Spreading the Transforming Power of Improvisation
The Daily Improviser Hits the Road (and Shares the Space)!
(The following is a recent post from my blog THE DAILY IMPROVISER, http://the-daily-improviser.blogspot.com/ )
"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign / Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind"
"Signs," by The Five Man Electrical Band
Today I’d like to introduce you to Jake Straw, a man who, when confronted with the very idea of improv theater, is guaranteed to say:
What? Throw away the script? Have the actors interact with the audience and let them drive the scene? Give up control of the performance? That sounds like a recipe for … total chaos!
Thank goodness, Jake will say, that the real world is more controlled than the improv stage. I mean, what would happen if we got rid of signs, stoplights, curbs, medians, and other regulating devices from our city streets?
Hans Monderman’s answer to that question: Safer streets and a more livable city.
In his book Traffic, Tom Vanderbilt describes the legacy of Monderman (who died in 2008), a traffic engineer in the Netherlands who became known as “the guy who hated traffic signs.”
According to Monderman, most traffic signs are unnecessary, since they attempt to convey messages that drivers should be able to comprehend on their own (“Slippery When Wet,” “Children at Play,” “Deer Crossing”). Indeed, held Monderman, signs and other instruments of traffic control actually detract from the safety and livability of cities by: (1) Ceding the city to automobiles by separating people (i.e., pedestrians) from their surroundings and each other; (2) Lulling drivers into a false sense of security by providing the appearance of well-regulated “safe zones” for driving and reducing drivers’ alertness to road hazards (i.e., pedestrians); and (3) Creating roadside clutter and obstructions, making it less likely that drivers will see the dangers (e.g., pedestrians) being communicated by the signs.
Monderman’s radical solution: Remove most traffic signs and road markings, eliminate or minimize the barriers between cars and pedestrians, and have drivers and walkers coexist in a “shared space.” As the Wikipedia entry for “shared space” puts it:
"The reasoning behind the idea [of shared space] is that it will result in improved road safety by forcing users to negotiate their way through shared areas at appropriate speeds and with due consideration for the other users of the space, using simple rules like giving way to the right."
Monderman’s “shared space” concept strikes me as a perfect example of applying to the social world the improvisational imperative of giving up control. Performance improvisers must negotiate their way through a scene, not by following a script or stage directions, but by hyperfocusing on the cues being sent by their fellow players and responding accordingly in the moment. Similarly, Daily Improvisers in a shared space must remain alert to their environment and adjust their behavior to accommodate what they see and hear, rather than relying on the dictates of traffic signs.
How far can we extend this idea of a self-regulating shared space to other aspects of the social world? I think we’ve already seen an example of it in a concept I described earlier – Commander's Intent – in which the leader sets the overall goal and then, rather than trying to control the details of how to achieve it, stands back and lets the team negotiate the route on their own. Another example: the crowdsourcing phenomenon described by Jeff Howe in his book of the same name.
The shared space concept is also reflected in the Open Space conferencing method, in which participants collectively organize the conference themselves, in the moment. Open Space follows a few basic rules and structures but essentially leaves it to the participants to navigate their way through the day. (And, of course, the Open Space method has been incorporated into the Applied Improvisation Network’s annual conferences almost since their inception.)
Hmm ... I suppose there's something happening here but you don't know what it is ... do you, Mr. Straw?
"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign / Blockin' out the scenery, breakin' my mind"
"Signs," by The Five Man Electrical Band
Today I’d like to introduce you to Jake Straw, a man who, when confronted with the very idea of improv theater, is guaranteed to say:
What? Throw away the script? Have the actors interact with the audience and let them drive the scene? Give up control of the performance? That sounds like a recipe for … total chaos!
Thank goodness, Jake will say, that the real world is more controlled than the improv stage. I mean, what would happen if we got rid of signs, stoplights, curbs, medians, and other regulating devices from our city streets?
Hans Monderman’s answer to that question: Safer streets and a more livable city.
In his book Traffic, Tom Vanderbilt describes the legacy of Monderman (who died in 2008), a traffic engineer in the Netherlands who became known as “the guy who hated traffic signs.”
According to Monderman, most traffic signs are unnecessary, since they attempt to convey messages that drivers should be able to comprehend on their own (“Slippery When Wet,” “Children at Play,” “Deer Crossing”). Indeed, held Monderman, signs and other instruments of traffic control actually detract from the safety and livability of cities by: (1) Ceding the city to automobiles by separating people (i.e., pedestrians) from their surroundings and each other; (2) Lulling drivers into a false sense of security by providing the appearance of well-regulated “safe zones” for driving and reducing drivers’ alertness to road hazards (i.e., pedestrians); and (3) Creating roadside clutter and obstructions, making it less likely that drivers will see the dangers (e.g., pedestrians) being communicated by the signs.
Monderman’s radical solution: Remove most traffic signs and road markings, eliminate or minimize the barriers between cars and pedestrians, and have drivers and walkers coexist in a “shared space.” As the Wikipedia entry for “shared space” puts it:
"The reasoning behind the idea [of shared space] is that it will result in improved road safety by forcing users to negotiate their way through shared areas at appropriate speeds and with due consideration for the other users of the space, using simple rules like giving way to the right."
Monderman’s “shared space” concept strikes me as a perfect example of applying to the social world the improvisational imperative of giving up control. Performance improvisers must negotiate their way through a scene, not by following a script or stage directions, but by hyperfocusing on the cues being sent by their fellow players and responding accordingly in the moment. Similarly, Daily Improvisers in a shared space must remain alert to their environment and adjust their behavior to accommodate what they see and hear, rather than relying on the dictates of traffic signs.
How far can we extend this idea of a self-regulating shared space to other aspects of the social world? I think we’ve already seen an example of it in a concept I described earlier – Commander's Intent – in which the leader sets the overall goal and then, rather than trying to control the details of how to achieve it, stands back and lets the team negotiate the route on their own. Another example: the crowdsourcing phenomenon described by Jeff Howe in his book of the same name.
The shared space concept is also reflected in the Open Space conferencing method, in which participants collectively organize the conference themselves, in the moment. Open Space follows a few basic rules and structures but essentially leaves it to the participants to navigate their way through the day. (And, of course, the Open Space method has been incorporated into the Applied Improvisation Network’s annual conferences almost since their inception.)
Hmm ... I suppose there's something happening here but you don't know what it is ... do you, Mr. Straw?
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