Improv and Community
Like so many people across this country, this past week has been a very emotional week for me, as I navigate what it means to be a Black, Latinx and Queer man in America.
After last week’s election results came in, I immediately felt the need to connect with my improv community. Initially I planned to host a community video call Wednesday evening, until I realized that I needed time to process and feel, and wasn’t in a position to lead. We had our community call the following Saturday, and it was a beautiful evening of connection and shared emotions and experiences. The meeting was full of folks who had been with TPS since it’s inception, to students who had just completed their first session, to folks who have supported us from the audience.
During the meeting, I believe we all felt a call to action, and the seed was planted to host more of these meetings, which we will in the coming weeks and months.
Connecting with the people I care so much about got me thinking about the importance of the word “community,” and how I personally prefer it to the term “family.”
In many spaces, the terms "community" and "family" are often used interchangeably, but for me, they carry distinct meanings, especially when it comes to building relationships and connections. A "community" represents a group of individuals who choose to come together, unified by shared interests, goals, or values. It’s based on voluntary participation and mutual support, creating a sense of belonging where each person contributes to the whole. In a community, the act of coming together is intentional, and the bonds are formed through mutual respect and shared experiences, creating a space where people can thrive and grow together.
On the other hand, the term "family," while traditionally associated with love and support, can carry negative connotations for many, including myself, due to past experiences of dysfunction, conflict, or obligation. Family is something we’re born or adopted into, not chosen, which can make it feel restrictive or burdensome for those who’ve faced challenges within their familial relationships like I have. This is why I believe "community" can feel like a more empowering and inclusive term—because it implies choice and the freedom to come together with others in a healthy, supportive environment, where every individual’s voice is heard and valued. In a community, people gather not because they must, but because they genuinely want to.
In the last year, I’ve made some deeply personal shares about my mental health and physical health. With the exception of one or two people, nobody from the blood family that I grew up with reached out to connect with me. That hurt, and at the same time, reaffirmed my own definition of what “family” means. Meanwhile, the people who are a part of my community, reached out, asked how they could support me, and shared their own personal stories. That was a beautiful experience.
I’ve been a part of theatre and work spaces that used the word “family” rather indiscriminately. And often, the word “family” was used to justify behaviors that were not cool and would often make me feel taken advantage of, because “how dare I go against the family.” By being referred to as “family,” an expectation of obligation was on the surface.
That’s not the kind of experience that I want for anyone at The Playful Stage. And while I will never police how people choose to describe our improv community for themselves, I am personally choosing to describe this as a community: a group of people who choose to spend time together and grow together, who choose to support and lift up rather than exploit or take advantage of, and who choose to honor and respect the differences that make us unique individuals that are a part of something larger together.
As we continue to navigate uncertain times, I am deeply grateful for the community we’ve cultivated at The Playful Stage. I look forward to finding more opportunities for us to come together—whether in improv, personal support, or collective action. Our strength comes from the fact that we choose to be here for one another, and it’s through that choice that we create a space where we can not only express ourselves freely but also uplift each other in meaningful ways. I invite all of you, whether you’re a longtime member or someone just getting to know us, to continue being a part of this journey and help us grow this beautiful community together.
