麻豆影院

鈥淶ip, zap, zop!鈥� 鈥淶ip, zap, zop!鈥�

The sound bounces around the classroom as students call out the words in order. A fellow student鈥檚 pointed finger prompts the next turn. 鈥淶ip, zap . . . .鈥�

In Improv for Strategic Communication, taught by actor and improv aficionado Pat Finn, students learn the same games that he and other comedians鈥攊ncluding Saturday Night Live alumni going back decades鈥攑lay to prepare for the stage.

Finn, who lives in Los Angeles and teaches the special topics course over two weekends, has appeared on Friends, Seinfeld and, most recently, The Middle. He started his career in improv comedy with The Second City troupe and at Chicago鈥檚 famed iO Theater, and is the co-founder of Improv-Ability, a company that incorporates improvisation in the business world.

鈥淭he columns that are the temple of improv are amazing things that will help you whether you鈥檙e a banker, a nurse, a scientist鈥攁nything,鈥� says Finn, whose daughter Caitlin is a senior studying communication at CMCI and whose daughter Cassidy (Comm鈥�17) recently graduated. 鈥淚n almost any career, people want somebody who鈥檚 a better listener, a better collaborator, a better team player who is not averse to failure.鈥�

Improv actors use these columns鈥攐r guidelines鈥攖o keep scenes going without a script.

The first lesson is to say, 鈥淵es, and,鈥� whenever they鈥檙e presented with a new idea.

Erin Baptiste (StratComm鈥�18), who took Finn鈥檚 class as a senior studying advertising and now works at a record label, applies the 鈥測es, and鈥� concept in meetings.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like someone鈥檚 idea to begin with and you say no, they might not come to you with the idea later on,鈥� Baptiste says. 鈥淎nd in a creative world, that鈥檚 what you鈥檙e always looking for, the 颈诲别补.鈥�

Focusing on making others look good is also central, Finn says, to creating a better overall environment.

鈥淵ou see business people who are very 鈥榤y idea鈥� oriented, and don鈥檛 really open their minds or even ears to understanding or hearing another person鈥檚 idea because they鈥檙e so locked on theirs,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he thing about improv is, it won鈥檛 work unless you do. You have to make the other person look good, and thereby the scene gets created. It鈥檚 like Jenga.鈥�

The class changed how Kimberly Coffin (CritMedia, StratComm鈥�18) views brainstorming.

鈥淲ith video and other creative projects, a lot of what you鈥檙e doing is playing off of other people鈥檚 ideas,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ow I see a clear connection to how improv helps you thrive in a creative world."