Family Improv

"Success now belongs to people who can improvise. No one I know can show us how to do it better than Vince Ricci."

– Bryant Welch, J.D., Ph.D., author of State of Confusion: Political Manipulation and the Assault on the American Mind, St. Martin's Press, 2008, 2018.

VincePrep turned 15 in 2022

To celebrate, I am launching Online improv for families as a Zoom course to help develop skills for a changing world.

After the pandemic, we're coming back to life.
This class will help you connect with your family and others.
Join us online to develop spontaneity, flexibility, cooperation, and social-emotional risk-taking.
Taught by a coach experienced in creating a safe, comfortable environment, this course will stretch your boundaries as you explore improv's life lessons and have a great time.

This class will help you build the skills to

Think on your feet
Maintain presence under pressure
Build collaboration and teamwork
Present ideas with confidence
Manage the unexpected
Listen and share control
Make your partner look good

Course Summary

This class is an adult-level introduction to the fundamental principles of improvising.

Average Class Size

I have taught improv to hundreds at once, but I much prefer 6-10 folks. Let's aim for that :)

Schedule

I can set up a course to meet your schedule and budget
On Mon, Tue, Wed, Sat, and Sun I am often available from
- 10 am to 2 pm Tokyo time
Once daylight savings time ends in November, that translates to
- 5 pm to 9 pm California time on Sun, Mon, Tue, Fri, and Sat
Please use the contact form at the bottom of this email
- or email vince @ vinceprep DOT com

Tentative Weekly Outline

Class #1: Names, Spontaneity, Giving and Receiving
Class #2: Saying YES! No Blocking
Class #3: Cooperation: Sharing Control
Class #4: Telling Stories Together: Narrative
Class #5: Final Class: Favorite Games and Theatresports

Tuition

299 USD per person
Group discounts available

REQUIRED READING

Madson, Patricia Ryan. Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up, NY, Bell Tower Books, Random House, 2005.

“Improv can give us confidence and wings to fly. Come and learn to play games that provide laughter and new ways of seeing the world. I have known Vince Ricci for over 30 years. He is one of the top teachers of this work/play. I recommend his workshop.” – Patricia Ryan Madson, Improv Wisdom author and founder, Stanford Improvisors

"We loved the ability to learn how to be confident with others over a video call and how to have fun and engage even more. In challenging times like this, it is great for kids to learn to engage with other students and teachers on a video call. And we think it will be useful on many different occasions in this age of distance learning." – Parent of Online Improv Participant

"Our family (mom, dad, 10-year-old daughter) had fun playing games and creating stories together. Having Vince as a coach helped us get outside our regular family dynamics. We listened to each other more deeply than circumstances sometimes allow. Then, we built on each person's suggestion to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Most of all, we simply laughed a lot together. In this age of digital entertainment and smartphone addiction, it felt great to put down everything and play silly games together. We look forward to joining another class with Vince soon. We highly recommend this experience for you and your family." – Parent who joined with her family during the pandemic

ABOUT VINCE

A graduate of Stanford (B.A. 92) and NYU (M.A. 01), Vince is a lifelong educator, long-time improviser, cross-cultural communications trainer, and leadership coach. While at Stanford, Vince served as the founding Education Director of The Stanford Improvisors under the guidance of Patricia Ryan Madson. In January 2023, he will serve as her T.A. for her Stanford Continuing Studies course. An Oakland, CA native, Vince has been living in Tokyo, Japan, since 2002. He is married to a Japanese national and has a 17-year-old son.