How the Power of Play Can Change a Challenging Story
My husband and I are driving to the airport for a family reunion when we both get pings on our phones. There\u2019s a global outage. We check our tickets and plane reservations\u2013they\u2019re all fine. We head to the airport, and everything seems okay. The airline confirms our flight is on time, so we\u2019re good to go.
An hour later, we get a delay, yet they assure us everything will be fine. Another hour passes and there\u2019s another delay. They tell us again that we\u2019ll make our connecting flight, and everything will be okay. Finally, we board the plane. It takes off and lands at LAX, where we discover we\u2019ve missed our connecting flight. They promise us they\u2019ll put us on another one.
My dad is texting, worried about the global outage. I reassure him that we\u2019re fine and on the next flight\u2026except that flight gets canceled, too, as does the next one. Around us, people are angry, yelling into their phones, and sleeping on the floor. Others are shouting at the airline staff who can\u2019t do much about the situation.
At this point, I turn to my husband and ask, \u201cWhat if this were fun?\u201d
From that moment, we strive to make it fun. We start trekking through five terminals until we find the AmEx Lounge. We get playful and interact with people in character, indulge in some childhood comfort food of grilled cheese, and end up laughing and having a great time.
Fifteen hours later, with the global outage continuing, we return home having never reached our destination. However, we chose to make the experience fun when everyone else seemed to be falling apart.
My special guest, Sebastian Conelli, is an incredible actor, comedian, improviser who knows a thing or two about having fun. In this episode of the Storytelling School Podcast, you\u2019ll learn about the power of choosing to have fun and be playful, even in challenging situations. You\u2019ll also discover how to create connections with your audience, the value of being vulnerable and sharing one's inner thoughts and feelings in storytelling, and get answers to questions like:
How can awareness and being present in the moment enhance the impact of a story or performance? What are some specific ways in which Improv can enhance public speaking and personal confidence? And what techniques can you use to ensure that an audience connects with unusual or unexpected behaviors in a story?\xa0
What you will learn in this episode:
- How your approach to a situation can transform the story of your experience
- How Improv helps you stay grounded and make stories more impactful and authentic
- How personal challenges and experiences can be transformed into compelling narratives
Who is Sebastian?
Sebastian Conelli is an actor, comedian and improviser from New York. Sebastian has been performing and teaching improv for over 13 years. Sebastian is a part of the legendary improv team The Stepfathers (UCB), the best improv show in NY Raaaatscraps, and is a cast member of the longest-running improv show in NY, Asssssscat (UCB). Sebastian is the host of the successful podcast LOUD ABOUT NOTHING. You also might have seen Sebastian doing small parts on Max, Apple TV, Netflix, and in the 2024 Palme D'or winner Anora.\xa0
Links and Resources