You walk down the hallway, a heavy backpack weighing you down. You search for the room number again, making sure you got it right because you haven’t been in this section of the school before. You hear voices and walk up to the door. It’s open.
You walk into the room to be greeted by a chorus of:
“Take off your shoes!”
You freeze.
What do you do?
Our improv class met in the rehearsal hall, and because the dancers also used it and had special flooring, we always had to take off our shoes and leave our stuff out in the hallway. This was obviously a very unnerving way to be greeted on the first day of class, but one that fits most theater departments perfectly: dramatic and different than expected.
My professor, a spunky older woman who is the definition of a spitfire, was filled with swear words and attitude. Her biggest lesson to us all was deconditioning. She explained that as humans, we’re conditioned to think first and talk later, but that in improv we need to do the opposite. With wild games and adventurous scenes, we set off on our journey to deconditioning.
Full confession: I am not a fan of improv. In fact, I find it corny. However, getting to do it firsthand… , it’s actually a whole lot of fun. I love getting to play some of the games like “Zip, Zap, Zop” (a game that focuses on pointing and moving as quickly as possible) and “Freeze” (a game where you swap spots with your fellow actors). If you want to see what some of these games look like in action, here’s a short video with some of them!
This semester, I’m currently taking Acting 1. This one is another adventure of sorts, but in a very different way. Both train you to stop thinking about anything other than your character.
Initially, I decided to take improv and acting because I was a theater kid back in middle school and really missed the creative energy that performing brought into my life, as well as the sense of magic that comes with being in theatre. In addition to the fun, I had a bit more of a serious reason for taking it. I have a few chronic health conditions that result in brain fog, and cause me to lose a lot of confidence in myself and who I am, and how I think. So, I wanted to remedy that.
Most people take acting or improv type classes for an easy “A”.I did not. I went in fully expecting to get as much as I put in. And I’m still growing and learning from these courses. I pushed myself and came out a better person for it.
We play a lot of games in acting classes, especially in improv. My favorite, and one you’ve likely heard of, is called “5 Things,” which is a game where you list five things off the top of your head to absurd topics that someone gives you. It’s pretty well-known, with even people like Markiplier playing it. I really surprised myself with this game, threw myself into it, and thought a lot faster than I thought I was capable of. With memorizing a monologue, I had to put in more work than some of my other classmates, but I’m working my best and it’s going to be amazing.
Engaging in exercises for acting and improvisation really can enrich the soul and cause a lot of growth. I’ve seen my own confidence soar, just in the first few weeks of being in my Acting 1 class. I find that I’m speaking up more in class, that I’m more willing to be a part of demonstrations and that I’ve been able to establish stronger boundaries in my personal life.
Working with scripts, playing games, doing scenes from Shakespeare and “Alice in Wonderland” have been incredibly fun experiences. Letting yourself just play as an adult is really very freeing. We spend so much of our time consumed by adult responsibilities that we rarely take time for ourselves to just be young. We get so caught up in the realities of the world that we forget what it’s like to have the young adult mindset. We need to stop thinking the arts are frivolous and find ways to challenge that mode of thinking. What better way to challenge it than to be a part of it and experience it yourself! Imagination is great for the brain, and theatre is a great way to engage with that.
There’s something about being forced to step forward onto the stage and put yourself out there builds confidence in a way that can be difficult to describe. Putting yourself into a place that makes you uncomfortable adds dimension to your character and stepping across that line helps you realize that you can do these things—even if you may not want to repeat the experience.
You get out as much as you put in with your classes, especially with acting and improv. It’s really difficult to break past the fear of what people think of you, but once you get out there, stop thinking, and just do it, it frees you up to a whole new side of life.
Taking acting classes also helps you think a bit quicker, more on your feet. This is something I was personally wanting to do more of, and having to learn how to memorize scripts a specific way in addition to taking a step out there into just being and to stop thinking, creates such a unique dynamic within yourself. Stepping past those boundaries and preconstruction notions of what’s socially acceptable creates a more unique version of yourself. It’s fun to watch not only myself blossom into a more playful version of me, but to watch it happen to those around me as well. Watching the super shy guy in my class shift into an excellent performer was a huge highlight of my semester.
If you have some undergrad electives to blow through, I recommend you take an acting course of some form, or just do it anyway. They’re so much fun, and you get to not only find your confidence, you get to watch others do the same. There’s something magical about growing together that makes you feel good as a person.
So, when you walk down that hallway, backpack heavy on your shoulder, and your professor says, “Take off your shoes!” what do you do? Do you turn around and walk away? Or do you take a deep breath, smile, and take off your shoes?
