Play... is an attitude of mind.
To be a player can mean many things. It may
be someone playing sport, or acting in a play or drama, or someone
involved in a business deal or card game.These are all examples
of goal-oriented playing.
The type of play I am talking about is closest
to the activity we all did as children. If you release yourself
from the need to attain specific goals, all sorts of creative
material - ideas, connections and images – will come to the
fore.
Playing as a group activity, such as Improvisation,
brings with it all the benefits of physical exercise without
the competetive aspects of sport, or repetetive aspects of the
gym. Physical action releases endorphins, so that anyone who
plays, feels better.
When you're playing in Improvisation, you take
on a role and step into someone else's shoes, seeing things
from a different perspective. Playing gives you the opportunity
to explore and experiment in a simulated situation, i.e. not
real but realistic.
