Outside historic Second City theater in Chicago, where John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Shelley Long, Dan Akroyd, and others got their comedic start.

Improvisation is the art of thinking on your feet and off the top of your head.  When I trained at Second City Cleveland, we learned how to create conflict, and then find ways to resolve it—with improv games. Improv games can help improve skills in: teamwork; creativity; focus; spontaneity; and problem-solving. In improv, you create the scene, as well as your way OUT of the scene.

Some of the rules of improvisational acting are:   

1.  Share Your Voice--What you have to offer is important and can contribute to the success of the scene. 

2.  “Yes, and”---Acknowledge others' ideas without criticism; you never know if their idea is one that will complete the scene better than yours may have. 

3.  “Do it wrong, do it strong!”---Don't focus on being perfect, just on being heard. 

4.  Commit to your scene and ideas---Believe that what you have to offer is valuable; this belief will be projected through your performance. 

5.  Respect the subconscious mind---This is where we get our best ideas.  Here we're not thinking or planning our ideas, we're merely catching them as they go by.    

Bonus rule 6.  "Get Your SHINE Together!"