More than laughs: Improvising for life’s situations

When most people hear the word “improv,” they might think of the quickwitted antics of “Whose Line is it Anyway?” But David Grissom, a veteran comedy writer and performer, wants locals to know that improvisation is more than a gimmick for television.

It’s a form of theater that can spark creativity and critical thinking, build confidence, and even change lives, he said, adding that he’s bringing all that to stages — and corporate offices — in the Shoals.

When Grissom realized that several principles that he learned in improvisation translated well to other areas of his life, he took that idea and ran with it, eventually founding his own company, Positively Funny, Inc., which branches into five divisions. Those are corporate training, corporate entertainment, teen-specific educational outreach, improv training for the public as well as actors, and public performances.

Before he was teaching his craft, however, Grissom was discovering how transformative theater could be in his own life. It was a journey that began for him in his early 20s.

AsakidinBirmingham, he was bullied and often skipped school, unsure of where he fit. He never expected to one day write for hit television shows like “3rd Rock from the Sun” or train with the legendary Second City in Chicago, the improv birthplace of comedy icons like Gilda Radner and Tina Fey.

“My path into theater was an accident,” he admitted with a laugh. “In creative writing, I got Ds and Cs. I was just bored in high school. I didn’t like it. Even though I was the funny one, so to speak, I was a loner. I wasn’t a geek, I wasn’t a football player — and you know, football in the South is everything. I just didn’t find solace in any of that.”

After his high school graduation, Grissom left for Atlanta, Georgia, and found work with Hyatt Hotels.

“The promoted me to a corporate level office, and that took me to Chicago,” he said.

It was there that Grissom was introduced to improv, which changed the trajectory of his career. For years, he spent his time bouncing back and forth from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California, in between writing seasons.

After retiring as a screenwriter in 2008, Grissom broadened his horizons further and lived in Paris, France, for a little over two years. When his mother’s health began to fail, prompting a move back to the States, Grissom decided to pick up theater again.

He launched Birmingham’s first dedicated improv theater — putting in much of the physical work himself — and for seven years, his company, Positively Funny, staged regular performances, taught classes and built a community of players and fans.

“We had people who came in painfully shy, and improv gave them permission to play as adults,” Grissom said. “One of our students was a postman. He started in our beginner class, and by the end, he was performing in shows. It completely changed his confidence.”

The company also offered workshops for caregivers, wounded veterans, and abuse survivors. One session for families of dementia patients stands out to Grissom.

“You can’t argue with someone who has dementia,” he explains. “That’s their reality. Improv teaches you to accept and build on what’s given to you — the ‘Yes, and’ philosophy. That idea makes a huge difference, not just on stage but in real life.”

Corporate America caught on too. Grissom and his team worked with companies across the Southeast on team building, leadership, conflict resolution, and communication.

“It’s about learning to truly hear people, not just wait for your turn to talk,” he said. “That’s improv at its core.”

But just as Birmingham’s improv scene was hitting its stride, the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt. The theater Grissom had invested heavily in closed its doors. “It was heartbreaking,” he said. “We had really found our groove, but like so many others in the arts, we just couldn’t weather the shutdowns.”

After the loss, Grissom considered retirement again. His sister had a river house in north Alabama, and he moved to the Shoals to help with family matters. The idea of restarting improv stayed in the back of his mind, though. With deep family roots in Russellville and cousins nearby, the area began to feel like home.

Now, Positively Funny is relaunching in Muscle Shoals, rolling out classes and workshops grounded in improv this fall. As he continues sharing the principles the artform taught him with business leaders and anyone else who feels they may benefit from learning those techniques, Grissom is also hoping to build a troupe of local performers and eventually stage regular shows.

“The first step is education,” he said. “We’ll teach classes, find people with talent, and build from there. That’s the same model we used successfully in Birmingham. Longterm, who knows? Maybe there will be an improv theater in the Shoals.”

In addition to public performances and training, Positively Funny continues its educational outreach under the banner of Perform-4-A-Purpose, a project Grissom founded to help teens resist bullying and make positive choices. He sees the Shoals as fertile ground for expanding that mission.

“Our overall philosophy is socio-positive,” he said. “We keep it clean, family friendly, and encouraging. You don’t have to use shock humor to get a laugh. It’s still hysterical without it.”

At 64, Grissom could be slowing down. Instead, he’s building again — true to the improv rule of saying “Yes, and …” “I didn’t realize the impact I’d had on people until I stepped away,” he said. “When I moved from Birmingham, my inbox was full of messages from students saying how much improv had changed their lives. That left me in tears.

“It reminded me why I love it. You’re not working when you’re having fun — and we had a lot of fun.”

DID YOU KNOW? 

ABOUT: The Positively Funny Improv company began performing in Birmingham in 2010 and began training in improvisation, comedy writing and stand-up comedy. Since that time, PFI Solutions was born as the company in the region that offers improv-based corporate workshops and team-building events. Founder David Grissom is thrilled to bring these principles to the Shoals this fall.  

CLASSES: “Intro to Improv Fundamentals,” “Master Level Improv,” “Long Form Improv” and others are available for registration online. 

CORPORATE WORKSHOPS: PFI Solutions has held workshops for companies like Vulcan Materials, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, America’s First Federal Credit Union, and many others. Programs include team building, leadership skills, creativity, communication skills, sales skills and customized options.  

CONTACT: To book a class or inquire about a PFI workshop, call 205-601-9333, send an email to dgrissom@positivelyfunnyinc.com or go to www.positivelyfunnyimprov.com.