Serious Fun The Poer of Improvisation for Learning and Life [Paperback]

The importance of play and fun to peoples lives cannot be stressed enough in todays cultural climate of high stress, high stakes, and competition. One activity that gains recognition and credibility as both fun and transformative is theatrical improvisation or improv. In this book, Ruth Yamamoto reviews her research on the influences of improvisation on community college students.The importance of play and fun to peoples lives cannot be stressed enough in todays cultural climate of high stress, high stakes, and competition. One activity that gains recognition and credibility as both fun and transformative is theatrical improvisation or improv. In this book, Ruth Yamamoto reviews her research on the influences of improvisation on community college students.Educators, theatre artists, improvisers, or anyone interested building community, developing self-awareness, and affecting positive social change will want to read this book. Dr. Yamamoto examines the principles of improvisation and the concepts of play and flow to add credibility to a craft and practice that is often viewed a frivolous and silly.Ruth Yamamoto extends her research through interviews with applied improvisation professionals, examples and suggestions of games and exercises, and provides solid evidence of the serious, positive benefits of improvisation.ContentsList of TablesPrefaceAcknowledgementsPart I The Origins1 Introduction: Why Have Fun?2 What Is Improv?3 Play and Why It Matters4 What Is Flow?5 The Paradox of FunPart II The Study: The Shared Experiences of College Improvisers6 Literature Review of Related Qualitative Studies7 Examining the Shared Improv Experiences8 The ThemesPart III How Improv Can Change the World9 Everything I Needed to Learn in Life I Learned Through Improv10 Finding Improv in Everyday11 Applied Improvisation12 Improv Games and Exercises13 Serious Fun for LifeAppendicesAppendix A: Interview and Focus Group ProtocolsAppendix B: Theatre Games and ExercisesAppendix C: Substl³