Welcome to the Celebration: 50+ Improvisers

If you are lucky enough to have hit the 50-year mark, you are part of a new and growing demographic in the world of improv. As people wind down their life-long careers, many discover improv. No longer focused on climbing the career ladder, 50+ adventuresome souls find improv offers them a very different slice of life — one that feels playful, rejuvenating and refreshing. Improv is a source of fun and creativity, a personal challenge and a wonderful new hobby. It’s where past experiences count and get revisited in a new light.

As someone who began improv after retirement, I fell in love with improv at almost first sight. Intrigued after watching a friend perform, I started classes. I wanted to learn as fast as I could so I ‘upped’ my training by going to major improv centers in NYC and Chicago for multiple rounds of intensive learning. I was (and still am) one of the older, even oldest, students in any classroom. After a while I began teaching improv, putting my prior teaching career in adult education to good use.

I think a lot about the older improv student since I have many students who are 40+, 50+, 60+, etc. My main message is: It’s never too late to put on your improv shoes and begin the journey. You have so much to bring to the stage, so much to gain yourself. And I do believe you will find that improv makes you ageless.

Jimmy Carrane, a Chicago legend says this:

To the older people starting out in improv: You belong. This is for you.
If you are an older person and you are just starting out doing improv, stand-up, storytelling or acting, I want to say to you are in the right place.
You did not wait too long.
You are not wasting your time.
You belong.
We need you.
I know that is not what you think.
I know that is not how society thinks.
But you are wrong.
Society is wrong.
I am right on this.
Trust me.
I am old.
I am so old I don’t need to lie to you. . . .
. . . we need your life experience, your success and your disappointments. We need your patience, your wisdom and maturity.

(Jimmy says a lot more.  You can read it here in this blog.)

Feel free to contact me about classes.