Seriously Platonic | Love Without Romance: Deepening Connections in Improv

Love is bigger than romance—and it belongs on the improv stage in all its forms. In this in-person workshop, we’ll explore how to show affection, care, and connection through grounded scene work that avoids romantic tropes. Using the Five Love Languages as a practical framework, along with the Eight Types of Love and Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, students will gain new ways to bring tenderness, intimacy, and joy into their scenes. This class highlights the beauty of non-romantic love, creating work that is heartfelt, funny, and deeply human.

Learning Goals

• Identify and express different kinds of love (friendship, family, community, mentorship, self-love) without defaulting to romance.
• Use the Five Love Languages as a toolkit for emotional choices that make scenes more authentic and dynamic.
• Strengthen confidence in creating grounded, emotionally connected scenes that balance playfulness with depth.

Course Layout and Design

• Pre-work: Students complete the Five Love Languages Quiz (link) to reflect on how they give and receive love.
• In-class structure: The workshop consists of unscripted activities, whole-group exercises, and small-scene work. Participants will explore love in different life contexts—family, friendships, milestones, mentorships, community—and practice translating those feelings into character relationships.
• Exploration tools: Alongside the Five Love Languages, students will work with the Eight Types of Love and Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love, applying these concepts to scenes for variety and nuance.
• Discussion & Reflection: After each activity, students will share insights with partners and the class, building awareness of how different people experience and express love.

Experience in Teaching: I have also done training with Theatrical Intimacy Education focusing on classroom consent as well as working with trans/nb performers.

What Makes This Workshop Special: Most improv training leans on romance as the shorthand for emotional connection. This workshop offers something different: practical, research-informed ways to explore love in its many non-romantic forms. Students will leave with tools for building deeper character relationships, scenes that resonate with audiences, and a richer understanding of how love—in all its shapes—can light up the stage.

About the instructor:
Karla Dingle has been performing since age five and holds a B.A. in Theater from the University of Georgia. She began studying improv in 2009 and has trained with The Second City, Hoopla, and The Groundlings. Based in Charlotte, NC, she serves as Education Director at Queen City Comedy and works as an Improv Director and Acting Instructor at a local studio. She performs regularly with Now Are the Foxes, Cul-de-Sac Improv, Close Distance Improv, and British American Experience.

An in-demand teacher and coach, Karla blends acting and improvisation to deepen performance skills. She has taught on six continents and been a guest instructor for festivals and organizations including Improv Fest Ireland, Impro Amsterdam, Highwire Improv, and the Bangalore Improv Community. She was a 2023 Theater IDA Artist-in-Residence in Zurich and a 2025 International Instructor for The Improv Boost’s Sudden Impact. Her students have booked film, TV, voiceover, and commercial work with brands such as Apple TV, Netflix, Amazon Prime, CBS, CVS, and Atrium Health.

About the Venue:

The Highwire Center is Highwire Improv's home base in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore! Part of Highlandtown Main Street and the Highlandtown Arts District, The Highwire Center is home to classes, free workshops, shows, community events, corporate training, and more! The Highwire Center is accessible, with ramp access available, an ADA restroom, and flat transit throughout the space.

About Highwire Improv:

Highwire Improv’s mission is to steward a community of artists committed to growth, collaboration, joy, and justice — in Baltimore and around the world — through improvisational theater.

Learn more at https://www.highwireimprov.com

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