2008 - Marketing Educators' Association

IMPROV COMEDY: TECHNIQUES AND EXERCISES
Andy Aylesworth, Bentley College, Department of Marketing,
175 Forest St., Waltham, MA 02452;
aaylesworth@bentley.edu
The techniques used in improv comedy can improve
presentation skills, creativity, collaboration, listening
and communication. As such, these techniques can
be used to improve the skills of both students and
teachers of marketing. In this session, I explained
some of the guidelines, practices and philosophies
of this art form. Attendees were then asked to
actively participate in exercises designed to drive
these guidelines, practices and philosophies home.
The session ended with a discussion of if and how
these techniques can be used in the marketing
classroom.
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY
I have studied improv for several years and
performed on stage several times. I believe this
experience has improved my presentation and
creative skills. I have also noticed much overlap
between what I have learned about improv and
additional business skills (e.g., teamwork). I have
attempted to incorporate some of these skills into
the classroom, specifically into case discussions
(see Aylesworth, forthcoming), but only at a very
shallow level. Others (e.g., Huffaker & West, 2005)
have built entire classes around the use of these
techniques.
Recently, I have successfully run single sessions
with practitioners and alumni introducing and
ABSTRACT
109
practicing these techniques. These sessions consist
of an introduction to the basic guidelines of improv,
followed by practice of these guidelines utilizing
improv games and exercises. Sessions end with a
debriefing in which we discuss applications in the
business world in general, and applications to the
participants’ specific issues. This special session
mimicked these sessions with practitioners.
IMPROV TECHNIQUES
The techniques discussed and practiced in this
session included “yes,” “build a brick,” “character
inspiration,” and others. Participants in the session
learned these techniques then participated in the
exercises designed to drive them home.
REFERENCES
Aylesworth, A. (forthcoming). Improving the case
discussion with an improv mindset. Journal of
Marketing Education.
Huffaker, J. S., & West, E. (2005). Enhancing
learning in the business classroom: An
adventure with improv theater techniques.
Journal of Management Education, 29, 852-869.