Playing with Fire

I recently got a day of work on NBC's drama, Chicago Fire. Yay! I play a woman named Claudia, who accidentally leaves her truck in... DELETE PLOTLINE HERE SO AS NOT TO BE SUED BY NBC DELETE PLOTLINE DELETED KEEP READING PLOTLINE TO BE REPLACED LATER

First of all. Really good lunch. Nice job job network television.

Second of all, the cast and crew were amazing. I know people sometimes say that and you're like "Whatever. Amazing-sch-mazing! Doesn't mean anything." But seriously, they were really great. Fun to play with in every way. It got me to thinking... (uh-oh)

What made that day so fun? Aside from it being a really great gig, what else made it so fun? I realized it was that the whole team was actually functioning as a team and they welcomed me into that world with ease. They had a sense of joy in their work, playfulness, silliness. They trusted each other and me. They treated everyone with respect, even a l'il ol' day player like myself. They did their job, but did it kindly and filled with gratitude and  a sense of play. It felt like I was part of something. I suppose like how you would to feel in any workplace team you are a part of or how you would think an actual fire department might behave given the nature of their work.

Consider me a fan.

My episode airs Tuesday, September 30 on NBC. 10/9c  Check it out.

Danger of a Single Story

I recently watched a TED talk given by Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.  During this talk she eloquently described what she calls, “the danger of a single story.” She had a horrific tale of growing up in Nigeria, but when she tells that story, she is wary. She is aware of how it adds to the collective ONE story people know about Nigeria: BAD. Recent events involving the kidnapped girls in Nigeria is case in point and adds to the story. Nigeria, and even Africa as a whole is dangerous and bad.

This blanket statement of course isn't true. One story never is. It is always more complicated than that. There is usually more than one story.

When two people have opposing stories, it is said that the truth usually lies somewhere between each story. I have found this to be almost always true. Our story is just that---our story! Is it the truth? Is there a truth? Or is there only your  truth?

Look at this in regards to the people you work with or those you are in a relationship with. When we have a conflict or disagreement, our story is usually the "right" one, right? That's the "true" one --- the single story. But of course, that's dangerous. There's always more than one side to every story, perhaps even more than one story. Africa is a beautiful and diverse continent with a varied and fascinating history. It's more than the single story of danger.

People can be like that too. They can be more complicated than we remember. Often we label them. My mom is like that or John is like this. Done. We know them. That's who they are. The end. But people are more complicated than that. In fact, people have more than one story too. They are more than one story. We have to be present with them moment to moment to discover who they really are in this moment, not last week or last year, but in this moment. Who is standing in front of you? What are they offering you now? What's their story?

Improv training encourages to look and live thoroughly in EACH moment, to not assume anything, because each moment is new. We're creating a story right now! ---making it up! And aren't we making it up in real life too?

If you'd like me to come into you group, team, organization or company and teach more of these lessons through improvisation, please be in touch. Training dates now available through this fall.