Torrance Journal for Applied Creativity

The Play is the Thing
As Director of Survival Research
in the USAF, Torrance recognized
the importance of “experiential learning,
cooperative learning in small groups,
learning in all modalities, tolerance
of disagreement in groups, [and] the
extreme importance of motivation and
creative thinking” (as cited in Hébert et
al, 2002, p. 8). In Reno, Nevada, Torrance
and his research team taught the
psychology of survival to new groups
of airmen who arrived every 17 days.
Training exercises ranged from missiles
to Distant Early Warning (DEW) line
teams (Hébert et al, 2002). Korean
War jet ace Frederick C. “Boots” Blesse
described the critical nature of rigorous
training, discipline, and leadership
during actual combat. F-86 airmen
worked together in four-man teams
with experienced airmen as flight and
element leaders and newer airmen as
their wingmen. With leaders designated
as shooters and their wingmen as
lookers, the leaders and their wingmen
might split their formation from four to
two airmen. However, they always flew
in pairs as leader and wingman. After
about 15 missions, leaders could spot
potential leaders among the wingmen
who then received grueling tactical
training in the air with tight turns and
rolls (Sherman, 1998).
Spolin implemented theater
games such as Gibberish with its
non-symbol speech to prompt players
toward expressive speech and gestures
(Sweet, 2010). Freed from many technical
aspects in the environment, players
gained more spontaneous and natural
movement (Spolin, 1983). Each Spolin
Theater Game included a point of focus
such as communicating to an audience.
With its nine variations, Gibberish transformed
the where of a game by substituting
meaningless sounds for recognizable
speech, similar to the Swedish
Chef Muppet character. Spolin used side
coaching, rather than stage blocking or
direction, to support players during the
game. For example, the Gibberish Selling
game required a player to sell something
directly to the audience while Spolin
side coached: Sell it directly to us! See
us! To evaluate a player, Spolin asked
reflective questions rather than critiquing
a player. Was there variety in the
gibberish? Did the player see the audience
or stare at them? (Spolin, 1983, p. 123).
In the Mirror exercise, Player A served
as a “mirror” for the facial expressions
and movements of Player B until Spolin
side coached with Change! Player B then
became the mirror for Player A’s movements
and expressions (1983, p. 60).
Living Legacies and Talent
Development
The jet ace study in the USAF
propelled Torrance into a lifelong study
of creativity with enduring impact, and
Spolin’s creative group play training at
Hull House ignited the first generation
of modern American improvisation.
Torrance became a prolific writer and
researcher who developed the Torrance
Tests of Creative Thinking, Future Problem
Solving Program, Incubation Model
of Teaching, and Torrance Center for
Creative Studies. After three decades of
teaching theater games, Spolin wrote
the seminal Improvisation for the Theater:
A Handbook of Teaching and Directing
Techniques (1963, 1983) and the Viola
Spolin Theater Game File (1975, 1989)
as a resource for classroom teachers.
Torrance’s multi-faceted career directly
impacted students, colleagues, and
friends; and his contributions indirectly
influence millions more throughout the
world (Kaufman & Baer, 2006). Spolin
Theater Games form an American art
genre widely used for workshops in
theaters and schools, and popularized
by The Second City in Chicago where
Spolin’s son, Paul Sills, served as the
original director. A long list of renowned
players associated with The Second
City includes Gilda Radner, Tina
Fey, Dan Aykroyd, and John Belushi
(The Second City, 2015).
Both Torrance and Spolin appreciated
creative playfulness, and they
created small groups in their teaching
with great success. Similarities between
the Four Ps of person, process, product,
and press (environment) in creativity
theory and the who, what, and where of
dramatic group play demonstrate the
universality of principles related to applied
creativity. Moreover, Torrance believed
that the best predictor of success
could be a person’s self-image and passion
for future work (Torrance, 1987).
The cornerstone works of Torrance’s jet
ace research and Spolin’s Theater Games
seem to validate this predictor and
underscore the importance of creativity
applied to daily living for everyone.
Sarah Nadler
Jack McDonell
Sarah Nadler
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