IMPROV WISDOM for a MEANINGFUL LIFE
A Playful Path to Courage, Creativity, and Connection
Black Mountain Retreat Center, Cazadero, CA * Fri-Mon, Aug 22nd-25th, 2014
Enrollment limited to approx. 14 participants
In the long history of humankind (and animal kind) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed. –Charles Darwin
Growing numbers know that improvisation offers far more than comedy. Improv cultivates a different presence, the kind that forges courage, fosters connection, and frees creativity. In short: improv enriches the human experience. Creating in the moment, artists and athletes build resilience in the face of setbacks. Business leaders learn to innovate with nimble acuity. Educators find powerful paths for true development. And seekers of all sorts discover previously hidden layers of insight. This active and contemplative workshop explores such wisdom from the inside out. Together, we’ll create a safe, playful, and experiential learning lab that sharpens self-awareness and revitalizes relationship with the wider world. More specifically, we’ll help you:
- Find and express greater spontaneity
- Transform your approach to failure
- Increase your sensory acuity and in-the-moment awareness
- Trust your creative leanings
- Improve your communication: better listening, clearer speaking, deeper understanding
- Reach new levels of generosity
- Collaborate with greater ease
- Get resourceful in the face of chaos
- Tell better stories
Steeping myself in these principles for peaceful, playful living has been a true gift. Thank you. –Kathy R. Ted and Lisa are awesome teachers! Patient, kind, and fun; they brought out a sparkle in all of us. –Jen C. This workshop was everything I hoped for and much more. You created a safe environment for us to play and did so many things to foster our creativity. –Eric H.
Prerequisites This workshop is designed for those with little or no prior experience with improvisational theater. Those with more substantial improv chops who are just beginning to tap its deeper levels may also find the workshop fruitful. No particular religious or spiritual path is required, but those with an inquiring heart and open mind will gain the most from and contribute the most to the experience. About the Instructors 
Since completing his graduate work at Stanford (MBA) and Harvard (Masters of Theology), Ted DesMaisons has taught religious studies and philosophy at Northfield Mount Hermon school in western Massachusetts. He has studied improvisation with Patricia Ryan Madson, Bay Area Theater Sports (BATS) and Loose Moose, and has trained extensively with the Center for Courage and Renewal. Combining humor with gravitas and intention with inspiration, Ted helps create safe spaces for exploring what really matters. He writes regularly about improv, contemplation, and positive reinforcement on his TED WORDS blog (www.tedwordsblog.com). 
One of the most recognizable and most beloved teachers of improvisation in the world, Lisa Rowland has performed, coached, and conducted corporate trainings with San Francisco’s BATS mainstage company for more than seven years. Students from Palo Alto and the Presidio to Amsterdam and Arabia rave about the way she combines power and generosity in the service of their learning. A graduate of Stanford University and an uncannily astute observer of what’s needed next, Lisa was recently named the 2012 San Francisco Actor of the Year. Location and Accommodations
Black Mountain Retreat Center from the air.
This retreat takes place at the Black Mountain Retreat Center in the glorious redwoods of Sonoma County, two hours north of San Francisco or Berkeley. The Center’s rolling coastal hills and meditative spaces will make an idyllic setting for our time together. The Sonoma Coast waits just a half hour away. We will share three delicious vegetarian meals each day and guests will stay two to a room in simple, clean accommodations. For more information about the setting, please visit the Center’s web site: http://www.blackmountaincenter.com.
Accommodations at the Tara House.
Cost $700 per person. Includes all program fees, three nights lodging, and three meals per day. Full payment due upon registration, though other arrangements can be negotiated as needed. Payment refundable (minus $25 processing charge) if the workshop is full and you or we are able to find a replacement. $50 discount for any referral who attends the workshop.
Registration/Contact Us If you would like to register, please fill out this form online (Click on the words “this form” to go to the form). If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact either facilitator. We’d be delighted to talk with you!
Ted DesMaisons: teddyd@stanfordalumni.org Lisa Rowland: lcrowland@gmail.com
The Sonoma Coast ,30 minutes from the retreat center.
Who am I here in this moment? What choice is needed now?
How can I help those around me?
How does this story connect me to something larger or deeper?
