My son has a growing brain. I have an aging brain. And we both found a warm, inclusive community for our wonderful, silly, complex brains at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater.
My tween son, Hudson, has attended several improv and comedy camps at Stomping Ground, and I’ve been enjoying their various improv classes for adults. Together, we’ve discovered that learning at Stomping Ground is beneficial and a lot of fun for brains, both young and not so young anymore.
Hudson uses the skills he’s developed through improv camps in his social and academic spheres. He has learned to listen and think on his feet—skills he can use in the middle school cafeteria, at the science fair, and one day in a corporate boardroom.
Hudson’s brain is rapidly growing, and improv is building thousands of pathways and connections to serve him well past his time on the stage. Scientists call these brain wrinkles. Ever heard the phrase, “What fires together, wires together?” When people use their brains, neurons fire, and using them in a certain way develops neural pathways that make those ways of thinking more habitual. When Hudson uses his brain to do improv regularly, he’s developing the neural pathways for creativity, thinking on his feet, and working with others. He has learned to quickly identify connections in abstract ideas, irony in life situations, and relationship emotions and patterns. Like so many young people, Hudson converses through a keyboard, which means he can always edit before sending. Through improv, he gets to try out a completely different way of communicating.
While he’s developing his brain wrinkles, I’m gaining face wrinkles. There’s no denying it. I’m aging, and so is my brain. I also have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, so for me, it’s a routine regimen of botox for the face and improv for the brain. Some research indicates that both staying social and staying mentally active possibly reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and improv actually offers the opportunity to do both! While taking classes at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater, I get to spend time with my classmates and take part in the theater community, and nothing keeps the brain stimulated like both learning a new skill and making up scenes on the spot. My aging brain has well-worn pathways and connections that weekly improv helps to disrupt. Decades of experience in my brain goes out the window when I’m pretending to be a parrot in an argument with my cousin. I can’t rely on the old pathways. I have to think on my feet. When I leave my improv class, I feel like my brain has finished an intense but fun workout.
I also love that Stomping Ground provides Improv for Caregivers as part of their Improv for Life program. People caring for loved ones with dementia face a lot of stress and social isolation. Improv for Caregivers provides them with a space to have fun, find support, and learn new communication skills that come in handy when spending time with someone they love who is experiencing cognitive decline.
What Hudson and I have learned through our time at Stomping Ground is that everyone can benefit from improv. That’s why Stomping Ground Comedy Theater made it their mission to connect the community through comedy, and that’s why I’m supporting them this North Texas Giving Day. Donating to Stomping Ground during North Texas Giving Day creates community through art and laughter. Your support ensures that Stomping Ground can continue to provide Diversity and Accessibility Scholarships so that no one has to miss out on the benefits of improv. You’ll keep our Improv for Caregivers pay-what-you-can, making this invaluable support available to anyone who needs it. And you’ll help foster a community where anyone can find their voice, develop their brain, unlock their playful side, and create connections for a longer, healthier life.
Because whether you’re gaining wrinkles in your brain or on your face, improv can support your extraordinary, silly, complex brain…or at least give you an excuse to pretend to be a parrot.
Sydni Kahle
Improv Student & Parent