Improv for Wellness Classes
with Margot Escott, LCSW
Margot Escott incorporates over 30 years of experience as a counselor, speaker, and teacher in her wellness classes that are designed to use humor, play, and improv to achieve well-being. In addition to teaching and performing improv professionally, Margot has presented workshops and seminars on the “Therapeutic Value of Humor and Play” on a national level and was a featured speaker at the Chicago “Yes, and” conference on Improvisation and Mental Health.
Please email me at margotescott@mac.com if you are interested in attending any of the following classes.
WHAT: Film Noir Improv Class
WHERE: On Zoom
WHEN: Tuesdays (3-4:30 pm ET) February 26-March 19, 2024
COST: $90 for 4 sessions
REGISTER: Call or email MargotEscott@mac.com or (239) 434-6558 INSTRUCTOR: Margot Escott, LCSW
EXPERIENCE: No experience is needed. I hope you will join me for this fun new improv class on Zoom. Whether you’re a beginner or have played for a while, this class is a perfect place to play and have fun. Join us for this fun-filled, mysterious improv workshop, playing with the Film Noir genre. We will be working on character development, scene painting, monologues voice-over narration, and collaboration to create a fully improvised Film Noir piece in the last class. You’ll leave the class more comfortable with Film Noir and expand your Improv repertoire What people are saying about Improv classes with Margot:“I took Margot’s Improv for Anxiety class. The class was fun and got at the heart of the reasons we felt anxious and ways to overcome our anxiety. Margot is a great teacher—fun, organized, caring, and inclusive.” “Margot was also a well-received guest speaker in my Applied Improvisation class. The students loved playing games with her and hearing about how she uses improv in her work as a counselor.” Both of these were over Zoom. Margot can build community even if people are states apart! Play and laughter are at the center of her work. Professor Dawn Wisher, University of Indiana, Bloomington IN
Improv for Anxiety (Adults)
Improv for anxiety, six-week classes
Thursdays, April 13 – May 18
2:00-4:00 pm (EST)
Tuition: $125 (drop-in $25 per session)
Join Margot Escott, LCSW for this 2-hour stress-free class designed to relieve anxiety for adults. In this class, individuals are able to explore and process triggers together and find group cohesion through play and humor. Students will find this class to be light-hearted and fun while gaining support from others who have similar struggles.
The improv games and laughter we share in this multi-week class, have tremendous therapeutic benefits. Come play in a space that is free of judgment or fear of failure, making it an ideal environment for people who struggle with anxiety or physical impairment. A great way for all ages and abilities to let go, laugh, and meet fun friends. CLICK TO LEARN MORE
Improv for People with Parkinson’s, MS
and their Care Partners – with Margot Escott, LCSW
No prior improv or theatre experience required
This class is Improv for people with Parkinson’s Disease or MS and their care partners. Improvisational Theatre Games are being used clinically over the world. Improv classes are being offered for stress management, coping with life challenges, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Disease, and MS.Neuroscience tells us that play, when combined with the trust-building of improv experiences, builds “pro-social brains that know how to interact with others in positive ways.” This is important for adults who are dealing with significant physical and emotional difficulties. Click to learn more
Free Introductory Class – Improv for Parkinson’s & MS
Join us in this free, introductory class on Improvisational Theatre Games for persons with Parkinson’s disease and their Care Partners. You don’t have to want to be a performer on stage to learn improv games and have fun! In this class, you will learn improvisational theatre exercises that benefit emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. After this class, participants find their stress levels have decreased while their laughter life increased! A student shared their thoughts on this class. “All of us have PD at different levels and we’re all trying to accept our challenges. For some of us, communication can be embarrassing and this helps us learn to speak out and not be afraid to use our voices.”
Improv for Wellness (Adults)
Improv for Wellness is about playing games and having fun. It’s not about being funny or memorizing scripts. The improv games and laughter we share in this multi-week class, have tremendous therapeutic benefits. Come play in a space that is free of judgment or fear of failure, making it an ideal environment for people who struggle with anxiety or physical impairment. A great way for all ages and abilities to let go, laugh, and meet fun friends. Click to learn more
Improv for Wellness (Teens)
A perfect class for middle and high school students who want to, laugh, and meet fun new friends. It is great for those dealing with stress, anxiety, or those who want to gain confidence. Click to learn more
Improv for Therapists – with Margot Escott, LCSW
This exciting “alternative” therapy is gaining recognition with therapists nationally and internationally. Join Margot Escott, LCSW for this fun workshop to learn to use the therapeutic benefits of improv with your clients. Click to Learn More
MINDFUL IMPROV
with Margot Escott, LCSW
WHAT: Mindful Improv
WHERE: 3400 Tamiami Trail North, Suite 204, Naples, FL 34103
WHEN: TBA
REGISTER: Call (239) 434-6558or email margotescott.com
COST: Call for pricing
INSTRUCTOR: Margot Escott, LCSW
EXPERIENCE: No prior improv or theatre experience required
Many therapists and improvisers are using empirically tested mindfulness-based techniques. Recent research shows that Improvisational Theatre games are a powerful intervention for anxiety, depression, and becoming a more “authentic” self. There is a direct parallel between improv comedy exercises and practicing mindfulness. Improvisation is inherently mindful as it takes you out of your head and into the present moment through fun and interactive games. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to be with what is. In Mindful Improv we notice when our minds wander and we come back to listening, which grounds us in the present.
Contact Margot for more information and upcoming class dates at (239) 434-6558 or margotescott@mac.com
IMPROVE AS A TOASTMASTER WITH IMPROV
Through Improv with Margot Escott, LCSW
Learning Improvisational Comedy is invaluable for Toastmasters members and groups. These techniques enhance spontaneity and improve your ability to think on our feet. In an atmosphere similar to Toastmasters, Improv offers a supportive environment where members feel respected and able to trust. Visit any Toastmaster group and you will see that same supportive and welcoming atmosphere. Contact Margot for more information and upcoming class dates at (239) 434-6558 or margotescott@mac.com
You will learn:
- The “yes, and…” concept and how to use it in daily life and as a Toastmaster
- The basic “rules of Improv” and how they help build a better speech
- Additional tools for your communication toolkit
- How to stimulate creativity
- Speaking is collaborative; Improv utilizes partners, audience
- How Improv sharpens your listening skills
Many toastmaster clubs in the US and internationally now devote one hour each month to work with a professional improviser to learn these skills. And one club, Improv Masters San Diego Toastmasters, is a dedicated Toastmaster group of Improvisors! https://www.facebook.com/ImprovMasters.
Toastmaster, Improv professional, and LCSW, Margot Escott is now offering Improv for Toastmaster workshops. Contact Margot for more information at (239) 434-6558 or margotescott@mac.com
WHAT IS IMPROVISATIONAL THEATRE (ALSO KNOWN AS IMPROV?)
Improvisational Comedy is creating dramatic scenes without written dialogue and no predetermined dramatic activity. In other words, making it up as they perform.
Improv Comedy came from the work of Viola Spolin, who developed acting exercises or “games” that unleashed creativity during the Great Depression. Her son, Paul Sills, formed the first Improvisational theatre in the US and later went on to be the first director at Chicago’s Second City. Notable alumni from Second City include Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, and Joan Rivers, among many others.
Click to View the Schedule of Classes
Click to download a printable “Improv for Toastmasters Flyer”
Click to download a printable Photo release form