Since July 2012, the Black Box Improv Theater in downtown Dayton has been providing audiences the most unique form of entertainment each Thursday-Saturday night. As for the improvisers themselves, performing at the prestigious Del Close Marathon in New York City at the famed Upright Citizens Brigade Theater has allowed them to take their honorable place within the improv community nationally. The success of the theater is due to the incredible dedication from owner Justin Howard.
With a resume that includes studying at the iO theater in Chicago and the Upright Citizens Brigade in New York City, Howard has become sought after in the outside world. For example, Howard was a featured speaker at the inaugural TEDx talks in Dayton and has been invited back each year to participate in the annual event; most recently putting on an improvised musical with other Black Box improvisers. Howard was looked to by Harvard Business School; teaching improv workshops to MBA students on their campus.
Howard’s skills in business, communication, and of course improv performance have now allowed him to officially launch Black Box Consulting, a division of The Black Box Theater. “”We’ve been offering workshops since we opened the doors in 2012,” Howard states. “But now we’re offering a full menu of programs for businesses to benefit from, and we wanted an online presence dedicated to those services.”
With Black Box Consulting, Howard offers workshops and improvisational training for every aspect. The courses will be tailored for a specific department or applied to staff cross-sections for maximum collaborative impact. By employing improv within their daily tasks, employees will work together more effectively, communicate clearly, think on their feet more quickly, and ultimately improve the bottom line.
Businesses interested in engaging Howard and his team for organizational training should contact Howard directly on the new site outsideblackbox.com.
For improv show updates or to buy tickets, visit www.daytonblackbox.com.
