Come to the Table. An Improv-Inspired Space for Creative Gatherings
Welcome to The Warm-Up Table. This space is a gathering place for improvisors, writers, artists, and anyone curious about what happens when we meet the unknown together. This is a low stakes, high-heart creative zone where we stretch our spontaneity, loosen perfectionism, and feed each other’s fire. Whether you’re new to improv or seasoned in creative practice, there’s room for you here.
Who It’s For
This space welcomes anyone curious about what creativity can become. It’s for those who may have felt, at times, too serious, too shy, too unsure, or too tender to improvise. It’s for those who have performed for years but long to reconnect with their “why.” And it’s for those who are new to improv and crave connection, surprise, and joy.
What Happens at the Table
Workshops, Keynotes, and Webinars. online or in-person for discovery, learning, and play.
Improv Salons Causal discussions on improv theory, embodied play, and creative philosophy. Inspiring one another through individual creativity and the group mind.
Creative Invitations Third space gatherings to create together in lighthearted ways.
Pull Up a Chair
Every gathering begins somewhere, and I’m grateful you’ve found your way here. Pull up a chair. The Warm-Up Table is a place to explore improv through thoughtful ideas, practice, and conversations that continue beyond the stage.
Below you’ll find the Welcome Edition of The Warm-Up Table – the first in an ongoing series of conversations exploring improvisation, creativity, and the art of being fully present.
Welcome to my very first newsletter all about improv! I am so glad that you have joined me and I hope that you find yourself both informed and inspired!
In this segment, we are going to hunker down and focus on something essential that feels like it’s sometimes under discussed and that is… authentic connection. What is it when it pertains to improv? How do you achieve it?
Authentic connections begin the moment we stop trying to impress and instead start trying to receive. We receive in a way that allows ourselves to be changed, to be inspired, and to be shaped into something we hadn’t planned. This is where true connection happens – it’s not in the performance, it’s in being present and available to those around you.
Let’s break it down:
CONNECTING ON STAGE
Connection is often activated when we feel:
1) Emotionally safe
2) Seen and acknowledged
3) Engaged in mutual discovery
The question isn’t always, “What should I say next?” but rather, “Am I really here with you?”
TRUST BETWEEN SCENE PARTNERS
Trust happens when we’re:
1) Feeling supported
2) Confident to take risks
3) Not concerned with failure
Trust builds faster when we drop judgement both in ourselves and in others. It’s what is intended when we say, “Got your back.” It’s the essence of two peas in a pod – it’s the agreement that you are in this beautiful thing together, and you are giving one another permission to play (by removing the need to control/judge) and focusing instead on supporting one another to thrive.
Trust in improv doesn’t require perfection; its presence under pressure. It’s two people who’ve decided to say, “Yes” to being in it together.
CREATING MEANINGFUL SCENES
Meaningful scenes aren’t about cleverness. They are inspired through:
1) Emotional resonance
2) Personal stakes
3) The willingness to stay in the moment past the punchline
Meaning blooms when we stop racing through premise and rushing to the next, “bit” and stay with what’s right in front of us. It happens when your next line of dialogue stems from a glance, a gesture, or a line that lands because it matters.
FEELING DISCONNECTED IN SCENES
Disconnection happens. It can stem from:
1) Feeling unseen or unheard
2) Over thinking or self-judgement
3) Not knowing how to enter a scene organically
Sometimes we’re disconnected not because we’re doing something wrong, but because we’re trying too hard to get something right.
Disconnection can be tricky because sometimes you’re just having an ‘off’ day. This is part of the process and don’t be too hard on yourself when it happens.
If you find it happens more often than you’re comfortable with, try joining in through observation instead. Let yourself be a witness before you become a contributor.
EMOTIONAL HONESTY
This doesn’t mean heaviness – it’s about realness and allowing yourself to shine through and be seen. This could look like:
1) Laughing with your whole body
2) Admitting, “I’m scared” in a scene – even if it is silly
3) Letting yourself be changed by your partner
Honesty in improv isn’t vulnerability for its own sake. It’s authentic reaction. It’s when a character’s emotional truth overlaps with the player’s intuitive truth. The most compelling scenes often feel like they were discovered, not invented.
IN CLOSING
If you’re looking to build authentic connections – don’t focus on being funny or worrying about the premise and plot of the scene. Don’t worry about judgement or doing things wrong. Instead, focus on being present. The funny comes from there.
Presence is where we become more surprising, more responsive, more us. So next time you hit that stage, don’t overthink it – just be wonderful you.
Thank you for joining me at the Warm-Up Table. In the next issue, we’ll explore Listening Like an Improvisor.