As I tell my improv students, it's all stories about humans. We watch TV, movies, and plays, and read books, because we humans love to see other humans do what we do. We want to know how other humans are affected and changed. People are fascinating.

That may sound like it goes without saying, but improvising a story feels very personal and vulnerable. You sometimes steer away from true human interactions, out of a desire to play it safe, or simply to get a laugh for doing something unexpected. But the best stories, in any form, are the ones that head straight into our humanity. The magazine articles you read, the stand-up comedy you see, the commercials, the books, the theatre, the film and television, the gossip you indulge in. You go to it because it's about humans and their emotions, their reactions to life situations, their motivations, and, well, their humanity.

So, look for the humanity in a piece of copy and enjoy it! We're all telling stories about humans.

The Sony ad audio was recorded in a class. It was not the actual Sony ad.

Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with deeper meaning.
Maya Angelou

The human voice and deeper meaning. I love that. In all of our stories, we're showing each other what it is to be human. Shakespeare, musical theatre, stand-up, reality TV, your playlist - we all need to share the human experience. We all want to see what other humans are up to, how they're coping with their own shortcomings and successes. At first glance, I may not have a whole lot in common with, say, a contestant on The Bachelor; but "all people cry, laugh, eat, worry,"* and that's a pretty good start to finding some deeper meaning. 

Thank you, Maya Angelou, for sharing your human voice and encouraging us to share ours.

*Maya Angelou (partial quote)