Dreamland Improv: Lessons in Creativity, Flexibility, and Confidence
This is me, performing musical improv, in real life. I made up a chorus about “goo on the shoe” and that’s what we’re all looking at.
With an audience suggestion, we create a musical episode of ST:TNG, along with the pianist who is improvising alongside us. Everything is made up on the spot.
I recently had a dream where I stepped onto an immersive theater stage to perform Shakespeare, but I didn’t know my lines.
This is a classic stress dream. Everyone’s had one in some form or another. You’re at your old school and unprepared for a test. You show up to give a presentation and realize you’ve have no notes and don’t even know the topic. You show up somewhere important without your clothes.
My version was this: I was told by the stage manager that it was showtime and to enter the stage with two other actors. The stage was filled with other immersive actors, already in their roles, milling about, in character. They knew what to do; I had no idea. I go to places (where I was instructed to stand before the play started), and the other two actor, ones I was hoping to lean on, aren’t there. They never show up.
Stress, upon stress, laced with performance crisis.
Very “ack!”
It’s lights up and I walk out on to the stage, taking a beat to inhabit my character. She is high status, she is high born, she is… Queen Macbeth! (NB: I’ve never performed Shakespeare, and have seen Macbeth once or twice on Broadway so there’s no way I know this text by heart.)
What I’m doing is readily accepted by the other actors who are playing on stage with me. Not only am I saying lines, that are being accepted as the real lines, I am singing them, being joined by others. Several times, I singing my lines in rhyming couplets—and the rest of the cast responds in kind.
I woke in wonderment at this improvised play and also feeling deeply validated by my 13 years of performing improv; even in my dream life, improv supports me.
***
This dream captures a few key lessons from improvisation that you can use (even without studying for years, although that would help!):
1. Step Into the Moment, Even When You’re Unprepared
Improvisation is all about showing up, even without a script. When stress or uncertainty arises in your own life—whether it’s a presentation, meeting, or writing task—pause, take a breath, and inhabit the role or task fully. Action: Next time you feel unprepared, try saying or writing the first thing that comes to mind without editing—it often leads to surprising clarity and creativity.
2. Embrace Collaboration and Feedback
In my dream, other actors joined in seamlessly, validating the choices I made on the spot. Real-life improvisation and collaboration thrive when we listen, respond, and build on what others offer. Action: In your next project or group task, intentionally “yes, and…” someone else’s idea—expand on it.
3. Use Play and Creativity to Reframe Stress
Singing rhyming lines as Queen Macbeth turned a high-pressure scenario into a joyful, creative experience. Stress doesn’t have to be paralyzing; it can be an entry point for experimentation and growth. Action: When you feel anxious or blocked, try adding a playful or creative twist—sing, doodle, free-write, or move—and notice how it shifts your mindset.
By embracing improvisation, even in moments of stress or uncertainty, you can unlock creativity, confidence, and flexibility that carry into every part of your personal and professional life.