Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Blubaugh.
Hi Carrie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have been a physical therapist for 32 years. The last 25 I have worked with the older adult population in long term care facilities, skilled nursing rehab, memory care and senior living communities with assisted and independent living residents.
For the past 12 years I have been performing improvisational comedy in Kansas City. I took my first classes through The KC Improv Company in Westport. Now I am performing most regularly at The Bird Comedy Theater in the Crossroads. I performed for 5 years with an all-female trio improv group, Variety Cups. We performed in the Omaha Improv Festival and in NYC for the Del Close Improv Marathon.
I am currently performing with two improv groups; Resting Friendly Face, a female duo troupe with fellow improvisor and improv coach/teacher, Jill Gillepsie, and, Explosive Group Chat who is nominated for Best Improv/Sketch Troupe for The Pitch Best of KC 2024.
This year I have performed, as well as taught an improv workshop, with Improv SpringBoard, whose mission is to promote female and non-binary improvisors.
In the past few years, I have also started performing Playback Theater with Emily Bartlett and Playback KC. a type of improvisational theater where audience members share personal stories and watch them enacted in real time. This summer we performed during the KC Fringe Festival and won Audience Favorite for Whim Space.
After my first improv class, I declared I was not a quitter…..and I would definitely not be taking any more classes after I completed the 8 week level I class. And I certainly would not be participating in the student showcase. My experience obviously changed quickly.
Improv is based on the principle of Yes, And. You accept the reality that is presented to you and then add to it to create a wonderful new, fun reality together. Improv requires active listening to your scene partners and providing radical support so you can create something magical.
One of the many reasons I fell in love with improv is because it mirrored so many of my spiritual practices and core values and beliefs; being present in the moment, mindfulness, non-judgement, accepting the reality of what is in life, deep listening, compassion and empathy to deepen understanding, acceptance and radical support, and being authentically vulnerable.
Although I have always had strong communication skills, I could see how learning and performing improv was deepening my listening and improving my conversations and connections with my family, friends and my patients.
Last year with the marriage of two of my passions and areas of expertise, I started teaching improv classes, with a more therapeutic application of improv, to older adults in assisted living and independent senior living communities and my business, Act Your Age Improv was born. We play improv games and create collaborative storytelling that improves communication, memory, listening and cognition.
The classes have been very successful and incredibly well received. We laugh a lot. And have very meaningful conversations and connections. The feedback from the participants is incredibly positive and much more far reaching than one would expect from “just” an improv class.
I taught a 9-week beginning improv class this summer through Johnson County Parks and Recreation 50+ program. This class structure was based on traditional improv classes with more of a true performance goal. We had a wonderful response to a drop-in class we offered to introduce people to improv, with so many people signing up that we had to create an additional class. The end of the class culminated with a student showcase for the students to perform what they had learned in front of friends and family. It was a huge success and so much fun for the students and audience. I will be teaching another level I/beginning class in the spring. And our level I class will advance to level 2 in the spring also.
The mental, emotional and physical health benefits of laughter and play are well researched and documented. Physically they boost immunity, lower stress hormones, decrease pain, support a healthy heart, and decrease inflammation. Mentally, laughter and play reduce stress, relieves anxiety and depression, improves mood, improves memory, improves sleep quality. And emotionally, play and laughter strengthen relationships, ease social anxiety and establishes strong social connections. Those are all great benefits, and the one that I think is maybe most important for the older population is how it supports social connections. The health benefits of strong social connections are quite remarkable, including a 50% increased longevity.
Improv has many other researched benefits that are beneficial for older adults: improved listening, empathy, adaptability and flexibility, increased trust, support, spontaneity, It enhances communication skills by activating language and creativity centers in the brain and promotes memory skills. Improv helps decrease stress, anxiety and uncertainty intolerance and it increases confidence and problem solving.
A few years ago, I learned about the concept of applied improv, the application of improvisational theatrical methods in various non-theatrical fields. And more specifically, medical improv. Medical improv is the adaptation of improvisational theater principles and exercises to enhance medical skills including communication, teamwork and cognition. Medical improv training enables professionals to more easily and deeply connect with patients for improved patient-healthcare professional relationships that ultimately can result in improved clinical outcomes.
I attended a medical improv train the trainer course offered through the Northwestern School of Medicine in Chicago last summer. This summer we have started teaching a medical improv class to the residents at Children’s Mercy Hospital and hope to expand teaching medical improv in Kansas City to medical students, other healthcare students as well as clinicians already practicing in the field.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
One of the biggest challenges it getting “buy-in” or getting in the door, whether I am pitching an improv class for older adults with a more therapeutic use of improv, or explaining how medical improv as an applied use of improvisational theater principles actually has researched benefits as an effective method for teaching communication to healthcare professionals.
When most people hear about improv, they often don’t know what it is (many people think it is stand-up comedy). Or they think the goal is to make them improvisors and they don’t want to be a performer . Or they don’t think it could be something that can provide any substantive value. It isn’t taken seriously.
If I can get in the door and teach an Act Your Age Improv class, it has consistently been extremely well received, not what people expected and far surpasses expectations.
While teaching medical improv, participants typically start with some reservations and skepticism. And again, once experienced, most have a positive experience and can see valuable clinical applications to the improv exercises.
We’ve been impressed with ListentingWorks, LLC , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is ListeningWorks, LLC. I operate Act Your Age Improv under that umbrella.
My mission statement for Act Your Age Improv is to empower all people, and all voices, to be heard completely with empathy and compassion and non-judgment in order to facilitate connection, wholeness and healing through the therapeutic use of improvisational theater
As I was exploring other career interests and ideas, I wrote any and all ideas and words that sparked joy and creativity within me. I have a certification in spiritual coaching and counseling. I’m interested in grief, death and dying, and rituals and conversations surrounding those topics. I’m drawn to sacred rituals for healing, grief and forgiveness. I create nature art and nature mandalas as a gratitude and mindful practices. I feel strongly that all people need to be seen and heard, and their stories told and witnessed. I deeply connect with the archetype of The Holy Witness and realize I fulfill that role for many people and recognize it as one of my gifts. I do Free Listening as an offering (from the Urban Confessional website). Meditation practices that deepen our ability to listen to our divine inner voice are very important to me. Medical improv, improv with older adults, playback theater were all words on my word map.
When looking at the common themes, Listening was always at the core of all of these practices, ideas and interests. I believe that listening that leads to someone being truly heard, seen and validated has the ability to be healing and transformative. In short, Listening Works, and Listening can work in a variety of settings and applications.
My vision is to continue to grow offerings under ListeningWorks in all the many ways that simply Listening really Works.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
The feedback I receive from the older adults students in my improv classes validates that this work is not only fun, but deeply meaningful. “It wakes up your brain!” — Olga
“You make a safe place for us.” –Bernie, 85
“Carrie, you helped me find a part of me that I didn’t know was there. Thank you.”
“Carrie, you’re making a difference in the moment. I can’t really explain it. It’s hard to realize that every moment that you live is more precious than anything else.” — Shirley, 88
“Thank you for having this. It helps me learn how to speak up” -Mary, 82
“Carrie makes the hour long program a place to come and have fun. I get to hear them laughing the entire time. God sent her to our place for a reason. Thank you Carrie for letting them have some fun.” — Sandy Barnes, Enrichment Director at Abderdeen Village, senior living community
Contact Info:
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558136991906
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-blubaugh-95567141/
