Improv Everywhere

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When coming together to work in a group, the most underrated factor is the need to improvise.

For example, in many classes we have to make groups for group projects. Often those groups are assembled by students picking each other for their groups, and we may not be familiar with each other.

In Tuckman's 5 Stages of Group Development, we see the stages a group project goes through as it goes from formation to completion.

Improv plays a key role here because we don't know exactly what our classmate's thoughts and motivations are for this mutual task.

If I was in a group of all of my friends for example, I might be able to predict how a situation will play out. We go to a coffee shop. Julia orders a black espresso, over ice if it's over 100 degrees. Madeline orders a large chai, because it's her favorite. Justine orders an iced coffee because she needs a bit of caffeine in the afternoon.

With our newly formed group, we don't have the same familiarity with each other. Which leads to improvisation.

Tina Fey's rules of improv would apply here. Say yes, there are no wrong answers, agree.


When we interact with each other, we don't know what our classmates are going to say. I don't know if my group member is going to suggest to use a Prezi presentation, a Powerpoint presentation, or even if they're going to suggest we do an interpretive dance for our presentation.

So someone is going to say "I think we should do a Prezi."

If someone else in the group says, "No", it's killed the scene. There was no discussion, there was no explanation, just an idea and then shot down. Now the group is at a standstill again.

We have to be able to take ideas and build on them to complete a given task. For example we could say, "Yes, we'll do a Prezi, and we'll be sure it uses plenty of images to illustrate the ideas we want the audience to understand."

Now the group is rolling.

In order to come to an agreement, we must be able to bend and mold our ideas to benefit all of us.

In the performing stage we still must be able to improvise. It's the day of the presentation, and one of the group members is so sick they can't talk. She was supposed to do the intro of the presentation because she's extremely charismatic. The group has to improvise to fill in for the member who can't talk. It won't be what we imagined, but it will be something the rest of the group members can bounce off of in their own section.

Once we are able to complete a cohesive project, we then can present it to others, and finally adjourn the group.