Family Improv

Story by Head of Academic Development Micah Gall

In the midst of a difficult circumstance, a silver-lining for many of our students has been the “found” time they’ve been able to spend with their family, bonding through extended dinners, deeper discussions, and perhaps even movie nights or board games.

One such opportunity for bonding has been provided for students in Mr. Butz’s Improv class, who have been tasked with leading their families through a series of improvisational exercises as part of the class’s curriculum. Students have been assigned various chapters in a book called Truth in Comedy, and from there, they’ve worked to coach their parents and siblings through games and routines provided as examples of the key points in each chapter of the book.

As Mr. Butz writes, “One of the deceptively difficult jobs in an Improv show is hosting a game. The host has to step forward and engage the audience by explaining the game about to be played in a concise and energetic way and to solicit offers from the audience. This is the skill that I wanted students to sharpen as they taught the exercises to their families. I also thought it would be an opportunity for families to be silly together, which actually requires a lot of vulnerability.”

While we continue to long for a time when we can once again conduct school on campus, we hope and pray that each member of our community—like those families connected to Mr. Butz’s Improv class—has found silver-linings during this difficult time.