Last year my husband decided to take an improv acting class. I knew this class would be good for me too because of how seldom I do anything unexpected. I rationalize my daily time expenditures. I give myself time-outs to plan disciplinary consequences. It was time for me to leap, and we both leaped into improv.

One tenet of improv is "Yes! and..." That means that if your scene partner suggests you raise rabbits in your kitchen, you say something like, "Yes! and... I'll plant a carrot garden in the bathtub." It doesn't have to make sense. It's just a practice of accepting what pops up and adding details your partner can use to build the scene. Playing with this principle has proved to the logical Traci that amazing things appear without planning. Entire relationships, histories, emotions, huge laughs and drama. In improv class I've let myself be just weird, loud and spontaneous, and how freeing it's been!

My husband and I are still taking improv classes. We love our player-friends. We still get a little nervous as we drive to the practice theatre every Saturday afternoon. But this thing is so huge for our personal growth that we feel compelled to keep at it. So maybe improvisation could shift your way of thinking-- and your life? I strongly urge everyone to try it.

In Tucson, check out Tucson Improv Movement and Unscrewed Theatre. They have weekly shows and classes for everyone. If you live anywhere else in the world, just look up improv, and you'll see it's already all around you!

Yes, and!