Whether at our Times Square NYC theater, one block from the Colbert Show (close to all Times Square and Columbus Circle trains) at your office or other venue of choice (we deliver programming DC to Boston and beyond) we will deliver much needed laughter and powerful training for your team! EMAIL for more information, dates and rates.
Simply playing Improv comedy games develops a variety skills that will benefit your team, leadership, sales and service training goals. Beyond the much needed laugher and fun, build creativity, critical thinking, public speaking, listening, focus, self-confidence, self-awareness and even empathy.
Improv can be scary to some, as that ever present fear of the unknown, but we quickly put everyone at ease.
What happens in a workshop?
We start with a brief coming together moment with our teaching artist explaining the basics.
- OUR #1 RULE: HAVE FUN, but never at another’s expense. Our goal is for EVERYONE to have fun. This 2-hour session is all about simply play and story. We not only avoid “comedy” that is offensive, we reach out to all to be included in the fun. We learn that TRYING to be funny, is usually not comedy.
- IMPROV #1 RULE YES! AND…. We accept our team for who they are, what they say and what they contribute to the team. Our goal in Improv is to focus on making our team look amazing. We.can let go of ego and insecurity, as the entire team has our back.
- #1 SKILL IN COMEDY? LISTENING!!! Listening with your eyes. Listening with the willingness to change. This becomes more and more important as we progress.
NOW WE PLAY!!!
We all come together in a circle and play some ice breakers. ZIP ZAP ZUP, PASS THE FACE and other games are silly in nature but reveal powerful tools to play correctly. We learn to truly observe each other, without judgement, with out negation. We accept/ receive an energy, (usually via simply physical gesture and sound or word) and quickly pass along. We dont have time to worry about judgemental eyes and thoughts. We simply receive and send, listen and respond.
We soon graduate, replacing silly sounds and gestures, with free association, one word stories and simple pantomimes of activities and story. Games like WHAT ARE YOU DOING?, YES AND… STORY, CATEGORIES, get us out of our heads, focusing on WHO WHERE WHAT elements of story. We replace thoughts of HOW should we act, to just acting, being in the moment, focused on task.
We progress to games like TEN SCENES, TEN MINUTES. Still not “performing” we break i to smaller groups, 3-5 each, and simply act out conversations based on a location or scenario. We just talk to each other, making simply choices about character, setting, plot etc.
By this point everyone is having fun. No one is worrying about “stage freight”. No one is worrying about self. Everyone is having fun.
We wrap up with a mini masterclass / mock show with 3-4 at a time playing a game. We demonstrate where you can go with Improv. When our participants leave, the shyest laughs at being afraid to improvise.
Why Improv?
Before the economic crash of 2008, clients splurged on fun. We even sent actors to Jamaics and others places abroad to help entertain massive retreats for financial corporations.
After 2008, every penny ad to be justified sith educational value. It wasn’t until 2015, when we discovered Google’s Project Aristotle, that we realized our greatest value to you is the laugher we help create. We help create Psychological Safety, we teach empathy. Through the games we show a better way.
Now, more than ever, after month/years of shut down, and cabin fever, in a world where anger, fear and uncertainty seem to rule and drive decision making in too many, we need the laughter.
Laughter IS the best medicine. It promote cardiovascular activity. Laughter breaks down walls while building trust. Laughter in the classroom raises test scores. Etc etc etc.
This is why our FIRST RULE is HAVE FUN but never at another’s expense. We literally ea h folks how to generate laughs without treating each other with distain. We build each other up. We include all in the fun.
Our Clients?
The New York Improv Theater is a one stop edutainment center for corporate team building, office / holiday parties and more. Our comedy shows and workshops deliver high impact results. Clients include Google, Mercedes Benz, META /Facebook, TikTok, JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, Twitter, Roblox, Rimowa, TD Bank / Securities, EI Digital, Accenture, Datadog HQ, Milbank, BING/Microsoft, Band of America – Merrill Lynch, Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Louis Vuitton, Coach, UBS, BDO, AMEX, Master Card, Macy’s, 360i, IBM, GM, Kraft, UNILEAVER, HBO, Prudential, Convene, Astra Zeneca, Estee Lauder, Conference Board and many more…
Walt Frasier international credits include theater, comedy, music and TV (Blacklist, Billions, Blue Bloods, Letterman, HBO, MTV etc)
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