Failing Together: How Improv Theater Strengthens Communities and Helps Us Meet Our Need to Belong

This thesis uses the writing template of longform journalism to focus on the political implications of improvisational theater as a means to learn how to navigate emotionally heightened or difficult conversations, build community, and create a sense of belonging. These experiences manifest due to the inherent expectation of vulnerability and trust in other improvisers. Thus, I will analyze the tenets of improvisational theater and relate them to different psychological theories that intersect with the need to belong. Through interviews, I will explore the communicative practices within an improv classroom/during performances. Then, I will argue that the interactions being had in an improv space teach social skills that help with uncertainty tolerance, mental flexibility, and subsequently create a positive impact on one's self-esteem and ability to interact with others.