Unravel Improv that shows us how to listen

Dear Kaivalya Plays,

Congratulations on a fine, heartful attempt at showing us what improv theatre can do for our mental health. The matinee show of Unravel that I attended was about two hours long, with one hour of improv games from behind the fourth wall, and 45 minutes of performance to us, and with our interaction. There were 53 of us in the audience, eight of you in the cast, and four in the crew.  Fittingly, you were the first to perform at LTG Auditorium’s cosy new space.

You wanted to show, and not tell us what improv can do for mental health. You showed us improv games, and you told us your stories. That felt choppy. Like you wanted to keep it light and real simultaneously. I don’t know if your audience left feeling inspired or equipped enough to transfer the lessons from those games into their lives. That’s why I wish you had used the performance space to show us how improv helped you, changed your lives. You, who found yourself bawling 15 minutes into your first therapy session, and you, who watched his father slip into depressive episodes thrice. Hearing your stories made me feel frustration, resonance, sadness and a sense of incompleteness.

Aqseer

Full piece on The Health Collective’s website, here.

Feature Image Courtesy: Kaivalya Plays

Book an appointment with me at sodhiaqseer@gmail.com. More on psychotherapy with me here.