It's Time To Take An Improv Class
I swear it's not about being funny... I should know!
In July 2005, I walked into an improv class to help me come out of my shell.
In July 2025, various friends, colleagues, and family members wish I would go back in. You’ve proven your point, they say!
But obviously, it was about more than just coming out of my shell (and doing just fine). It was about trying something scary that excited me. I had already been obsessed with comedy for most of my life. Sure, my “entire life” was only 18 years at that point—but I grew up watching sitcoms on Nick at Night and then, of course, The Simpsons, All That, MADtv, and Saturday Night Live.
I connected with comedy early. Like most people, I love laughing — but I also appreciated the rhythm of good comedy, and the unexpected humor inside everyday situations. I realized being funny was the best way to connect with my family, make new friends, diffuse tension, and bring more joy to the ordinary.
I once read a quote from Gilda Radner and felt it on a cellular level:
You feel completely in control when you hear a wave of laughter coming back at you that you have caused.
Yes, on stage, it’s an incredible feeling. But as a kid in a tumultuous home with parents who showed little emotion, making them laugh was the only thing that made me feel in control — or like I added value.
Still, I grew to be very shy. I didn’t like my personality, or my body, or my anything. I almost never spoke in social situations, and I wouldn’t even eat lunch in front of people at school. I had a great group of friends, but I was afraid I’d never amount to anything because I was too afraid to speak or go places.
So, I took that improv class… and it stuck. And yes, I did go on to perform professionally and have a “career” in comedy, but that wasn’t the real benefit.
By that fall, I felt like a brand new person. Or rather, I felt like the person I’d always been, just finally comfortable enough to release my inhibitions unleash her into the world.
If you’re looking to unleash something inside you, shake up your routine, get un-stuck, or just experience a bit more joy and play in your life — here’s why YOU should take an improv class.
It’s a gym for your brain.
You’ve probably heard of a “growth mindset,” a concept based on research by Carol Dweck. Our brains are wired to seek comfort and routine. This keeps us safe, but it often causes us to have a “fixed” mindset about new things based on assumptions and stories we tell ourselves.
By going to that improv class (and surviving), I burst open a door full of endless possibilities. It activated a new pathway in my brain and helped me learn that maybe my own internal beliefs were baseless. I thought that everyone would be older, funnier, smarter, prettier, etc. than me, and I thought I’d just be bad at it and it would be embarrassing.
But guess what? I was bad at it, everyone was bad at it, and that was the whole point. We were all starting from scratch, no matter how funny we were. Once we realized that, we let our guards down, stopped TRYING so hard, and just had fun.
This is something you can only really learn by showing up and doing it.
Presence is a Present.
I’ve been an improv instructor for 15 years, and I’ve never taught anyone how to be funny, how to write a joke, or how to “perform” better (aside from coaching as a director.) I don’t want to because that’s not the point of improv.
Listening is the point of improv.
You won’t be successful on stage if you’re not present. You have to listen to your scene partner, of course, but also to the scenes you’re not in.
Because we’re making it all up on the spot, our top priority is to connect with each other as quickly as possible.
Don’t get me wrong, this is extremely hard. Nobody ever taught us how to listen or be present, we were just told to do it — often as punishment — without any guidance.
Improv classes are listening practice and for two sweet, sweet hours a week you are able to be fully present without any distractions.
I won’t go so far as saying improv is meditation, because we get enough cult references, but it’s pretty damn close.
Yes, and you’ll play better with others.
With all that listening, there better be someone to listen to! Improv teaches you to rely on your scene partners — not compete with them or roll your eyes at their “bad” ideas. It’s an ensemble sport. You literally cannot succeed alone.
In life, and work, we are frustratingly forced to work with people all the time! I was always the girl in the group project who did the whole thing because it was just easier than worrying about other people’s schedules or lackluster work. I thought I was A HERO, I was actually A JERK.
By dominating the work, I disrespected people’s time, assumed the worst of their contributions, and created a space where no one wanted to help. Why would they?
In improv, those dynamics fall apart instantly. When someone dominates the scene or forces it in one direction, the other person shuts down. The scene dies, and the problem is obvious. (If laughter is control… lack of laughter is the opposite.)
Collaboration is key. You learn to create safe environments where people feel comfortable speaking up, joining you on stage, and creating something with you. You also learn to embrace new ideas, even when your fixed mindset wants to shut them down.
Ch-ch-changes.
Which brings me to my final point: If you want to get better at handling constant change (and you should, because it’s HAPPENING VERY FAST), improv is your best tool.
It’s fast-paced, and you’ve got to keep up. That hilarious scene you just did? It’s gone. Time to move on. You can’t be precious about anything.
And that’s life, baby!!!
It keeps moving forward, especially when you’re not ready. You can either dig in your heels and resist it, or you can let go and move with it. Improv has made me so much better at navigating life, and that’s made me a better colleague, friend, partner, and human.
I believe it was John Lennon who once sang:
Life is very short,
and there’s no time…
to waste fighting against forward momentum, my friend!
So, if you’re a naysayer looking to be more of a YAYsayer, improv is for you.
5 things (this is an improv warm-up!)
I posted this on Notes, but I bought this pink lawn chair and put it in my car. Over the weekend, I sat in the shade and read while my dog played with sticks near me. Reclaiming Summertime.
The Sphere in Vegas has a small bag policy (doesn’t need to be clear) and I think this tiny little horse bag charm should be my bag.
CBS has cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and yes, we should all be highly skeptical and probably afraid. I’m livid because I get almost all of my news through him and he almost makes it digestible.
If you’re also watching The Gilded Age, might I recommend Age of Innocence? Daniel Day Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Winona Ryder directed by Martin Scorcese? What could go wrong! I watched it last night while eating Domino’s, as God intended.
Amy Sedaris has a DOLL HOUSE IN HER FIREPLACE! I adore her style, her humor, her everything. She is the dream.
I haven’t had any coffee in days and it’s showing.
HAGS,
Patty
Barrett All, starring Patty Barrett, is written, directed, and produced by Patty Barrett. Lights and sound by Patty Barrett. Hair, make-up, and wardrobe provided by Patty Barrett. For more information, please reach out to Patty Barrett.
Is that a little nate stodd!?? Also deeply relatable to a bunch of little things here. Yayayaya.