Improv in Real Life

How do stories help us process change? In this episode, Jude speaks with Kenn Adams, creator of the Story Spine, about how stories can reveal deeper truths about ourselves. Together, they explore how storytelling and improv aren't just tools for communication, but ways to reflect, connect, and move forward. *Connect with Kenn - Synergy Theater, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. Upcoming shows: Improvised Noir: Unscripted Theater, So Funny it's a Crime! At Feinstein's at the Nikko in San Francisco Improvised Clue: An Unscripted Murder Mystery based on the Cult-Classic Film! At the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek Study about morbid curosity: Pandemic practice: Horror fans and morbidly curious individuals are more psychologically resilient during the COVID 10 pandemic, Personality and Individual Differences, January 2021 This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

Who holds the power in a room and what does that do to your voice? In this episode, Jude speaks with applied improv pioneer Kat Koppett about the subtle (and not so subtle) power dynamics that shape careers, relationships, and identity. They examine how power can silence, distort, or transform and how to wield it with the help of improv. *Connect with Kat - Website, Mopco Improv Theatre, Training to Imagine, LinkedIn This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

Taking risks is uncomfortable, especially in environments where playing it safe feels smarter. In this episode, Jude speaks with applied improviser Ed Reggi about how practicing creative risk in low stakes games, especially in the classroom, helps us build confidence and resiliency. *Connect with Ed: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

Why do we shut down the people we love most? In this episode, Jude speaks with improv performer and educator Rachel Rosenthal about how improv teaches us to really listen in our relationships, fostering collaboration as opposed to critique. Together they explore how "yes, and" creates lasting connection with the people closest to us. *Connect with Rachel - Website, Love Shakespeare, Kickstand Comedy, LinkedIn Upcoming shows: Cliffbanger Musical Improv - Feb 7 and Feb 14th Love Shakespeare - March 9 This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

What if it's not failure we're afraid of, but what failure says about us? In this episode, Jude speaks with therapist and improviser Salma Soliman, who shares how playful risk-taking can loosen the grip of fear and open us up to real, lasting change. *Connect with Salma - Brave You Therapy, Instagram, LinkedIn This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

What do working artists know that the rest of us need to learn? In this episode, Jude speaks with Peter Michael Marino, creator of Show Up Kids, about the improvisational mindset that builds resilience, activates resourceful creativity, and leaves us open to receiving. *Connect with Peter - Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, "Show Up, Kids!" Interactive Family Comedy for 3-10 year olds at ShapeShifter in Park Slope / Brooklyn, NY. Every Saturday in February. Info at: showup-theshow.com This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

In this special holiday episode, Jude shares a true story about her first December in New York, a season of struggle, heartbreak, and unexpected magic. What unfolds is a series of unpredictable moments that remind us: life can throw us curveballs, but if we accept what's offered, the surprises can be beautiful. This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

What do you do when staying silent protects the relationship, but speaking up protects your truth? In this episode, Jude speaks with Kathy Klotz-Guest of Keeping It Human to explore how improv helps us navigate the tension between authenticity and harmony. They unpack the practice of truth-telling without burning bridges, and how conflict leads to deeper understanding. *Connect with Kathy - Keeping It Human, LinkedIn, Instagram This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

Empathy thrives when we meet each other in our imperfections. In this episode, Jude speaks with Louis Kornfeld of Kornfeld and Andrews, about how improv comedy reveals the flaws in human behavior, which helps us see ourselves more clearly with humor and compassion. *Connect with Louis - Kornfeld & Andrews Show, Kornfeld & Andrews Podcast, The Truth Podcast, LinkedIn This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn

What if the best way to prepare kids for an unpredictable future is to teach them how to improvise? In this episode, Jude speaks with Beth Hagenlocker, Executive Director of the Detroit Creativity Project. By bringing improv into schools, their organization helps teens grow more imaginative and emotionally resilient, all while discovering themselves in a space built for creativity and connection. *Connect with Beth - Detroit Creativity Project, Instagram, YouTube To learn more about these concepts, check out: Improv Training as a School-Based Mental Health Intervention Improv experience promotes divergent thinking, uncertainty tolerance, and affective well-being This podcast is brought to you by Lifestage. Lifestage designs and facilitates experiential workshops, classes, and presentations for professional and personal development. For more information, visit lifestage.me. *Connect with Jude - Substack, Instagram, LinkedIn