Four Day Weekend Improv Troupe Teaches Collaboration to TCU Neeley Students

Improv comedy troupe Four Day Weekend is the latest Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Texas Christian University – Neeley School of Business, teaching TCU business students to embrace the power of “Yes, and…”.

During school orientation, Neeley Fellows were given the opportunity to participate in exercises with Four Day Weekend co-founder David Wilk, learning how to apply improv’s “yes, and…” philosophy to school, life and business.

“Yes, and…”, known as the ‘first rule of improv’, helps improvisers to accept and add to what their partners offer on stage, rather than responding with negativity. Even if you don’t like what your scene partner offers, rejecting their idea stops progress in its tracks. Accepting an idea and adding to it helps partners create something new together.

Kaity Butcher, a marketing major at Neeley, found herself using “yes, and…” thinking for a project later in the semester.

“When they come to orientation to teach improvisational thinking and team building, I realized how important a cohesive environment is for a group. We learned how to make teamwork a positive, productive experience,” Kaity said. “Everyone was more willing to contribute because everyone was open-minded, which led to better ideas and a more cohesive, creative project.”

O. Homer Erekson, Dean of the TCU Neeley School of Business, commented on how the lessons learned from improv could be applied to business school: “It’s about how we work effectively with others to dream bold dreams, encourage and support each other, and realize that building a business or a business school involves capitalizing on the talents, strengths and energies of a variety of people.”

Almost 20 years ago, Four Day Weekend began with $700 and a six-week-long commitment in Fort Worth. Through the “yes, and…” spirit, the troupe now travels throughout the country sharing their knowledge with business professionals.

regions: Dallas

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