Improv Stories for Nursing Home Residents – The Inciting Incident

The CEO of the two retirement communities I work for is a lover of spontaneity and play. He recently requested that I capitalize on available moments with staff and residents by trying on a little theater improv here and there.

So during a recent resident birthday party, I came up with some impromptu storytelling for our birthday residents, making them principal characters in their stories. I did this by asking some of the nearby staff to give me some hints about the individuals we were honoring. 

Once I had a nugget or two to work with, the storytelling began, one sentence at a time, utilizing the ideas that surfaced from the group. I encouraged the audience to be as imaginative as possible. One of the birthday residents used to be a member of her high school swim team. So, with the help of our playful participants, many delightful and humorous stories emerged. The following is just one example. The underlined words and phrases are those which were created ”popcorn” style as I left certain sentences unfinished with the invitation for others to complete the story lines.

Once upon a time there was born into the world a lovely individual named “Jane.” There was absolutely no one like her in the whole wide world. She had an amazing ability unlike anyone else which was the ability to swim in every way imaginable. She could swim from her home here in ____ to her old High School. She could do the crawl stroke and the Butterfly stroke. And alongside her swam a Doberman Pincher. Together they made waves. In fact, they made waves so big, they went into the sky. Once they got as high as the sky they hiccupped, which took them even higher until they fell down like the giant from Jack and the Beanstalk. But they weren’t hurt because, like Humpty Dumpty, they were put back together again and lived happily ever after.

So, maybe the above story example isn’t all that compelling. But, here’s what does make a story compelling:

What makes a story interesting is an “inciting incident” which disrupts the status quo. An inciting incident is the narrative “hook” that grabs the attention of the reader or audience member. It’s where the action begins. Then, what keeps things interesting is the rising action that builds as the principal character experiences change as he encounters obstacles and conflicts. But that’s another story.

Let’s face it. Nobody wants to watch a film or read a book where nothing happens. And nobody enjoys the same old, same old routine in the long-term care setting. So consider creating “inciting incidents” in the workplace such as the spontaneous birthday improv stories mentioned above. Change the status quo every now and then and you will not only experience greater pleasure in what you’re doing, but you will have created greater pleasure for those around you. And that’s what makes this whole journey all the more compelling.

Kareen King is a Registered Drama Therapist and founder of The Golden Experience, offering keynotes, concerts, and workshops to enrich lives in long-term care. For booking information, contact her at kking@thegoldenexperience.com.