Welcome to InterPlay with Ruth Schowalter

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2017 InterPlay at the Atlanta Science Festival
Ruth Schowalter

 Welcome to InterPlay with Ruth Schowalter!

 I am an artist, educator, and certified InterPlay leader.  I use the improvisational system of InterPlay in these various ways:
To facilitate North American English fluency 
Using the principles and tools of InterPlay, I invite Internationals (nonnative speakers of English) living here in the United States, to "embody" English. After all, to learn a language is to learn a culture. By offering students the opportunity to "play" and engage their "whole" selves while learning, I create opportunities for them to discover new things about themselves and the choices available to them when communicating in English or their own language.
PANAMANIAN TEACHERS-IN-TRAINING. In 2017, I taught InterPlay classes to visiting college students from Panama at the Georgia Tech Language Institute. Although these participants are training to be English language educators, they still needed to increase their oral fluency in English. The InterPlay forms invite them to try new ways of expressing themselves in English.

 To foster more effective science communication 
While scientists are experts at "substance," I have observed them often lacking "style" when communicating the facts of their science to colleagues, students and the general public. After introducing scientists to InterPlay improvisational forms, which allow them to activate their physicality and emotions along with their minds, I have seen them become enlivened and their speech animated.  Through the spirit of improvisational "play," I guide scientists in exploring ways to develop personal communication styles.
MATERIAL SCIENCE ENGINEERING AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENTS.  At a 2-hour workshop that I taught on the campus of Georgia Tech in the Spring Semester of 2017, these graduate students were introduced to InterPlay forms that involved them in active ways to express their research.

To add to the educator's tool kit 
As an educator, I know that teachers want to encourage student investment in the learning process and tap into their creativity. InterPlay involves students in a powerfully playful way and allows them to respond to information immediately and relay it in a personal way to listeners. InterPlay, offers the classroom teacher  8 principles and 15 forms, which impact students' lives beyond the classroom by building confidence and skills to deal with the unexpected while relieving stress and promoting laughter.
APPLIED INTERPLAY FOR EDUCATORS. To the left, a Turkish language teacher K-5th grade, uses an InterPlay form to introduce the onlookers from Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey how to say some Turkish words, the lesson plan for her first fall classes. Three of these participants received certificates of applied InterPlay for educators after completing 15 hours of training with me, including a 10-hour pre-requisite of "pure" InterPlay. 
In addition to the above arenas, I use InterPlay to build and support communities which are:
 GEORGIA ADOPT-A-STREAM 2017 ANNUAL CONFERENCE. These volunteers, who monitor the water quality across the state of Georgia, participated in an hour of InterPlay on the Friday evening of the 2017 conference. Desiring an ice-breaker and a way for these Adopt-a-Stream volunteers to connect, one of the conference organizers asked me to lead an InterPlay session using terms and concepts unique to their group. 
  • honoring their creativity through visual arts and movement
  • working to conserve the environment
  • sharing their different faiths
  • celebrating the solstices and equinoxes
  • seeking joy, ease, and connection


 BUT WHAT IS INTERPLAY?


InterPlay is an active, creative way to unlock the wisdom of the body. 

Active
When you are engaged in InterPlay, you won't be just sitting and listening.  

Creative
InterPlay is about making things. It speaks to "art" connection, and also suggests engagement and fun. It also implies that it is different from other methodologies--these are new, different ideas.

Unlock   
InterPlay is the "key" to something that we have but may be hidden from us, something that hasn't previously been available. It's a door-opener.

Wisdom of the body     
Wisdom of the body is the radical connection!  "Wisdom," which is the smartest use of our individual and collective experience, is rooted in our physicality. No more disembodied brains!

Learn more about InterPlay at the national website.

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