IRL: Improv for Real Life

Have you been to awkward networking events or happy hours where you've had the same surface-level conversation over and over? Improv for Real Life is NOT that.

At IRL, you'll play games that will have you laughing and having meaningful conversations that will lay the groundwork for new friendships.

This experience is introvert-friendly, and there's zero pressure to be funny :)

Our improv game workshops focus on getting in touch with your silly side -- great for folks who want to make friends by laughing and playing games. Our storytelling workshops get deeper into vulnerable conversations for those who want more time to sink into facilitated conversations.

We all know we need friends. We lived through a pandemic where we experienced the alienating jolt of being cut off from in-person interaction. But just because we value friendship doesn’t mean it’s easy to foster, especially in a new city.

A third of Americans report that they don’t know any of their neighbors, and a nearly 90-year longitudinal study conducted at Harvard found that the quality of a person’s relationships is the number one factor that predicts whether someone will have a happy and healthy life, more than exercise, income, or sleep.

In this workshop, we’ll cut through the awkward, repetitive small talk and get right to the fun.

Beginners are enthusiastically encouraged to attend! Being "good at improv" is not the point of this -- think of improv as being a means to an end, where friendship is the end goal. While I firmly believe that everyone is inherently creative, you don’t need to identify as a “creative type” to get a lot out of this workshop.

As someone who’s moved to new cities several times, and as an introvert myself, I’ve experienced how challenging it can be to build a community from scratch.

In my 10+ years as a theatre educator and team building facilitator, I’ve learned a lot about how to help folks cut through the small talk and develop friendships that will last. In this workshop, you’ll join other folks who want to make friends IRL with people in their local community. I’ll lead you through exercises rooted in improv and personal storytelling that will help you find your people.

• Friday, September 12 from 6:30pm-8:30pm -- IMPROV FOCUS
• Tuesday, September 16 from 6:30pm-8:30pm -- STORYTELLING FOCUS (fewer improv games, more personal storytelling exercises to go deeper)
• Thursday, October 2 from 7pm-8:30pm -- STORYTELLING FOCUS
• Saturday, October 4 from 1:30pm-3:30pm -- IMPROV FOCUS
• Thursday, October 16 from 7pm-8:30pm -- IMPROV FOCUS
• Tuesday, October 21 from 7pm-9pm -- STORYTELLING FOCUS
• Thursday, October 30 from 7pm-9pm -- SPECIAL EVENT: How to Tell a Ghost Story
• Saturday, November 22 from 7pm-8:30pm -- IMPROV FOCUS

Improv for Real Life is hosted in partnership with University Heights Center, a vibrant community arts space in the U-District.

UHeights Center uses a keyless entry system that requires a security code to open the door. You will receive the door code via email a few days before your workshop.

Please note that we will be taking photos of this event that may be used in future marketing materials. If you want to participate but don't want your photo taken, just let our event organizers know when you arrive.

Host or Publisher Saya Jenks