Organization Spotlight - Improv for Real Life (IRL)
Improv for Real Life (IRL) is a theatre education organization dedicated to fighting modern isolation. IRL hosts workshops full of laughter and genuine connection, designed to help you skip the awkward small talk and find your people in the local community.
“Participating in the performing arts has brought me many of my closest friendships. Social isolation is such a common experience in Seattle, so I wanted to use my theatre teaching experience to help melt the Seattle Freeze.”
— Saya Jenks, founder of Improv for Real Life
Our Partnership
At UHeights, our mission is to foster community, and when IRL Founder Saya Jenks approached us earlier this year, we were immediately impressed by her vision to strengthen social bonds in Seattle. The results have been undeniable: IRL events have brought new faces into the building and helped connect attendees to the wider resources we offer.
We proudly support IRL by promoting their events and offering reduced-cost space rentals to ensure their vital work remains accessible. As our Programs Manager, Shirin Subhani, notes, "We have seen a significant need for programs that build community—Improv for Real Life does that effectively and joyfully." It is a partnership built on a shared mission to turn neighbors into friends.
The Story Behind IRL
Improv for Real Life was founded by Saya Jenks, a theatre educator and recent Seattle transplant, earlier this year. Saya has been teaching theatre for nearly ten years: she started out teaching in a Pre-K classroom, and has helped students of all ages build their confidence in getting up onstage. As a graduate student at New York University, she taught a class for early-career theatre teachers about creating supportive and community-oriented classroom spaces. She has also led communication and team building workshops for corporate clients ranging from lawyers to product managers to test engineers.
When Saya was gearing up to move to Seattle from New York, her friends warned her of the Seattle Freeze. "I realized that I had a unique skillset to help melt the Freeze," Saya says. "As a theatre teacher, so much of my job is helping people get comfortable enough to let their guards down so they can do things that normally feel vulnerable. Whether I'm working with young people or a corporate client, I'm helping people bring their whole selves to the table so they can connect authentically with each other."
Building on her prior experience, she started designing workshops rooted in the improv mindset and personal storytelling that would help participants cut through small talk and share more of themselves.
The Power of Real-Life Connection
While many of us value friendship, building a community as an adult can be incredibly challenging. In fact, a third of Americans report that they don’t know any of their neighbors. IRL is built on a simple yet profound mission: to use the principles of improv and personal storytelling to turn neighbors into friends.
As a nearly 90-year Harvard longitudinal study found, the quality of a person’s relationships is the number one predictor of a happy and healthy life, more than exercise, income, or sleep. IRL’s mission is to offer a fun, facilitated space to foster those crucial connections.
What to Expect from an IRL Workshop
These workshops are a joyful experience rooted in play and personal discovery. Zero experience is necessary, and beginners are enthusiastically encouraged to attend.
Being "good at improv" is not the point; improv is simply the means to the end goal of friendship. "I know theatre people aren't typically introverts, but I am," Saya confesses. "I know what it's like to feel really anxious about meeting new people, so I design the events to make sure they're introvert-friendly and approachable for anyone with social anxiety." These workshops are an opportunity to meet other people who want to build community in person by cutting through the repetitive, surface-level conversations we’re all tired of.
Upcoming Events at UHeights
IRL is offering several one-off workshops at UHeights this fall, as well as their first class series, Grown Up Drama Club!
For IRL's full list of events, visit www.IRLimprov.com/events.
IMPROV WORKSHOP: Get in touch with your silly side and make friends by laughing and playing games.
STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS: These workshops get deeper into facilitated, vulnerable conversations for those who want more time to sink into personal experiences.
SPECIAL EVENT: How to Tell a Ghost Story
At this spooky storytelling soirée, you'll have the opportunity to craft an original ghost story, practice telling it in groups, and then get up onstage and share it in front of a small, supportive audience.
CLASS SERIES: Grown Up Drama Club
If you're looking for a weekly creative ritual with the same group of people, this class is for you. Grown Up Drama Club will explore improv and more: topics will include confidence onstage, scene work, and physical theatre. Enrollment is limited to 14 students to reserve your spot now!