Bold Choices: MaryAnn McKibben Dana

Sometimes life takes you in unexpected directions. When those unforeseen twists and turns occur, we are faced with a choice. We can stay stuck in our rigid expectations, or we can find ways to shift and adapt.

For our guest, Reverend MaryAnn McKibben Dana, this second option is a way of saying "yes, and" to the new realities we are given by God.

This is the subject of her new book, God, Improv, and the Art of Living.

As Dana notes, this philosophy of "yes, and" is central to the practice of improvisation, as it is taught at centers like The Second City in Chicago, which specialize in this "third space" between theater and standup comedy.

You can hear an extended interview with MaryAnn McKibben Dana (commercial free!), as well as other bonus audio, when you support us with a monthly Patreon donation. Thank you! 

According to Rev. Dana, the lessons learned on the improv stage can apply to the art of preaching and the art of living. She sees examples of Jesus practicing the philosophy of improv in the gospels, and she sees plenty of examples in her own life. 

For Dana, the practice of improv encourages us to make bold choices, and to live toward the consequences - wherever those might lead.

We spoke to MaryAnn McKibben Dana in our 2012 season, in a discussion of her book Sabbath in the Suburbs. You can listen to that interview here.