It’s been over a decade since the Young Actors Workshop launched at the Plaza Branch as part of the annual Summer Reading Program. 

This year’s edition, with free daily sessions from July 14-18, 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.- noon, is targeted at 7 to 12-year-olds and focused on improvisation. 

“Collaborative laughter has healing properties,” says theater instructor John Mulvey. “Your grandmother told you, ‘Laughter is the best medicine,’ and I truly believe that to be a fact.” 

Mulvey, a teaching artist with Kansas City Young Audiences, is also a member of an improv comedy troupe called Out on a Limb. And, in recent years, he says, improvisation has gained traction with all ages.  

“Improvisation is just the act of being in the moment, the here and now, not scripted," Mulvey describes. "It's flow, you know, stream of consciousness, acting and reacting in real time.”  

He adds, “There's no agenda. There are certain formulas you go with, but you just take this idea, and it’s always about ‘yes, and …,’ accepting all the ideas and building on top of that.” 

Julia Kingsbury, Plaza youth services manager, says the Young Actors Workshop provides a great introduction to drama.  

“It’s not a huge time commitment, so if it ends up being not quite the right thing for that child, it’s okay,” she says. “But it may spark a great interest. That’s how my daughter got started was signing up for Young Actors, and she got the theater bug.” 

Kingsbury says improvisation, in particular, has several benefits, including boosting mental health, providing social interaction, and developing life skills.  

“So, the skills they are getting from it are a lot more than just if they want to be an actor when they grow up,” she says. “They learn how to speak, they learn how to speak confidently, they learn how to think quickly and respond to other people, and just a lot of really good, future new-adult skills, basically.” 

Mulvey says he often tells his students that there are not five senses but six, including their sense of humor.

 “And I believe that it’s what helps us navigate our way through life. It grows with you. It matures with your intellect,” he says. 

Young Actors Workshop, July 14-18, Plaza Branch, with two sessions: 9:30-10:30 a.m. (RSVP here) and 11 a.m.- noon (RSVP here). The Friday classes will offer an open house to showcase the students.