An improvisational theater performance in two parts: the outside and the inside. Experience a completely improvised theater performance and then put the performers—actors and musicians—on the spot. And take a little bit of that improvisational magic home with you and back to the workplace.
After a completely improvised theater performance, we’ll stay seated in the theater, and you’ll have the chance to ask the performers all sorts of questions. They’ll take their seats in the so-called HOT SEAT and give you a glimpse into the mind and heart of an improviser. You can ask questions about what surprised you or where you thought things didn’t quite click. Feel free to really put them on the spot. Zwerm is both a theater performance and a research lab where we explore what the art of improvisation has to offer in everyday life.
The play itself draws you into a whirlwind of a story rich in imagination, with the audience determining its title and theme. As a spectator, you sit back and surrender to the experience of improvisation. You enjoy both the play itself and the wonderful synergy of creation, direction, and performance.
During the discussion afterward, we’ll draw connections between what happened in the performance and how we—the audience and the performers—recognize those experiences in our own lives, and how the art of improvisation can inspire us. For more open and rich conversations, for more co-creativity, for better conflict resolution skills, for a mindset focused on possibilities, for more compassion and decisiveness, for more radical presence and attention. For more humane and natural intelligence in a world that is losing it. For relationships with more Body, Love, and Guts.
In the performance, you’ll see stumbling blocks and hiccups that also happen in real life. We explore how the humor, collaboration, flexibility, and resilience of improvisers also work offstage. When things are unexpected, uncertain, ambiguous, or even frightening, improvisation can offer tools to help us cope better. Likewise, improvisation inspires us when we’re stuck in patterns and rules that no longer make sense.
Improvisation is often about the shared interplay between Responsibility and Freedom, grounded in Connection and Trust, and with plenty of room for Difference. If everyone can bring a great deal of Intuition and Imagination to the process, and can Slow Down when necessary, it creates the space to write new and powerful stories together—literally or figuratively.
It is these human qualities that are at the heart of Nathalie Van Renterghem’s book *Improvising: Communicating Without a Script*. She has been active as an improviser for thirty years and is deeply fascinated by the applied art of improvisation: using specific improvisation skills as an attitude and a mindset offstage. She shares this work through Inspinazie / TIM Theater. As a conflict mediator and with a background as an education professional, she enjoys being where people learn and work together, even when it’s tense or challenging.
ZWERM is a concept developed as an alternative book presentation. ZWERM is that book about improvisation that comes to life, different every time. Unpredictable.
Our team dove into improvisation — surreal scenes became practical lessons in reacting to uncertainty. Pair storytelling and a candid Hot Seat built connection and sparked reflection on trust, responsibility, and change. Playful workshops (Observe. Connect. GO!) sharpened listening and non‑verbal skills; participants overwhelmingly recommended the experience, citing connection as the key takeaway.
Tinne D. – J&J Innovative Medicine