Oops,...Ouch: Responding to Unexpected Moments of Harm

We’ve all witnessed a moment where something harmful has happened in a scene. It might have come from another teammate, or you may have said it yourself—and the tension, embarrassment, or discomfort continues to hang in the air. Whether you are a student, a seasoned performer, a teacher, or a coach, having the tools to handle these situations can make all the difference in fostering a community of trust.

This workshop normalizes these hard moments of improv comedy that come from playing in the unplanned and unexpected. We will focus on strategies for responding to our lizard brains. You’ll get the opportunity to practice different responses that can train you to change your behavior over time. So the next time an oops happens, you can begin to normalize recognizing and naming the ouch at the moment.

About Your Instructor:

Mary C. Parker (she/her) is an experienced improviser and educator. With over a decade of improv experience across Pittsburgh, London, Portland, and Seattle, she has performed at major comedy festivals in Edinburgh, Pittsburgh, and Richmond, and is a cast member at CSz Seattle and Bandit Theater. Mary has taught at Kickstand Comedy, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama, and Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts. As Education Lead at Bandit Theater, she runs improv and sketch programs and supports improv educators. She has published on identity, comedy, and structural racism, and performed research on how student dramaturgy, writing, and performance can have an oppressive impact on Black students. Offstage, Mary is a reality-show junkie and mac-and-cheese aficionado who fervently believes that not all mac and cheese is created equal. More at www.marycparker.com.

About Highwire Improv:

Highwire Improv is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization based in Baltimore, Maryland. Our mission is to steward a community of artists committed to growth, collaboration, joy, and justice — in Baltimore and around the world — through improvisational theater.

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