Over the weekend I caught the film Trust Us, This Is All Made Up on the Documentary Channel. Following Chicago improvisers David Pasquesi and T.J. Jagodowski, the film unpacks the partnership "mind-meld" that occurs between two men creating live comedy on the fly.
(Full disclosure: I worked with Jagodowski years ago at Second City, but happened upon this film completely by chance).
Any leadership team - particularly pioneering tribes constantly creating new material (pastors!) - would benefit from not only the improvised performance in the film, but also the behind-the-scenes moments at the very beginning.
David and T.J. perform via absolute trust in one another - a hallmark of improvised comedy. You have to trust your partner when there is no script.
Trust is a constant dance between two supporting partners, inviting the mind to revert to preschool playtime as adults. That is where great comedy naturally flows from.
The two continually work at getting into each other's minds, trying to understand how each other thinks so as to anticipate and develop deeper trust when on stage.
For example, they take a day to observe NYC, spontaneously verbalizing whatever flows through their mind at that moment. This helps the other partner better understand his train of thought, which translates to greater trust and creative anticipation later on stage. Fascinating.
Highly recommend this film for creative teams.
Plus it reinforces my theory that Introverts Make Great Communicators.
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