Putting Improv to Work: Spontaneous Performance for Professional and Personal Life

Improv is a process-oriented art form in which participants act and respond in the present, trusting that each thoughtful and conscious action will lead to a wonderful outcome--even if it isn't the intended result. In this book, the principles and practices of unscripted theater are applied to non-theatrical circumstances. A handbook for groups and individuals, this text is based on a highly successful business school course and aids in the development of communication, teamwork, creativity, confidence, emotional intelligence and other abilities. Each chapter assesses a different component of improv, examining how it connects to stage success and how it can be used in professional, academic and social settings. This is the only text that lays out an entire course on applied improv, providing activities with detailed instructions and descriptions. While its roots are in higher education, the book is informal, entertaining, and designed to be beneficial for anybody, anywhere. Behavioral science, philosophy, art and athletics are all used to inform this discussion of improv and its real-world applications.