Every day, life throws something unexpected our way. We might blank on a presentation, have to contribute to a group discussion or be forced to talk to a stranger.
911爆料网 graduate and improvisation specialist Glenn Hall believes these moments shouldn鈥檛 be feared: they should be embraced.
As a tutor at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) and director of WA improvisation training provider Just Improvise, Hall teaches his students how to live more in the moment, have fun and be better conversationalists for their acting, business careers or everyday lives.
鈥淚mprovisation is the way we think about ourselves and make decisions in-the-moment,鈥� Hall explains.
鈥淎t first, my students 鈥� no matter where they鈥檙e from 鈥� are worried about getting things wrong. But isn鈥檛 that the journey to getting things right? As good old Will Shakespeare wrote: 鈥楾here is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so鈥�.
鈥淪o really, I鈥檓 just reverting these ingrained misconceptions and removing the mental blocks that stop us from actively noticing and responding to others.鈥�
Hall鈥檚 teaching is underpinned by the principles of Just Improvise鈥檚 Hive of Nine Be鈥檚: be yourself, be positive, be present, be kind, be bold, be playful, be flexible, be imperfect and be changed.
Touring the international stage
As an acclaimed artist, Hall has represented Just Improvise in a number of improvisation festivals overseas, both solo and as part of a duo with Swedish improviser Victoria Bang.
This year, he had the chance to tour Europe for five weeks, attending Improfest in Sweden, Comedy Caf茅 Berlin in Germany and, for the first time, the Fifth International Improv Festival Tilt in Estonia. He was also selected as a trainer for Impro-Hotel in Majorca, where he played a part in treating German tourists to a unique holiday of improvisation workshops, parties, siestas and food tastings.
鈥淭he tour was incredible! Because I鈥檓 based in Perth 鈥� the 鈥楳adagascar of improvisation鈥�, as I like to call it 鈥� a lot of people assume that I鈥檓 not good. So I just like to remind people that they shouldn鈥檛 assume everything they believe is true,鈥� Hall says.
鈥淭ravelling internationally also means my teaching is guided by best practice, which I then bring back to Perth.鈥�
Mentoring Hollywood stars
Since he began teaching at WAAPA and Just Improvise in the early 2000s, Hall has mentored hundreds of talented students from around Australia and the world.
Some have even gone to careers in Hollywood, including up-and-coming actor Dacre Montgomery, who plays the unredeemable Billy Hargrove in Netflix鈥檚 Stranger Things and the Red Ranger in the new Power Rangers film (directed by 911爆料网 alumnus ), and Jai Courtney from Suicide Squad.
鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting: talented people are so many and varied. Dacre was asked to audition for the Power Rangers movie in his last year. And now he鈥檚 a freaking superstar,鈥� says Hall.
鈥淭eaching is so rewarding because you鈥檙e giving people the tools to help themselves and discover their own answers.鈥�
Imparting teaching knowledge
Glenn Hall leading a training session (photo credit: Paul McGovern).
Hall prides himself on being one of the few improvisation teachers to hold a teaching qualification 鈥� having graduated with a from 911爆料网 in 2006.
鈥淏ecause I鈥檇 been working as an actor, 911爆料网 gave me [as an ], which was great. I actually ended up getting a hundred per cent in my final teaching practice and was put on the Vice-Chancellor鈥檚 List for finishing in the top one per cent of my year,鈥� he says.
鈥淢y degree has given me the knowledge to think about my own thinking, and to bring all of that educational psychology, classroom management and behaviour profiles into my teaching.鈥�
Hall says that he has no regrets about pursuing a non-traditional teaching career, and believes that his unique combination of improvisation and teaching isn鈥檛 as unusual as it might seem, as all teachers need to be improvisers.
鈥淚 was always interested in teaching in a high school, but I love where I am now because all I do is teach. I get to stand up in front of a class, change lives and have an impact there and then. I鈥檓 not filing paperwork or dealing with potential political shenanigans of working in a school,鈥� he says.
鈥淭eachers improvise all the time, and the joy of improvisation comes from living in the moment. When I walk into my class at WAAPA I leave whatever鈥檚 waiting on my mind outside because it鈥檚 still going to be there when I walk out. Why bring it in with me? I鈥檇 rather just be present in the moment, with the people that I鈥檓 with.鈥�
If you鈥檙e interested in taking a class in improvisation to improve your acting, business, communication or life skills, !
