Improv and Math Make Magic

In the year 2000, Chicago's famed Second City put on a new show titled "Second City 4.0". In this show was a sketch created by an amazing writer and comedian, Tami Sagher (@tambone). In the sketch Tami played a teacher proving that the square root of two is irrational. I still remember it to this day and think of it often when I am leading a proof in one of my classes. There are many lessons I take from that one scene that I reflect on. (I only wish I remembered the details of the sketch more)

First, a little background. I left a computer consulting gig in the year 1998. At this time I needed a life change and math education was going to be it. Turns out a brief 6 year stint performing improv in Chicago came along with my new teaching ambition. I trained at Second City and iO and performed at iO Chicago briefly as well as with the Improvaholics. This was an amazing time in my life where there was comedy and education but the two worlds did not cross often. I would teach by day and perform by night (sometimes well into the night). I would come to teach again bleary eyed in the morning and still do a good job. Improv made me a better observer, a better listener, and a better reactor. Certainly important attributes in any classroom. However, the beauty of math and humor of improv rarely intersected. Not until Sagher's sketch.

In this sketch, Sagher is a teacher presenting a proof that the square root of 2 is irrational. The proof is complete and correct - it would be familiar to most of you reading this. However, Sagher endures what most of us deal with on a day-to-day basis - somewhat if not wholly disinterested students. There is a lot of fun with the back and forth between students and teacher and the teacher's determination to deliver the proof with some history behind it.

I love the sketch for many reasons. For one it reminds me that I need to be on my toes with my students. Despite our students' not fully understanding the beauty of math, they should still be shown the beauty. Also, we need to roll with the punches. We shouldn't take ourselves too seriously. This is a fun business. Not many people get to do what we do - think, create, invent, interact, reflect, and impact. Which brings me to my last observation. I teach so many kids whose first passion is not math, but yet these students have talent in math. There are artists, writers, and actors who know their math. To them I say, "Look at what this person did with math. She performed it and put it out there in the medium she was most comfortable with." Math is in places we can't even imagine or in every place we imagine.

On a side note, I contacted Second City to see if I could get the script of the scene. Unfortunately, this is not available. The works at Second City are under lock and key. I get it - especially since this sketch is part of a current show (click the link for a shameless plug because I love improv that much). I wanted to use the proof/sketch in my class to share the art mixed with the math and celebrate the two together. It is my hope that at some point works like this scene can be shared when there seems to be some academic value. I promise I will not abuse the right to use. Please note that the person I contacted at Second City was more than helpful and pleasant.