Improv can be magical

I’ve always loved watching magic shows. The larger-than-life characters many magicians embody, the spectacle of grand illusions, the timing and speed of close-up work—and more than anything, the storytelling. Penn & Teller have been my favorites for as long as I can remember. As performers they’re captivating and playful; as people they’re true students of their craft. I especially love when they explain how a trick works and then still manage to blow your mind when they perform it.

Even though I know these are carefully designed, built, and endlessly practiced illusions, I love being surprised and left wondering, “How did they pull that off?”

I often compare improv to magic for that very reason. My goal as a performer is to leave the audience amazed and asking the same question. Like magicians, we design our shows, create our forms, refine our games, and practice—lots of practice. But unlike magic, we don’t know the outcome ahead of time. Everything is created in the moment.

That doesn’t mean we’re without a few tricks up our sleeves. We’ve worked on the fundamentals: listening, accepting, and collaborating. We’ve practiced what makes a show compelling: building strong characters and relationships, engaging the audience, telling a story. And we usually know our teammates—their strengths, talents, and perspectives. So, when something onstage feels like magic, it’s really the result of all the work put in beforehand.

And that’s where the skills honed through improvisation make an impact far beyond the stage:

• A team that knows and supports each other is stronger.

• A team that communicates and collaborates finds better solutions.

• A team that prepares well anticipates questions and next steps.

If you’re curious how improv can help your team connect, communicate, and collaborate more effectively, explore what we do at Engage Unscripted. You just might pull a rabbit out of your hat.