--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I had a teacher who recommended I take…" description: "\"I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in Chicago - I'm from Evanston, Illinois - so I did improv classes at Improv Olympic, and that ki..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg" --- # I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in… ![“I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in Chicago - I'm from Evanston, Illinois - so I did improv classes at Improv Olympic, and that kind of opened me up.” quote by Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg) > “I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in Chicago - I'm from Evanston, Illinois - so I did improv classes at Improv Olympic, and that kind of opened me up.” [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Taking improv classes in Chicago opened her up, showing the power of stepping out of comfort zones. **In simple terms:** Improv expanded her horizons. Key Takeaway Try new creative experiences to grow. Themes personal growth creativity learning Mood encouraging optimistic Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - career development - public speaking - team building Key Concepts improvisation self‑discovery Questions to Reflect On - What fear holds you back from trying something new? - How can improv improve communication skills? A Different Perspective Improvisation may be intimidating for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chicago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) [Improv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improv/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) ## Related quotes > [I take improv classes. Improv is something I can use in any aspect of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vinny-guadagnino/i-take-improv-classes-improv-is-something-i-can-use-in-any-aspect-of/) [Vinny Guadagnino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vinny-guadagnino/) > [I graduated from Improv Olympic. I used to do standup comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/redfoo/i-graduated-from-improv-olympic-i-used-to-do-standup-comedy/) [Redfoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/redfoo/) > [I had been on this improv team at this really great improv theater. It's called iO now. It used to be called Improv Olympic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-bayer/i-had-been-on-this-improv-team-at-this-really-great-improv-theater-it/) [Vanessa Bayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-bayer/) > [Some of the people I've met in those first few weeks of even trying improv classes are still my friends now - 15, 17 years later.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-ash/some-of-the-people-i-ve-met-in-those-first-few-weeks-of-even-trying/) [Lauren Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-ash/) > [There are dozens and dozens of improv classes across the nation, but it really cannot be taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-guest/there-are-dozens-and-dozens-of-improv-classes-across-the-nation-but/) [Christopher Guest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-guest/) > [Doing improv really got me started in my whole career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/doing-improv-really-got-me-started-in-my-whole-career/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I'm really thankful for my improv background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-m-really-thankful-for-my-improv-background/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I've taught people in improv classes, then watched them move to Los Angeles to become Emmy winners and movie stars. That experience, for anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gethard/i-ve-taught-people-in-improv-classes-then-watched-them-move-to-los/) [Chris Gethard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gethard/) > [I did improv classes just like any kid would do soccer or gymnastics or swimming. At one of my showcases, my manager came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-kenney/i-did-improv-classes-just-like-any-kid-would-do-soccer-or-gymnastics/) [Emma Kenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-kenney/) > [I know how to have a conversation, but I've never done improv. I've never taken improv classes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brie-larson/i-know-how-to-have-a-conversation-but-i-ve-never-done-improv-i-ve/) [Brie Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brie-larson/) > [I was just dying to get out of the constraints of television, and the constraints of the parts I'd been playing. I had taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-matheson/i-was-just-dying-to-get-out-of-the-constraints-of-television-and-the/) [Tim Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-matheson/) > [“I moved to Chicago in 1992 to study improv and it was everything I wanted it to be. It was like a cult. People…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-moved-to-chicago-in-1992-to-study-improv-and-it-was-everything-i/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [ Life is improvisation. All of those \[improv\] classes were like church to me. The training had seeped into me and changed who I am. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/life-is-improvisation-all-of-those-improv-classes-were-like-church-to/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [Becoming a performer, comedian - anything other than a teacher, really - seemed very far-fetched. So I kind of split off into this separate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quinta-brunson/becoming-a-performer-comedian-anything-other-than-a-teacher-really/) [Quinta Brunson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quinta-brunson/) > [Working in comedies is not something I set out to do. But, I love it. I've taken some improv classes here and there, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erick-chavarria/working-in-comedies-is-not-something-i-set-out-to-do-but-i-love-it-i/) [Erick Chavarria](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erick-chavarria/) ## More by Lauren Lapkus > [That's what's so great, I get to play any character in the world. And I think that's one of the things that makes doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/that-s-what-s-so-great-i-get-to-play-any-character-in-the-world-and-i/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [The connective tissue between storytelling, advice, and comedy is passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/the-connective-tissue-between-storytelling-advice-and-comedy-is/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [The secret to podcast success is sticking with it and making it fun for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/the-secret-to-podcast-success-is-sticking-with-it-and-making-it-fun/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [Improv changed my life in the best way. I gained so much confidence and really learned how to use my sense of humor to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/improv-changed-my-life-in-the-best-way-i-gained-so-much-confidence/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I'm really thankful for my improv background.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-m-really-thankful-for-my-improv-background/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [Doing 'Comedy Bang! Bang!,' you have to play at the top of your abilities, so it is so fun to get that opportunity. I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/doing-comedy-bang-bang-you-have-to-play-at-the-top-of-your-abilities/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [Society is really coming to a point where they're not asking if women can be funny anymore. We all know they obviously are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/society-is-really-coming-to-a-point-where-they-re-not-asking-if-women/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I love watching people tell stories, because it's very vulnerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-love-watching-people-tell-stories-because-it-s-very-vulnerable/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [So many of my characters have really crazy physicalities, so it's really fun to be able to say, like, 'I'm an elf who's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/so-many-of-my-characters-have-really-crazy-physicalities-so-it-s/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I had always done broader characters, but going to UCB and speaking to my own voice was important for auditioning for TV and film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-had-always-done-broader-characters-but-going-to-ucb-and-speaking-to/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I think that by doing the podcast, I've grown to actually enjoy hosting a little more and realize that my role is a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-think-that-by-doing-the-podcast-i-ve-grown-to-actually-enjoy/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [Comedy is my first love; that's my main goal in life - to keep doing comedy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/comedy-is-my-first-love-that-s-my-main-goal-in-life-to-keep-doing/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I believe that each person can make a difference, but it's so slight that there's basically no point.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-believe-that-each-person-can-make-a-difference-but-it-s-so-slight/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I think I was always a class clown growing up and a funny kid. I never really knew how to channel that until I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-think-i-was-always-a-class-clown-growing-up-and-a-funny-kid-i-never/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [I often play characters on TV shows that are more sweet and naive and just kind of puppy-dog eyes, and I don't think I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-often-play-characters-on-tv-shows-that-are-more-sweet-and-naive-and/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) [Explore all 43 Lauren Lapkus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) ## More Chicago quotes > [I'm proud to say I had a bet with a guy from Chicago who said Chicago is windier and colder than Wyoming. Wyoming dominated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-leach/i-m-proud-to-say-i-had-a-bet-with-a-guy-from-chicago-who-said-chicago/) [Mike Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-leach/) > [I grew up in Synagogue in the boys' choir. We didn't listen to music in the house; only at temple. Then I went to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-patinkin/i-grew-up-in-synagogue-in-the-boys-choir-we-didn-t-listen-to-music-in/) [Mandy Patinkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-patinkin/) > [I worked a lot in Chicago's theater scene as a fight choreographer. And so I do have a lot of experience in stage combat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-offerman/i-worked-a-lot-in-chicago-s-theater-scene-as-a-fight-choreographer/) [Nick Offerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-offerman/) > [“Things are more like they are now...than they have EVER been before!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/uncle-arnie-mamath/things-are-more-like-they-are-now-than-they-have-ever-been-before/) Uncle Arnie Mamath > [This week I realized my dad will make you cry in the store if you make him mad. Also when your crossing the street…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-week-i-realized-my-dad-will-make-you-cry-in-the-store-if-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Whenever I was flying commercial, I would land in Chicago, and they would announce, 'Get your passports out.' It happened so often, I would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shahid-khan/whenever-i-was-flying-commercial-i-would-land-in-chicago-and-they/) [Shahid Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shahid-khan/) > [I loved 'Chicago Code;' I watched that a lot. It was great because it really captured the city - I'm from Chicago, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessy-schram/i-loved-chicago-code-i-watched-that-a-lot-it-was-great-because-it/) [Jessy Schram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessy-schram/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I'm from Chicago. And I was an actor in high school and college, and I wanted to see if I could make a run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-chandrasekhar/i-m-from-chicago-and-i-was-an-actor-in-high-school-and-college-and-i/) [Jay Chandrasekhar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-chandrasekhar/) > [“I will have both of you," he said. "My Sentinel and my city. And the GP will learn exactly how stubborn we both can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-neill/i-will-have-both-of-you-he-said-my-sentinel-and-my-city-and-the-gp/) [Chloe Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-neill/) > [You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-jahn/you-d-never-think-of-taking-a-cab-if-you-had-to-walk-a-mile-down/) [Helmut Jahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-jahn/) > [Perhaps the most typically American place in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-bryce/perhaps-the-most-typically-american-place-in-america/) [James Bryce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-bryce/) > [I feel there's a really raw quality in the Chicago theater community that's really special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiki-layne/i-feel-there-s-a-really-raw-quality-in-the-chicago-theater-community/) [KiKi Layne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiki-layne/) > [Chicago is unique. It is the only completely corrupt city in America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-edward-merriam/chicago-is-unique-it-is-the-only-completely-corrupt-city-in-america/) [Charles Edward Merriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-edward-merriam/) > [Chicago, to me, is the best wrestling crowd on the planet. They are the best. They are loud, they are ruthless, and they will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldust/chicago-to-me-is-the-best-wrestling-crowd-on-the-planet-they-are-the/) [Goldust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldust/) [Browse all 1,655 Chicago quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chicago/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in Chicago - I'm from Evanston, Illinois - so I did improv classes at Improv Olympic, and that kind of opened me up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lauren Lapkus" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-improv-classes-in-chicago-i-m/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chicago" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-improv-classes-in-chicago-i-m/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebb/lauren-lapkus-15283_chicago_i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-i_716524.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in Chicago - I'm from Evanston, Illinois - so I did…” — Lauren Lapkus", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lauren Lapkus", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I had a teacher who recommended...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-improv-classes-in-chicago-i-m/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/i-had-a-teacher-who-recommended-i-take-improv-classes-in-chicago-i-m/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```