In My Playful Stage
One year ago on June 6, 2023, I took the biggest leap of my life by launching The Playful Stage. I set out to create an improv school that focused on mindful improv, community building, and above all else, letting our inner child come out to play in a safe and inclusive environment.
TPS started with a handful of improv, sketch writing, and acting classes, which all took place on Zoom. I wasn’t sure if this would be something that lasted a month or two, or if it could sustain and grow. And here we are now, at the first anniversary.
I have felt incredibly honored to see The Playful Stage community grow over this past year and develop into a space where not only incredible improv goes on, but just as importantly, it’s become a place of connection and personal growth.
We eventually found our in-person home at Soul Vision, where play and laughter can also meet personal healing and expansion. Not only did I create improv classes that matched the style and tone that I had yearned to have for so long, I also co-created the program Laughter As Medicine with Soul Vision owner Jules Andersen. This became a home for what I think of as “mindful improv.”
For most of us, it takes a certain amount of bravery to get up in front of a room of other adults and play pretend like we did when we were children. There can be nerves and worries about being too silly, or saying the wrong thing, or freezing up, or, or, or…
One of the most beautiful things I’ve experienced during this past year is watching students I’ve just met as well as students I’ve known for years, push past their self-limitations and “show up and show off.” TPS students not only strive for their personal best, but also help their classmates to do the same.
As an improv instructor, I aim to make every student who attends one of my classes feel seen, encouraged, and respected. At TPS, we not only do the improv, but we talk about the why’s and how’s of each component of what makes a good improv scene. And these improv skills more often than not translate into our personal lives.
I know for me, improv has impacted my life in so many positive ways, including using my voice to stand up for myself and to ask for help when I need it. These are things I’ve struggled with my entire life, but getting on stage or leading a class does something that changes that narrative for me.
One of the things I’m most proud of over this past year are the performances that TPS students have put on. We’ve showcased student teams that highlight each person’s skills. Teams like ¡Pues Ni Modo! (an all-Spanish-speaking improv troupe), The Notorious Black Improv Group and Lavender Lotus (a queer improv group) gave the spotlight to groups of students who often haven’t had the chance to shine as their authentic selves and play within their cultures. We’ve had shows that paid homage to popular movies and television shows with Anything Anywhere All At Once and Yes, Anesthesia. And of course, we’ve started to build a residence also at Collage, where we offer a variety of improv formats in one night, and The Wicked Wolf, where we bring fairy tale-themed improv to the stage.
None of this could happen without the support of the folks who come to these classes at TPS. Nor could I have done it without Soul Vision and the support of Jules. They’ve all made this a space where kindness, support, and respect matter. And I intend to honor that as we move into Year Two.
More play is on the way.