Introverts and Improv: Oil and Water, or Peanut Butter and Jelly?
TBD the Musical Cast
December 2023
I posted a recent poll in my musical improv group's Slack channel. "Do you identify more as an introvert or an extrovert?" I allowed for 3 different responses: introvert, extrovert, equally both. Before I give you their responses here is some important context for you. This group performs a show called TBD the Musical. For 60 to 90 minutes, at least twice a month, we make up a full-length Broadway style musical. We have no script, we have no score. We make up songs and dialog on the fly in front of audiences typically ranging from 50 - 120 people. Then after the show, we talk to those strangers and thank them for coming. Later, our made-up jokes and songs often end up on social media for the world to see.
Now back to that poll I mentioned. If you had to guess, which cohort would you say makes up the majority of my group; social nerds or shy nerds? hehe…I kid. You may be surprised to learn that only 3 improvisers in my group said that they're extroverts. In fact, 45% percent of the group said they were introverts, and another 27% said they were equally both.
Surprise math quiz! How many people responded to my poll?
Let's stay on track here. So the largest cohort of my group identifies as introverted, and that includes me. Many folks are surprised to find out that I am an introvert. I prefer intimate gatherings, minimal stimulus, and I need my alone time to feel balanced. You may be thinking, but how can that be? You act like a menace on stage in front of people so frequently! This is true. I don't pretend to know any true psychology behind why introverts and improv work, but since I am part of that enigma group, I'll tell you a few things I know.
The stage is a quiet place. A lot of times stage lights block out the dozens of expectant faces looking at you. Background music gets turned off and people stop talking. Stimuli are minimal (in ideal venues), and often it can feel like it's just you and your scene partner(s) being silly in a black box with a laugh track.
Observation and introspection, iconic traits of introverts, are also valued traits in improv. Especially in long-form improvisation, good improvisers can observe the weird or funny thing, engage with it, and justify it. Introspection, looking inward and asking why, also helps improvisers add depth to their stage characters. It helps them make choices in a scene that would align with their established character's personality. Even cooler is that it allows them to strategically make the unexpected choices that lead to laughs, or drama.
Introverts can be brave. A lot of times people with social anxiety (those who don't want to be the center of attention, those who fear public speaking, those who struggle to develop relationships) have the most to gain from improv. Improv can be a tool these folks use to get over that hump.
So, introverts to improv are like peanut butter to jelly. It works. It may seem as though I am drawing too many conclusions from my small data sample (math quiz answer: 11), but actually these have been my observations over my 13 years as an improv performer and teacher. And none of this is to say that extroverted people have little to gain from the art form and its principles. They also have a lot to gain. I am just here to debunk the myth that improv is just for our social butterfly friends.
Whether you're a business considering working with WitWorks, or you're an individual interested in taking an improv class, just scroll away from this knowing that introversion is not a blocker. If you're curious, it's for you. Introvert or extrovert, it's for you friend.
