Spreading the Transforming Power of Improvisation

Improv Exercises for Science lecturers

hey all: i've been hired to work with science professors who're interested in learning how to be 'better' presenters, meaning, how to be more engaging, how to connect with both large and small groups, perhaps use props, learn how to go with the flow when things don't go as planned. these are folks who want to get better at what they do and are open. i've got 2 90-minute sessions with them. have thoughts of doing basic improv games to get them connected: anybody who, zipzapzop, what are you doing. just to get them out of their heads. thought of teaching them gibberish and work w/them on showing vs telling. any other ideas? all are appeciated. you can also email me directly: jodi@jodi-cohen.com. THANK YOU!

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Permalink Reply by Jodi Cohen on September 3, 2009 at 9:06am: Thank you!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jean-Christophe on September 3, 2009 at 1:03am: Dear Jodi,

I do not think that you should do something specific for the scientist's profile.
The below link will show you some exercises given to people from the CERN (Organisation Européenne pour la Recherche Nucléaire) in Geneva.
They had workshops for 4 weeks and eventually performed an improvisation show in front of their colleagues.

http://www.impro.ch/tripotes/improse/ExercicesCERN.pdf

Hope that'll help,
Jean-Christophe; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mario Busacca on August 31, 2009 at 11:13am: Jodi,
remember that science types (I used to be one) like to ask questions and find answers. SO anything with questions or problem soling would be helpful. Something as simple as Questions Only might be fun.

Mario; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jodi Cohen on September 3, 2009 at 9:07am: thank you!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mario Busacca on November 2, 2009 at 5:47am: I was wondering how your sessions with the professors went?
Mario; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Jodi Cohen on November 2, 2009 at 8:37am: thank you for asking! my two sessions went very well. i kept it oh so simple and my main task was for them to just breathe and notice they could play and also trust each other. we did a simple intro where they said their name and made a gesture with their hands and a sound, which we mirrored back to them. sitting down. this was radical for them! lots of laughter, embarrassment and fear. it took a long time to do this, which was fine. then i debriefed with them about how this was for them: their judgment, their fears, their concern of doing it right, being creative enough. so we talked about that a little bit also. we played zip zap zop, which was radical for them! lots of laughter and also lots of expectations of themselves to do it 'right.' so we talked about that stuff and how it shows up and how we respond and manage that stuff. also noticing what it's like to lower expectations, celebrate each others' contributions without competing and also we did the circus bow when making a mistake. they loved that! so those are the headlines. mostly we did simple things and they got looser and looser, which was so fun to see and for them to notice about each other. they discovered things about each other that were poignant, wild and surprising. it was a good experience and they were sad i was only there for 2 sessions.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rita Venturini on November 2, 2009 at 1:58pm: great jodie to see that we are expanding i similar directions, i also work mostly with scientist and finding it amazing and wonderful how really simple things work and what can come out of getting a bit out of your head :-)) look forward to chat more at the conference! also thanks to all the comments it was a very useful conversation for me to read.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Mario Busacca on November 2, 2009 at 12:37pm: I'm glad it went well. If there is ever anything I can help you with, please let me know.

Mario; ▶ Reply to This