Applied Improvisation

This collection of Applied Improvisation stories and strategies draws back the curtain on an exciting, innovative, growing field of practice and research that is changing the way people lead, create, and collaborate. Applied Improvisation is the umbrella term widely used to denote the application of improvised theatre's theories, tenets, games, techniques, and exercises beyond conventional theatre spaces, to foster the growth and/or development of flexible structures, new mindsets, and a range of inter and intra-personal skills required in today's volatile and uncertain world. This edited collection offers one of the first surveys of the range of practice, featuring 12 in-depth case studies by leading Applied Improvisation practitioners and a foreword by Phelim McDermott and Lee Simpson.

The contributors in this anthology are professional Applied Improvisation facilitators working in sectors as diverse as business, social science, theatre, education, law, and government. All have experienced the power of improvisation, have a driving need to share those experiences, and are united in the belief that improvisation can positively transform just about all human activity.

Each contributor describes their practice, integrates feedback from clients, and includes a workbook component outlining some of the exercises used in their case study to give facilitators and students a model for their own application. This book will serve as a valuable resource for both experienced and new Applied Improvisation facilitators seeking to develop leaders and to build resilient communities, innovative teams, and vibrant organizations. For theatre practitioners, educators, and students, it opens up a new realm of practice and work.

About the Author

Theresa Robbins Dudeck is Keith Johnstone's Literary Executor and Co-Director of the Global Improvisation Initiative (GII). She is an improvisation and applied improvisation practitioner and scholar working in both academic and professional settings, and she is considered one of the foremost teachers of Keith Johnstone's Impro System. Dudeck is the author of Keith Johnstone: A Critical Biography (Bloomsbury 2013). She received her Ph.D. in Theatre from the University of Oregon.

Caitlin McClure has been applying improv to projects inside and outside of the theatre for most of her life. Based in New York City, she coaches, designs and facilitates experiential learning leadership development programs, worldwide. McClure received her M.A. in Adult Learning and Leadership at Columbia University.