Today we’d like to introduce you to Katrina Richards.
Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, how did you get started?
I set out on a mission to find my voice and found my way to a local improv group. I realized how therapeutic and cathartic improv could be. I remember laughing the first time I was ever paid for a gig. I am a lawyer by trade, and this felt like a wonderfully absurd way to make money. I was with that group for about eight years, but covid took a huge toll on the number of local gatherings. The group nearly disbanded, and the previous owners moved away, so in 2021, I started having weekly drop-in sessions at an older (haunted) house my husband and I bought and started remodeling. I partnered with my good friend, Anne Wolfe, a corporate accountant who writes and throws murder mystery parties. We now have a solid group of 15 performers and have unexpectedly built this amazing little community of trust with people with wildly different backgrounds. We pride ourselves on being welcoming and inclusive, making the space safe for creativity and exploration.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
It has been a fun and bumpy ride. For a while, it looked like improv would stop existing in Joplin during the pandemic, so it took a ton of time and begging of a few people close to me to have enough people to start the early day drop-in sessions. You need 4 to 6 to have a meaningful practice, so I enlisted my husband, brother, and two best friends. A few of them have since fallen away now that we have 10 to 14 show up to practice. The other issue was finding a practice space. We had bounced from a few local places to peoples’ homes to a local art gallery, but we finally just bought an old house downtown and spent the summer of 2021 renovating it. One of our improvisers now rents a room upstairs, so it’s a neat little space where we feel comfortable and can access whenever we need. A consistent meeting place and time have been key to growing the group.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Improv has been a huge boon for my Legal career because it’s an art I can incorporate daily. I am a better listener, more open to others’ ideas, and able to bring fun to most work meetings, even when the subject matter is serious. My background as a lawyer and working in a corporate setting is useful in improv training and team-building events because I have experience sitting on and leading teams of various sizes. My biggest challenge in starting the improv group was becoming/realizing I was the leader. For 8 years, I’d been learning from other experienced improvisers who had studied in Chicago at famous theater companies. Suddenly, it was just me, so I had to challenge myself to become the group leader. I had to put away any insecurity because I hadn’t studied or had formal training in New York. I bought books and started learning independently, so we could continue growing and learning. I’m proud of becoming who this group needed, so we could keep this art form alive in our area. Since we have gotten bigger, we’ve brought in more experienced improvisers and teachers from other communities to challenge us and build on our knowledge. Partnering with Anne has been amazing since the murder mysteries pair well with improv. We have expanded our entertainment offerings and shared some of the business’s responsibilities.
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
There are so many! My most important lesson is that you can build something great if you start doing it. You do not have to be the most experienced, the best or the smartest as long as you have an open mind and are willing to try. The first thing you need will be some ride-or-die people, and you’ll learn through mistakes and successes and build something amazing. I am floored to look back at the past two years to see what we have built – just by doing it.
Pricing:
- Monthly shows at Joplin Avenue Coffee Company are free at this time.
- 45-minute improv set for private events starts at $350 (plus travel)
- Custom pricing for murder mystery parties
- Private improv lessons are $150/hour for up to 8 people (plus travel)
Contact Info:
- Website: Joplinimprov.com
- Instagram: @joplinimprov
- Facebook: @joplinimprov
Image Credits
The professional headshot is by Mitzi Starkweather. Meike Rm can be credited for the action shot in the blue shirt.
