be immunocompromised or, perhaps, simply prefer socializing at a bit of a distance. As long as a person has the internet, virtual improv is accessible to them. Especially for young people who might feel isolated or shy in traditional social settings, online improv can be a game-changer.

It is a shame that it took a pandemic to provoke improv to enter the online space. For so long, the vast mental health benefits of improv had been coveted from people who have been limited by geographical, physical, and social obstacles. Thankfully, virtual improv has annexed the artform. Now, a new generation can experience its benefits, no matter where they are.

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Mhaya Polacco
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