Fostering Laughter

Myles Nye is a Game Developer with Wise Guy Events. He joined Create Now with the goal of teaching vulnerable kids how to express themselves in a fun way through an Improv Comedy Workshop. As part of our Show Off performance arts program, we set Myles up at Vista Del Mar, a large group home for around 100 foster youth, located near Culver City. These are kids who have been removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect, abandonment or being orphaned. He has around 10-15 teens that have joined his Saturday morning class.

“I feel privileged to be passing along the teaching techniques that I have learned from the great mentors who came before me.” Myles said. “Paying it forward -- it’s the best way I know to repay the gifts I've received.”

Myles knows how to grab the kids’ attention and to gain their respect. Using team- building exercises, he gets them to work together, which can be challenging for high-risk youth. For example, one game was to kick around a ball made out of a big wad of paper. Everyone had to recite the alphabet as they kicked the ball around. Initially, some of the kids were competing and showing how hard they could kick it, but they quickly learned to help each other, in order to complete the game.

Karen Vines, the Activities Coordinator at Vista Del Mar said, “Myles has been able to captivate our kids and inspire them to take the risk of having fun. During his first session with our youth, he demonstrated a technique where they all had to clap and bow when things did not go as expected. They learned that the world did not come to an end, even though we didn't do great. Our youth have embraced this. They’re up and ready to go for their 10:00 am weekend session.”

Myles says, “I hope to give the students the confidence and flexibility that are side benefits of improv training, and to share the gift of laughter. They’re making more discoveries and allowing themselves to relax more.”

“In the beginning of the sessions,” Karen said, “the kids are a little rigid and trying to be ‘cool and in control.’ In a matter of minutes, when they’re all engaged in one of Myles’ games, you can see their defenses ease and silly becomes the norm. Laughter is healing and a dose of Myles is just good medicine.”

Myles plans to return in January to help the foster youth at Vista Del Mar to develop their improv games into a play that they can perform for their peers, family and staff. The kids in his workshop are raring to go, as they Create Now.

Here’s what some of the kids have to say:

“I like improv because it’s fun” – Lisa, age 16

“What I like about the class is it’s different and we get to do different things.” - Saeed, age 16