Download or read book Healing Improv written by Bart Sumner and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-04 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2009 Bart Sumner's life was shattered when his 10-year-old son, David, suffered a traumatic brain injury at football practice and died in his arms. Finding a way back to the road forward in a world where mourners are told “He's in a better place” or to “Get over it” is a daunting and painful journey. He came to realize that the twenty-five plus years he spent as a performer and teacher of improvisational comedy was not only the key to his own survival, but also a powerful tool to help others mired in grief. Healing Improv: A Journey Through Grief to Laughter is an emotional and honest recounting of his family's trek through grief to the founding of a nonprofit that provides no-cost Comedy Improv Grief Workshops for others suffering with loss. Mr. Sumner's approach is unique in its application of improv comedy exercises to grief treatment. Healing Improv includes many of the improv games used at Healing Improv workshops so that others can also benefit from the curative, life affirming fun. Pairing these techniques with his family's powerful and touching story of survival makes this book a strong ally to those who feel lost and alone after tragedy strikes, providing comfort and hope. 10% of author proceeds go to Healing Improv, a non-profit charity.
Download or read book The Improv Dictionary written by David Charles and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2024-04-04 with total page 668 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Improv Dictionary: An A to Z of Improvisational Terms, Techniques, and Tools explores improvisational approaches and concepts drawn from a multitude of movements and schools of thought to enhance spontaneous and collaborative creativity. This accessible resource reveals and interrogates the inherited wisdoms contained in the very words we use to describe modern improv. Each detailed definition goes beyond the obvious clichés and seeks a nuanced and inclusive understanding of how art of the moment can be much more than easy laughs and cheap gags (even when it is being delightfully irreverent and wildly funny). This encyclopedic work pulls from a wide array of practitioners and practices, finding tensions and commonalities from styles as diverse as Theatresports, Comedysportz, the Harold, narrative long-form, Playback Theatre, and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. Entries include nuanced definitions, helpful examples, detailed explorations of the concepts in practice, and framing quotes from a leading practitioner or inspirational artistic voice. The Improv Dictionary offers valuable insights to novice improvisers taking their first steps in the craft, seasoned performers seeking to unlock the next level of abandon, instructors craving a new comprehensive resource, and scholars working in one of the numerous allied fields that find enrichment through collaborative and guided play. Each significant entry in the book is also keyed to an accompanying improv game or exercise housed at www.improvdr.com, enabling readers to dig deeper into their process.
Download or read book Improv Shaman written by Keli Semelsberger and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2021-07-19 with total page 95 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Improv comedy is known as a challenging comedic performance art, which Keli has been teaching, directing and performing for over a quarter of a century. As Keli expanded her world view by traveling to sacred places and training with master spiritual teachers, she came to understand that improv was not just her art and her job, it was her medicine. Not only was it her practice to sooth her own soul, but it was the way in which she, has been able to be a "hollow bone" and let the healing energy of Divine play move through her and transform the lives of her students. This book is her love letter to improv, and to all the brave souls willing to live in the moment, to accept themselves and others as they are, and to co create with the world by saying YES, and.....
Download or read book Improvisational Therapy written by Bradford P. Keeney and published by Guilford Press. This book was released on 1991-09-20 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this unusual volume, Bradford Keeney depicts psychotherapy as a performing art. Emphasizing the advantages of improvising one's own therapeutic style, he presents a host of tried-and-true strategic interventions, a short course on brief intervention design, a way of "scoring' conversations with clients much like one would score music, a collection of therapeutic moves, and chapters on creating one's own clinical design. As such, IMPROVISATIONAL THERAPY is a book that will be valued by all who do clinical work.
Download or read book Improv Nation written by Sam Wasson and published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. This book was released on 2017-12-05 with total page 632 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Like the best of his subjects, which include Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray and Tina Fey, Wasson has perfect timing.”—Minneapolis Star-Tribune Finalist for the 2017 George Freedley Memorial Award In this richly reported, scene-driven narrative, Sam Wasson charts the meteoric rise of improv from its unlikely beginnings in McCarthy-era Chicago. We witness the chance meeting between Mike Nichols and Elaine May, hang out at the after-hours bar where Dan Aykroyd hosted friends like John Belushi, Bill Murray, and Gilda Radner, and go behind the scenes of cultural landmarks from The Graduate to The Colbert Report. Along the way, we befriend pioneers such as Harold Ramis, Chevy Chase, Steve Carell, Amy Poehler, Alan Arkin, Tina Fey, Judd Apatow, and many others. “Compelling, absolutely unputdownable…And, in case you’re wondering, yes, the book is funny. In places, very funny. A remarkable story, magnificently told.”—Booklist “One of the most important stories in American popular culture…Wasson may be the first author to explain [improv’s] entire history…a valuable book.”—The New York Times Book Review “Improv Nation masterfully tells a new history of American comedy…It holds the element of surprise—true to the spirit of its subject.”—Entertainment Weekly
Download or read book Restoring Our Bodies Reclaiming Our Lives written by Aimee Liu and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2011-04-26 with total page 207 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Full recovery from an eating disorder is possible. Despite what you may have been led to believe, most people with anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder are able to completely restore their health and well-being. But how does this happen? Author Aimee Liu has woven together dozens of first-person accounts of recovery to create a break-through roadmap for healing from an eating disorder. Restoring Our Bodies, Reclaiming Our Lives answers key questions including: How does healing begin? What does it feel like? What supports and accelerates it? Will I ever be free of worry about a relapse? Throughout the book are informative sidebars written by leading professionals in the field, addressing essential topics such as finding the right therapist, the use of medications, exploring complementary treatments, and how family members can help. Learn more at the author's website: www.aimeeliu.net.
Download or read book Improv written by John Cremer and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2011-10 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book John Cremer provides context for what occurs during an improvisation session and a clear D.I.Y guide to running a basic session yourself. By applying these clear lessons you will be able to: Bond and inspire a team Open new neural pathways and overcome reluctance and nervousness in participants Find different angles for problem solving and brainstorming Feel confident on your feet in front of people Have a great laugh
Download or read book The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters written by Sherri Lynn Wood and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2015-04-28 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exciting new approach for beginning to advanced quilters who want to improvise on their own, with a friend, or with a community of fellow makers. Forget step-by-step instructions and copycat designs. In The Improv Handbook for Modern Quilters, Sherri Lynn Wood presents a flexible approach to quilting that breaks free of old paradigms. Instead of traditional instructions, she presents 10 frameworks (or scores) that create a guiding, but not limiting, structure. To help quilters gain confidence, Wood also offers detailed lessons for stitching techniques key to improvisation, design and spontaneity exercises, and lessons on color. Every quilt made from one of Wood’s scores will have common threads, but each one will look different because it reflects the maker’s unique interpretation. Featured throughout the book are Wood’s own quilts and a gallery of contributor works chosen from among the hundreds submitted when she invited volunteers to test her scores during the making of this groundbreaking work. “Wood offers a series of techniques, guidelines and lessons on color choice for those ready to explore improvisational quilting. Her book is loaded with full-color photos and examples to inspire.” —Dallas Morning News “Despite how it may “seam,” quilting isn’t all about rules! Quilting can be an exhilarating way to channel your creativity and express yourself. This book is focused more on exploration than explanation—a perfect mindset for beginners!” —Powell’s Books Staff Pick
Download or read book Healing in Action written by Barney Straus and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2018-09-04 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Healing in Action: Adventure-Based Counseling with Therapy Groups is a practical guide for therapists wanting to integrate interactive games and challenges into their work. It provides current research supporting using ABC with trauma survivors and those recovering from addictions, as well as its efficacy with a broader population. Twelve activity-based chapters take the reader through various one-hour sessions of activities based on a particular theme or material used, complete with 50 descriptive photos of groups in action. Therapists will be able to use these activities to help their patients experience in vivo the joy, freedom and playfulness that are the hallmarks of sound mental health. With its combination of sound theoretical material and practical application, this book is a valuable resource for practitioners and graduate students alike.
Download or read book Improvisation for the Theater written by Viola Spolin and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Theory and foundation - Exercises - Children and the theatre - The formal theatre_
Download or read book One Rule Improv written by Mary Demichele and published by Academic Play LLC. This book was released on 2019-02-17 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One Rule Improv presents a fast and easy approach to understanding improv so anyone who wants to learn, teach or apply improv to their lives or in the workplace can do so with confidence. This approach works for both the performer and the non-performer, the extrovert and introvert, for the enthusiastic participant and for the person uninterested or apprehensive about improv. One Rule Improv will help you: -Explain what improv is and how and why it works -Teach, facilitate and play the games, so the many benefits are achieved -Apply improv skills and concepts so the benefits of improv are sustainedThis book is great resource for: -A trainer or coach who wants to bring improv to their organization and get it to stick.-A drama instructor who would like to easily introduce improv to help their students quickly become a supportive ensemble and gain valuable improvisational skills.-The improviser who would like to promote and teach improv to others through classes or workshops.-The experienced improv director/teacher who needs to prepare students or group members to effectively teach at workshops and events.-The students/clients of trainers, coaches or improv teachers, so they may sustain their interest and understanding of improv; and continue to correctly practice it between workshops and sessions.
Download or read book The Gospel According to Improv written by Les Carpenter and published by Church Publishing, Inc.. This book was released on 2022-03-22 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Life and faith are improvisational theater, and finding meaning is a work in progress. From first breath to the first day of school, from first dates to last rites, most of us struggle with the overwhelming desire to find meaning. How do we love well, stay authentic, build community, enjoy life, and live justly all at the same time? No one knows. God may have a plan, but God never gave us the script. This book will teach strategies to escape the oppressive voice of self-doubt, foster compassionate creativity, transform Christian faith into a meaningful life practice, and organize communities of faith based on the the principles of improvisational theater. Each chapter will focus on a skill or practice of improv, made relevant through autobiographical stories of and grounded in the Christian tradition. The end of each chapter will include brain exercises the average reader can do to strengthen the creative neural pathways required to master the improv skill for living.
Download or read book The Healing Kitchen written by Ellen Michaud and published by BenBella Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2005-12-11 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 350 ways to unlock the curative powers of foods are presented in this down-to-earth guide to physical well-being. Backed by scientific studies, the pragmatic tips can turn any kitchen into the preventative and healing center of the home. Organized by how foods are stored, such as the Tea Tin, the Vegetable Bin, the Breadbox, and the Freezer, cutting-edge information on 120 different foods is presented. From information on virus-fighting apricots and natural anxiety-relieving tea to stomachache-quelling honey and natural cleaning products, this reference explains why and how these everyday ingredients heal the mind, body, and spirit. Consumer-oriented information on buying, storing, and using each food is offered, as well as 165 recipes that detail simple and delicious ways to create a healthy diet using these powerfoods.
Download or read book The Art of Becoming written by Raymond A. R. MacDonald and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 217 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At a time of unprecedented interest in improvisation across the arts, The Art of Becoming boldly asserts that everyone can and should improvise. Drawing on emerging psychological literature as well as their own research with musicians, authors Raymond MacDonald and Graeme Wilson - both music psychologists and renowned performers in their own right - propose new ideas on what defines improvisation in music. MacDonald and Wilson explore the cognitive processes involved, the role of specialist skills or knowledge in improvised interaction, and the nature of understanding between improvisers. Their investigation lays out how we develop as improvisers, alongside health benefits derived from music participation. The Art of Becoming is a vital resource for courses on improvisation in contemporary practice, and for those applying musical improvisation in community and therapeutic contexts, setting out a framework based on psychological findings for understanding improvisation as a universal capability and an essentially social behavior. With suggestions for approaching this practice in new ways at any level, it demonstrates how improvisation transcends musical genres and facilitates collaboration between practitioners from disciplines across the artistic spectrum. Putting forward important implications for contemporary artistic practices, pedagogy, music therapy and the psychology of social behavior, The Art of Becoming provides fresh and provocative insights for anyone interested in playing, studying, teaching, or listening to improvised music.
Download or read book Artful Improv written by Cindy Grisdela and published by C&T Publishing Inc. This book was released on 2016-10-01 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Do away with patterns and embrace your creative spirit with this vibrant and fun book.” —Quilting Arts With simple design principles, you can create unique improvisational quilts. Without using patterns, learn five easy piecing techniques for your improvisational toolbox (including circles, blocks, and strips), and watch the art unfold before your eyes. Focus on color combos and negative space to discover your personal style—and then add dazzling texture with free-motion quilting. Also included is information on hanging finished art quilts without a sleeve, plus tried and true improv tips to encourage creative play.
Download or read book Relearning to See written by Thomas R. Quackenbush and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2000-01-24 with total page 585 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this accessible presentation of the famous Bates method, Thomas R. Quackenbush (who teaches the Bates method in California and Oregon) describes how eyesight can improve naturally, at any age and regardless of heredity. This book is a wonderful tribute to the genius of Dr. Bates, who was a pioneer in discovering how vision becomes blurred and how it restores itself naturally to clarity and acuity. Now 80 years later, his findings and teachings remain light years ahead of our contemporaries. His approach to treating vision problems was truly holistic and the theme throughout this book is very much an extension of that holistic approach. Dr. Quackenbush is to be commended for his dedication in getting the truth out and keeping the torch burning in this "bible" on vision improvement.
Download or read book Medical Improv written by Rn M Ed Frederick and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-04-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Medical Improv: A New Way to Improve Communication(With 15 activities you can teach STAT!)Welcome to the emerging field of Medical Improv!Medical Improv is an exciting new teaching tool! Its experiential activities hold great promise for persistent challenges we face in healthcare by promoting the 'soft' skills involved in emotional intelligence, communication, collaboration, and leadership. This train-the-trainer resource is designed to help educators teach the "soft" skills that healthcare professionals need to positively impact patient safety, patient experience, workforce health, and the efficient use of resources. Because these skills are not intellectual, they require a non-traditional approach that fosters new behaviors. Medical Improv is a fun and effective strategy. There are 3 parts to the book. Part I, explains what Medical Improv is and why we need it. Part II, focuses on how to facilitate successful Medical Improv sessions. Part III, covers step-by-step instructions for teaching 15 fundamental activities with chapters that focus on skills associated with emotional intelligence and communication, teamwork, and leadership. You do NOT need experience in improv or a background in theater to teach these fundamental activities. This is the first Medical Improv train-the-trainer book for nurses and other healthcare educators.Applied improvisers will find it helpful for teaching classes in the healthcare sector.The author's combined expertise in nursing, communication, organizational development, and improvisation provide a powerful opportunity for positive change!
