A&M-Texarkana Dean to Speak on Comic Improvisation

Dr. Del Doughty

Dr. Del Doughty, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences and Education at Texas A&M University-Texarkana, will present a Program for Learning and Community Engagement lecture titled “Comic Improv: The Migration of an Idea” on Friday, Nov. 17 at 11 a.m. in University Center 326 on the A&M-Texarkana campus at 7101 University Ave., Texarkana, Texas.

In this lecture, Dr. Doughty will be tracing the history of improvisation comedy.

“Improv began among social workers and immigrant children in turn-of-the-20th-century Chicago; today, improv is best known as a unique form of comedic theater that produces much of our entertainment talent—everyone from John Belushi and Chris Farley to Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert,” Dr. Doughty said. “It has applications in organizational leadership and peak performance studies, and now, thanks to things like functional MRI machines, scientists are beginning to study what happens in the brain when people improvise.  I’ll discuss all of that in the lecture and we’ll also play a few improv games to get the feel of the art form.”

PLACE is a faculty-led program designed to create a community of learners comprising A&M-Texarkana students, faculty, staff and the community at large. PLACE chooses an annual theme around which to organize a lecture series and other activities that provide focal points for learning and discussion. This year’s theme is “Science and Technology.”

For more information, contact Dr. Corrine Hinton, PLACE chair, at Corrine.Hinton@tamut.edu and visit the PLACE website at tamut.edu/PLACE.