Faculty Workshop

location_on Location: Kaiser C

(Links to papers / posters are embargoed until 4/7)

All times in Eastern Time Zone

• assignment_ind Dement, R., Dorman, H., Kaine, G., Wood, R. & Young-Irvin, J. “ Demystifying Success: Applying Improv in Daily Life ”
  Have interpersonal skills become one of the casualties of COVID-19? After two years of social distancing, how can we rekindle our connections? Building on a growing field of study, a team of student and faculty researchers seeks to examine the impact of improvisational theater games on the interconnected skills of active listening, empathy, and confidence. Through this interactive workshop, the team will demonstrate how improvisation can supply various benefits and be applied in multiple contexts. Foremost among the benefits are increased focus and enhanced active listening and empathy, all of which have positive implications for more effective communication. The team’s research, including an ongoing, original study, explores improv’s application in higher education, in the workplace, and on mindset in general, with particular emphasis on group dynamics and performance theory. Initial findings indicate theater games positively impact self-confidence by empowering participants to leave their comfort zones, and participants also become more introspective in awareness of their individual and collective actions within the larger group. Through engaging MEHA attendees in some of these games, the research team will demonstrate the potential benefits of improvisational theater training–and will hopefully inspire attendees to apply the concepts to their daily lives.