He’s a professor, not a performer. But take it from Paul Booth: He wouldn’t be the educator he is now if not for his on-stage past.
“Without a doubt, the most influential experience I had at UIUC was my time performing in Spicy Clamato, the short-form improv troupe,” the DePaul media and cinema studies associate professor says from Chicago.
“I was in the group from 2000-2003 and it has totally influenced how my life developed since. Improv teaches you a number of important skills — listening, thinking on your feet, ‘yes, and’ conversations, and confidence.
“As a professor today, I rely on the skills I honed on the stage at the Illini Union Courtyard Café in the early 2000s. My teaching stems a lot from my improv days, including the way I interact with students in the classroom, and the way I try to change things up, to make every class different and fun."
