"It was a really fun day and evening. The positive feedback is still pouring in today. Colleagues commented that they thought it was super fun that with your improvisational theater the content was brought in such a fun way. They had a good laugh, but also listened carefully!
Yesterday we seemed to be in the middle of your performance during an incident at the secretariat. Afterwards (when the emotions had subsided), people laughed and said, "Wow, Inspinazie wasn't against it..." And that immediately triggered their reflection.
Thank you for your contribution to this day. "
The greatest theater takes place in the workplace.
The above comment from a client last week is about the performance Together, together (but different), on dealing with difference.
In several scenes, we expose small-mindedness in it. Sharp. Sometimes we think afterwards, "That was about it." Although by now we already know that is rarely the case. After all, one of the most frequently heard reflections afterwards is, "It's even worse in real life."
And people sometimes ask, "Do you work here?" In the past, some actors experienced that as criticism and thought that this doubted their acting talent. Meanwhile, we know that it is admiration for the recognizability of what we bring.
Improvisational theater as a mirror
In the corporate theater we perform, the improvisational aspect plays a big role. We play no pre-spelled out lesson. No targeted and certainly no hidden agenda of the client. By putting ourselves in the concrete field we play for, and listening carefully to what people say, we hold up a mirror. That listening is not just about the answers people give to the questions we ask prior to scenes. We read also how people sit there that day, how people react to the other program elements, what the atmosphere is during the breaks, and where people's attention is most focused.
And then we play it as a rebound from the stage. Sharp. And with mildness and appreciation. Gentleness throughout understanding about why people do as they do. Appreciation for the energy and perseverance that invariably manifests in organizations and their employees.
And when people ask afterwards what department we work in, we know, "Mission accomplished!"