Improv is Scary! Here's Why It's Worth It

ROT Improv 2018

A scary photoshoot in my basement.

When you step out on stage as an improviser, you have no idea what's going to happen in your scene. There you are, in front of dozens of people who have paid for entertainment, but you've planned nothing ahead. You're there in an actual spotlight with an audience looking back at you in quiet anticipation. You must make them laugh or else! What if they boo, or leave, or worst of all, feel bad for you? It sounds like one of those recurring nightmares, right? 

Yes, improv is intimidating. Even after decades of experience being on stage, and 13 years of experience as an improviser, I admit the moments before the show, and before entering a scene are scary. My heart races, my throat dries, and my chest tightens. And yet I continue to put myself through this experience over and over again, almost every week. Yikes. Are all improvisers just masochists?! A clever guess, but no, that's not it.

What is it that makes this quirky art form worth the stress of it all? To put it simply, the answer is joy. It is an absolute joy to play pretend. But I bet some part of you knew this already, right? Remember how fun it was as a kid to play house, or pirate ship, or cops and robbers? My brother and I played superheroes and had a theme song we'd sing on our rusty swing set to begin our games. My brother's character name was "Diaper Man" and I can still recall the lyrics and tune of his song. "Diaper Man, with his poop and pee, I hope he saves me…" Imaginary games were awesome. Now here is some news for you reader; you didn't stop playing imaginary games because they weren't fun anymore. Your imagination didn't dry up. I am here to tell you, that playing pretend is still awesome.

For me, the fear passes within my first few lines. It turns into adrenaline that seems to magically float me throughout the rest of the show. The experience is near to out of body, if not that exactly.  Time flies and I struggle to remember what happened in our set immediately after the show. This phenomenon isn't unique to me. In my improvised musical show, "TBD the Musical", our cast often jokes with the audience about how, unlike typical musical productions, we welcome the audience to take photos and videos because that will help us remember what happened. 

So, yes. Improv is scary. But fear is a hump we get over, and with improv, it can be the catalyst to a magical experience. Thus, totally worth it.