On stage. No script. Be funny. 

“You don't have to have a scene that makes sense. You can do something fun; all of a sudden someone's blasting you off into space and you have to go with it.””

Grace Bombulum, Improv graduate

At the beginning of the year, improv actor and instructor Javier Gilmore brought the art of improv acting — unrehearsed, unscripted acting based on spontaneous prompts — to Globe-Miami through Copper Planet Improv.

With the launch came a pitch to the community: try improv, take an improv 101 class taught by Gilmore, who has spent nearly 20 years training and performing around the country.

Beyond stepping onto a stage and creating a story in the moment with fellow performers, with no safety net, Gilmore emphasizes the broader benefits of improv. Improv teaches collaboration and adaptability while building confidence and positive communication skills. 

Improv is for anyone.

Five intrepid locals took him up on that offer, completing the first Improv 101 course last month. Their six weeks of classes culminated in a graduation performance at the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts on Nov. 29, where they joined Gilmore on stage before a full audience.

“You don't have to have a scene that makes sense,” says graduate Grace Bombulum. “You can do something fun; all of a sudden someone's blasting you off into space and you have to go with it.”

Originally from the Valley, Gilmore moved to the area in 2023 with his wife to be closer to her hometown. 

Taking note of the arts communities Miami Artworks and the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts, he saw an opportunity to cultivate a local improv community and founded Copper Planet Improv last year.

He held two introductory performances at the Center for the Arts, bringing improv actors from the Valley to Globe-Miami, before offering the first round of classes locally this fall.

“I've taught a lot of beginners,” he says. “It's my favorite, teaching new people to this.” 

Four of the five students already had stage experience through the Copper Cities Community Players, including Dorinda Garrard. But even for seasoned performers, improv introduced a new challenge.

“As you go along, you start playing off each other and you get to know each other better and what you're thinking, well, hopefully thinking,” she says. “And you can react better.”

For Bombulum, the class marked their first experience performing on stage as an adult, though their interest in improv dated back to childhood, when they watched shows like “Whose Line is it, Anyway” on a regular basis. 

“I grew up with the improv media and really loving improv shows, but never actually doing it myself or learning anything about it myself,” they say.

After the first evening of classes, Gilmore informed the students that there would be a performance at the end of the six weeks. 

“That was really nerve-wracking for me,” Bombulum says. “I always joke that I black out a little anytime I do a PowerPoint presentation.”

Nonetheless, Gilmore sums up the graduates’ performance as “superb.”

“I received the same comment from two separate audience members,” he says. “‘They only just started? Wow. I thought they were further along.’”

Bombulum says the experience provided more than performance skills.

“It taught people to kind of let loose and be creative again, being able to just go with your instincts,” they say. “I feel like just having an art community anywhere is really important, but then having an outlet like this, especially in a rural community like Globe, is really special.”

Gilmore discovered improv himself in 2008, following a 20-year career as a detention officer. Taking workshops and classes led him to performing and competing on improv teams. He trained at the Phoenix-based Torch Theatre, as well as in Los Angeles and Chicago, including the renowned iO Theater, whose alumni include Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert.

Eventually, he transitioned into teaching.

“I want them to feel the joy of it,” he says of his students.

As for the inaugural group, which he has dubbed “The First Five” of Copper Planet Improv, Gilmore says their commitment set the tone for what’s ahead.

“They pushed through the discomfort and jumped in feet first — which is very, very improv,” he says. “I predict great things for the First Five.”

Copper Planet Improv is offering another round of classes starting in January. To learn more and sign up, visit: www.copperplanetimprov.com

To read more about Copper Planet Improv, see our story “The Art of 'Yes And'” at globemiamitimes.com