I attended The Players Workshop of The Second City Reunion yesterday. Before the fabled Second City had a training center, The Players Workshop is where you went to learn improvisation. George Wendt, Bill Murray, Steve Carell, Shelley Long, Bonnie Hunt, and many early comedy stars that came out of Chicago got their start there. Jo had assisted the legendary Viola Spolin in the early days and Paul Sills, Viola’s son, trained Josephine in improvisation — converting her from a Shakespearean actress. Jo was among the early members of The Second City, along with countless other well-knowns, including Del Close, David Shepherd, Ed Asner, Mike Nichols and Elaine May, et al. With a manner much like her mentor Viola Spolin, Jo was like the “uber-mother of improvisation” to generations of grateful mentees. Yesterday I was once again among many of them as The Players Workshop is about to be relaunched. I was reminded by more than several alumni at the gathering who had similar moments of conversion with Josephine — moments that “changed our lives forever”. It would typically go something like Jo saying to a player on stage (like me, and I paraphrase): “STOP! (halting the scene in progress) Get out of your head! Stop trying to be funny! Comedians tell jokes. Improvisers discover what’s in the room and in the situation and in the relationship — and that is what is interesting and amusing to the audience.” I know that moment changed my life. The next scene I did was slow, subtle, deliberate, organic, poignant AND funny. BREAKTHROUGH! I had found my way. And now I know that many other of Josephine’s proteges had the same experience. Big picture — improvisation is more than entertainment, it is a life skill. And it truly changes your life. There should soon be a video of Josephine expounding on her philosophy of improvisation on the Players Worksop website. For more information on the reborn Players Workshop, find it here: playersworkshoponline.com #improvisation #creativity #art #selfknowledge #humor