Improv & Faith Class
• Deepening Faith through Play •
How Can I Deepen My Faith Through Play??
Play is restorative. It brings out our true inner self which requires both vulnerability and humility. It helps us to remain in the present moment, the only place where God exists. And it teaches us to let go of control by allowing us to see how everything that other players offer us, even when it’s not something we expected, is a gift.
Through this class, you will learn how to follow your impulses, to be more vulnerable, and to find the joy in unexpected situations. Rooted in the faith, this class will help to provide you with the human formation to flourish in your personal vocation and will help you to use your voice with more freedom and confidence in the world.
“Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3).
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UPCOMING 7 WEEK CLASS - FALL 2026
Tuesday Evenings, September 15th - October 27th
6:15pm-8:15pm
Location: Manarchy Films, 656 W Hubbard St, Chicago, IL 60654
Whether this is your first time doing improv or if you are a seasoned pro, Improv & Faith is designed to push learners to the next level. Each improv exercise helps us to bring various principles of our faith to life — talk about incarnational learning! Grow in Confidence, Gain Freedom, Overflow with Joy.
Why take an Improv & Faith Class?
Do you want to use your voice with freedom and confidence?
Do you want to improve your listening skills?
Do you want to become a more confident presenter?
Do you want to help overcome social anxiety?
Do you want to find the joy that the child version of you once had?
Do you want to become a witness to the faith in difficult situations?
If you said ‘YES!’ to any of these questions, than Improv & Faith is for YOU!
What Can I Expect from an Improv & Faith Class?
Improv Games & Scenes, Acting & Voice Exercises, a Whole Lot of Fun and Silliness, and How this all relates to the faith and to who God is calling you to be.
What Is Expected of Class Participants?
Show Up, Be On Time, and Try Your Best to Stay Open & Playful!
• Meet Your Teacher! •
Emily Ember has almost two decades of experience in acting, starting in her teen years with summer training programs at Brown University, Northwestern University, and Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, MA. After majoring in Theatre at Northwestern University, she went on to complete the Second City Conservatory and iO Improv Program. Emily performed regularly around Chicago with her sketch comedy/improv troupe, Rough Cut Players, and performed at numerous improv festivals across the US and in Canada with her long-form improv troupe, Horror of Terror. After her conversion to the faith, Emily deeply studied Catholicism and then served as the Full-Time Coordinator of Religious Education and Evangelization for a Chicago Parish.
Through all of her work, Emily has discovered a number of overlaps between what is needed to be an effective actor and what is needed to become a saint, and she is very excited to help YOU unlock your full potential and become the best version of yourself — the saint God created you to be.
What Do Past Students Have to Say?
"Faith-based improv is my medicine. It teaches you how to die to self by laughing with great people. Pride gets crushed, humility grows, and you learn to be joyfully foolish together. There’s no easier audience to be yourself with. And as Jesus said, 'Unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.' This is great practice."
"This class has made me feel more comfortable sharing in meetings. I’m finding it easier to speak up."
"Emily is an amazing teacher and does such a great job of weaving lessons about how improv can inform our faith. If you’re brand new to improv (and maybe super nervous about getting up in front of people) like I was, I found that it was a kind and safe space to try it out with other Catholics who share my faith. Such a unique and fun opportunity!"
“Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and ministry through this class and for creating and sustaining a fun, safe, community-forward environment for learning and play…There were a few times I wished I’d taken actual notes when you drew an eloquent parallel between improv and life, and spiritual life in particular”
‘The Good Shepherd,’ by Philippe de Champaigne, Public Domain
God created you on purpose and for a purpose!
God delighted in creating you. He specifically created you for this time and has entrusted you with a special mission that only you can accomplish.
But how often do we allow shame, fear, and doubt to hold us back from becoming the people that God has created us to be?
The Enemy has made too much ground lying to us about our identity and stealing from us the joy of the Lord. But “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:7).
This class will help you to fight back! Step into the fullness of your baptismal identity and grow into the person God is calling you to be!
Grace builds upon nature; now, it’s time to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph. 4:1).
More Testimonials from Past Participants
“I saw some of the uses of this class in real life! When in meetings or general conversations where I am lost, I can use improv skills to help continue facilitating a conversation!”
“I liked knowing that it was a Catholic improv class. It felt like a safe space to practice Improv while also maintaining my values.”
“God wants us to be ourselves, and I was encouraged to explore my uniqueness. There is freedom in that!”