Rapid Prototyping Heroic Improvisation Workshop with Social Science Instincts!

My theater improv collaborator  -- Gabe Mercado -- has a hidden talent!  He has good social science instincts.  This has been a boon to our collaboration to rapidly prototype the Heroic Improvisation Workshop.

First, as a disaster-prone country of earthquakes, typhoons, floods, landslide and vocanic eruptions, Filapinos bring a true desire to help fellow citizens in these situations.  It has been inspiring to see the passion and committment my collaborators have brought to this work.

Second,  he made sure that our pilot workshops had six experienced, best-practice trainers attend as participants and observers.  (Some came twice!)  Since the Philippines is the 3rd largest English speaking country (!), there are a lot of call centers here and the need for training is high.  And these trainers are good!  The trainers in the room helped us rapidly prototype the workshop.  The major tune-up was to connect the exercises directly to disaster attitudes.

Third, Gabe has sought out diverse participants (age, performance experience, gender) for each of our workshop runs.  

Fourth, Gabe is seeking diverse groups to experience the workshop.  We will roll the workshop to emergency workers, airline crews, special education teachers, along with the recent survivors of Typhoon Haiyan at the end of the month.  

Here are the ahas! we found so far:

Heroic Improvisation Process Works:  All participants have experience the concepts through the theater improvisation games.  The joy is the heroic improvisation process works and is validated in the US and Philippines.

Fun Together Fuels the Learning:  Disasters are intense experiences.  Learning about disaster response through fun motivates that learning.  Although experiencing uncertainity, participants learn they can "make things up as they go along".  This is a powerful experience.  It seems to open other possibilities and choices for participants when they think of themselves individually and working in a group during a crisis.

Disaster Simulation is the Text:  Each group and individual find their own lessons and learning through being in the imagined crisis situation as individuals and a group.  Just 5 minutes of an imagined crisis is a rich experience to explore over the three-hour workshop.

Responding to the Unimaginable with Action:  The workshops meet a critical gap for what citizens worry about when thinking about disaster -- How will I respond?  Disaster knowledge and skills are only useful if the person is not too freaked out to move into action.  Since the workshop gives us the experience of   chaos and confusion, the participants learn to work though fear together and practice quick action.

Working Together Can Help Us Be Heroic Together:  Our human instinct is our individual "survival of the fittest".  The workshop pushes participants to work together and they like what they learn and see together.