Toby Martini

Better Business & Better Speaking through Improv!

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Origin Story

May 25, 2011 by Toby Martini Leave a Comment

The King Who RainedThis is what started it all, people! When I was 6, I got this book, The King Who Rained, and I LOVED it! Ever since then, I’ve spent a LOT of time listening for, when people talk, how can I “take it wrong”? What else could a word mean in that sentence? It’s also a piece of homework that I give to everyone that comes through any of my programs. Look for homonyms, words that sound like other words, and also the same word that may have another meaning.

Mary was anxious to get married. But, John was anxious about getting married.

This a great place to start mining for Improv goodness. AND, for comedy in general. It’s not just for being able to throw out a one-liner or, heaven forbid, a bad pun. But, it’s a chance for you to give your brain some exercise; to think in a way that you normally do not. And, research has shown that doing mental gymnastics helps people stave off dementia and Alzheimer’s. So, keep that in mind. Do this exercise! Watch for way’s to “take something wrong” and make yourself giggle. Once you become facile with it, maybe you can start saying them out loud to people. (And they’ll think you’re funny.) Perhaps when someone says that they “have reservations about your project,” you can ask if that will be a “table for one”? That might not be the best joke ever, but in the spur of the moment, you would make people near you chuckle, lighten the, mood, and give yourself a moment to think about how you will now decide to deal with the naysayer, too. Have fun… always! Bonus Trivia: This book was written by Herman Munster from The Munsters!

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Filed Under: Improv, Personal

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Improv’ng Humans

“Life must be lived as play.” ~ Plato

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Testimonials

A Real Live (Unpaid!) Testimonial: I took Toby's workshops 5 years ago. It was out of my comfort zone for sure, but they were great! Total fun!

Also, if you are in the corporate world or have to do any public speaking, improv will give you confidence before an audience.

You will actually *enjoy* just going with the flow with them, which will make you less nervous, more genuine, and thus a more engaging speaker/presenter. Did I mention it was totally fun... and not nearly the same side-effects as the drugs advertised on TV.

Anthony Russo
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