Who or what is Hyprov?

Improv Under Hypnosis… From the minds of improv and comedy legend Colin Mochrie (TV’s Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and master hypnotist, Asad Mecci comes a brand new, mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, side-splitting show. Hypnotism and improvisation – two art forms that have mystified and entertained fans and skeptics worldwide for decades – come together as two masters of their crafts unite for a totally unique and hilarious experience.

Master Hypnotist Asad Mecci invites twenty random volunteers from the audience and hypnotizes them before your eyes. He then whittles them down to four or five of the best before Colin Mochrie, one of the world’s leading improvisers, enters and improvises with them…while they are under hypnosis.

SAFE AND PROFESSIONAL!

Safety First! We are very conscious that some people are weary of their subconscious being on display. Not to worry, HYPROV keeps this top of mind and always puts the participants first – they are sure to keep things clean and they do not touch any subject matter that could be of concern. HYPROV wants your audience to have fun but not at anyone’s expense. Incorporating suggestions from the audience, Mochrie and Mecci guide the volunteers through hilarious scenes, creating an entirely original and completely unforgettable show each and every time.

The post Introducing HYPROV: Hypnotism and Improvisation appeared first on concept artists.

(5/29, 6/6,13,20 & 27, all at 7:30pm)

Broadway’s Next Hit Musical

Broadway’s Next Hit Musical

You’ll be amazed, and no doubt amused, as a talented cast of seasoned improvisers creates Broadway’s Next Hit Musical — off-Broadway at New York’s Theater Center — right before your very eyes. Experience the entire process as the audience’s best song suggestions are turned into a full-blown off-the-cuff musical complete with memorable characters, witty dialogue and plot twists. Every song is fresh, every scene is new and every show is different in this spontaneous and totally unpredictable evening of music and comedy, billed as Whose Line Is It Anyway? meets the Tony Awards. The New York Times has called the show “hilarious,” and Time Out NY says “At last! A musical of, for and by the people.”

Rob Schiffmann

Rob Schiffmann is an award-winning Corporate Emcee with twenty years of experience hosting meetings in such varied industries as banking, bio-tech, pharma, retail, food/beverage and many more.

Rob is the director and star of Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, a nationally-touring musical comedy improvisation show and spent many years as the star and director of Chicago City Limits, New York City’s longest running comedy show. Rob’s improvisational and musical background allows him to bring a level of interactivity to your meeting that will keep your audience consistently engaged through content-driven material that can either be pre-written or made up on the spot.

Whether Rob is improvising songs with your audience or writing and recording parody or original songs to underscore the content from an executive presentation, Rob’s understanding of the corporate environment allows him to be versatile without ever crossing boundaries.

Rob may be opening your meeting, providing fun interactive segues, creating songs and games for interstitial moments, introducing your speakers, hosting your live broadcast or interviewing your executives. Whatever Rob is doing, you can be sure he is helping to deliver your messages, make your people shine and make your meeting one that will be remembered for years to come!

The post Rob Schiffmann performs in Broadway’s Next Hit Musical appeared first on concept artists.

By Gary Hirsch

Recently, I wrote about a common pitfall of presenting that almost guarantees your audience will start thinking about their next vacation while you bravely soldier on through your 82-slide deck: You forget about them. To remedy this common issue, I suggested getting curious about your audience’s needs in relation to your topic. Over the years of presenting to audiences large and small, we’ve played with other ways to get curious about your audience in order to meet their needs:

1. Assess the room in the moment

We were working with a presenter who was giving a high stakes presentation at a sales conference. He prepared his presentation without checking in with his audience. At the top of his presentation he said, “Here’s what I think I know about you,” sharing his assumptions about their reality in relation to the topic at hand. He then did something brave. He asked them, “What don’t I know?” He learned that there had been a recent disruption to the market. Stress levels were high. This presenter happened to know something about this disruption, so he switched off his projector, grabbed a flip chart, and gave an improvised presentation on this new, but much more relevant topic. He got one of the top scores at the sales conference that year.

2. Give your audience a choice

I just returned from presenting at a two-day conference of 25 different speakers, each presenting for 25 minutes. When I found out that I would be the last speaker on the last day, I saw it as an offer that couldn’t be ignored. When it was my turn, I stood up on stage and gave the audience a choice. They could either hear my talk, which would give them new ideas and content, or I could help facilitate a 25-minute session that would help them reflect on the previous 24 speakers to figure out how they could apply what they’d learned. I used the unscientific method of having them scream out which of these they wanted. New stuff squeaked out a win. I was happy to go either way, as long as I was serving their needs.

Another version:

We presented at a conference where we were on stage for multiple 15-minute intervals. We were prepared to deliver experiences and content on any of the four areas in the image above, and we gave the audience a choice. You may be saying to yourself, “Of course they can do that. They are improvisers!” We bet you’re an improviser, too. Think about your big topic. Can you slice it up? How about: How we Got Here, Why this Solution, Possible Impact, and How We’ll Get There. Even if your audience chooses all four, they’ll be leaning forward in their seats, invested something they co-created with you.

These methods require some flexibility and comfort with ambiguity, but the rewards make them worth experimenting with. What will you try to make your next presentation just what your audience needs?

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