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| You think interpreting is scary? Try live theater. |
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| The chocolate with the company logo. |
After having taken
speech therapy classes to work on my voice for a year, I wanted to continue
working on something that was somewhat related to interpreting. I love going to
the theater and sometimes attend improv theater events. Just recently, I
mentioned to my significant other that I would love to try improv theater, but
not on an actual stage. A few days later, I learned that one of my favorite
small theaters in Vienna offered a semester improv theater course. Bingo! In seven three-hour sessions spread out over
three months, we have been learning the basic techniques of improv theater. And
I love it! It starts with awareness-building techniques and interacting with
others, because improv theater is all about that: receiving and giving
impulses to your fellow wannabe actresses and actors. The warm-up usually
includes fun exercises that combine quick thinking with creativity, for example
coming up with as many words as possible related to a word or concept. As
interpreters, we are all used to high-speed thinking, but I wanted to take my
spontaneity and on-the-spot wit to the next level, and improv theater is doing
just that for me. Another plus is that it’s a class full of accessible and
highly likeable people who share my passion for theater. And when we all got the munchies during a break, I figured I'd share a
few of my brand-new company-logo chocolates, which I always keep handy in my purse. After all, you never know where your next client will come from.
What about you, dear colleagues? Have you taken a beyond-the-traditional professional development course that you have really enjoyed? We'd love to hear about it!
3 comments:
First of all, congratulations on your new business! I love the idea with the chocolates.
I had never thought of improv theatre as a means of developing interpreting skills, but it sounds absolutely brilliant. And I imagine it is fun as well.
I bet there really is a lot of quick thinking involved in that. And it must be great fun once you "get in the flow" and all that.
@Alina: Thanks so much! The European side of our business, Texterei, just turned 10, so it has actually been around quite a while. I are pretty fond of the chocolates, too. Yes, improv is fun, but exhausting and mentally challenging -- just like interpreting.
@EP: Exactly, it's all about thinking on your feet and reacting quickly. :)
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