Coming back home from improv today, I thought about how Zen the practice really is. In improv, everything is better if you:
- be fully in the present moment
- don’t try to control the situation or the other people
- don’t get all up in your head
- be honest & real (or “real”?)
- allow vulnerability; be willing to be unarmed
- work in service of the scene, not yourself
- listen well
- be with what is
Most of us know that “yes and” is improv’s signature line. I think what I learned today is that that’s not just about being open. It’s also about looking out for your fellow actors. When you “yes and” them, you’re receiving what they’re giving you.
I never thought improv could hold so many lessons about life.