Playing Along: 37 Group Learning Activities Borrowed from Improvisational Theater

Set the stage for learning and growth with these innovative, playful activities borrowed from a classic art form: improvisational theater. Developed for group leaders who have no improvisational theater experience, these easy, step-by-step proven techniques-originally designed to help actors solve problems on stage-build an optimal learning environment by fostering understanding, reducing resistance, creating cohesiveness, and promoting active participation in the learning process.

Whatever your topic, these brief (5-10 minute) exercises activate the all-important learning skills of listening, accepting, affirming, imagining, and trusting-and pave the way for personal growth or organizational change.

Izzy Gesell is the founder of Wide Angle Humor Consultants, a Northampton, Massachusetts-based organization dedicated to helping employees become healthier and more productive by using humor in their lives. As a workshop leader, teacher, stand-up comedian, and improvisational troupe member, Izzy has more than fifteen years of experience helping others reap the benefits of an active sense of humor.