Curious if anyone on here has used improv lessons to improve their game. I've seen it mentioned here and there on the forum, but nothing too substantial.
Personally, when I go back and look when my game really took off, it was basically concurrent with when I took my first improv lessons with Second City. I believe it was 8 weeks, 2.5 hours/week, and $350. The group was a complete hodgepodge, good looking girls in their 20s, aspiring actors, older people looking to have some fun.
The benefits for your non-game aspects of life and career will be worth it alone, however in game it is massive. It changed the way I interact with people for ever. Rather than getting laughs at other people's expense, you learn how to multiply onto what they say and it becomes funnier, even when you aren't necessarily making intentional jokes. Your confidence will improve and you become much more aware of your body language amplifying your speech. Eye contact is also pivotal in improv, as it's basically impossible to keep it going without looking the other person in the eye to predict where they are taking the skit.
Your interactions become more meaningful due to avoiding useless statements. Nothing that happens with a girl will be more embarrassing that what you guys went through in that improv classroom together. It may as well have been all 20 of us naked, that's how vulnerable you are, yet it is still comfortable in that you know everyone feels the same way.
I'm not saying you can go from 0 to 100 by taking an improv class, but that was definitely once of the best investments I've ever made towards improving my game in a short period. Bonus, I slept with one of the girls after we all went for beers after one of the classes.
Would love to hear if anyone else had a similar experience.
Personally, when I go back and look when my game really took off, it was basically concurrent with when I took my first improv lessons with Second City. I believe it was 8 weeks, 2.5 hours/week, and $350. The group was a complete hodgepodge, good looking girls in their 20s, aspiring actors, older people looking to have some fun.
The benefits for your non-game aspects of life and career will be worth it alone, however in game it is massive. It changed the way I interact with people for ever. Rather than getting laughs at other people's expense, you learn how to multiply onto what they say and it becomes funnier, even when you aren't necessarily making intentional jokes. Your confidence will improve and you become much more aware of your body language amplifying your speech. Eye contact is also pivotal in improv, as it's basically impossible to keep it going without looking the other person in the eye to predict where they are taking the skit.
Your interactions become more meaningful due to avoiding useless statements. Nothing that happens with a girl will be more embarrassing that what you guys went through in that improv classroom together. It may as well have been all 20 of us naked, that's how vulnerable you are, yet it is still comfortable in that you know everyone feels the same way.
I'm not saying you can go from 0 to 100 by taking an improv class, but that was definitely once of the best investments I've ever made towards improving my game in a short period. Bonus, I slept with one of the girls after we all went for beers after one of the classes.
Would love to hear if anyone else had a similar experience.