Improv isn’t just a method; it’s a mindset. It’s about saying “Yes, and…” to the absurdities we encounter and using them as springboards for humor and critique. Improv works because it embraces spontaneity and the unexpected. It allows me to take a half-formed idea and run with it until it morphs into something unique, layered, and often hilariously accurate.

In creating Progress City, I imagine myself on stage, riffing with an audience of everyday citizens who’ve all had their share of baffling modern experiences. The scenes I create are based on those shared experiences—being stuck in traffic, dealing with automated customer service, or attempting to curate the perfect Instagram post while our real lives are falling apart behind the scenes.

From Improv to Parody: Building Satire Brick by Brick

Let’s take a simple, mundane concept and put it through the “Yes, and…” filter of Progress City improv. How about the self-checkout machine? On the surface, it’s just a convenience tool, right? But look deeper with an improv mindset, and it becomes a symbol of our society’s obsession with efficiency and our growing reliance on technology to replace human interaction.

Step 1: Say “Yes, and…”

• Yes, self-checkout is supposed to make things faster and easier.
• And yet, every time we use it, we end up begging for help from the lone cashier who’s monitoring 10 machines at once, like a stressed-out god overseeing a chaotic digital afterlife.

Step 2: Exaggerate for Effect What if, in Progress City, the self-checkout machine becomes a sentient entity? It’s not just a tool—it’s an overly confident, passive-aggressive store manager in training, judging us as we try to scan our items.

Step 3: Create the Satire In Progress City, the self-checkout machine isn’t there to help you; it’s there to evaluate you. You’re not just scanning your groceries—you’re participating in a live performance review. The machine has a voice like a chipper middle manager and offers commentary:

• “Oh, trying to scan that organic avocado? Someone’s fancy! Let me guess, you’ll post this on Instagram later with the hashtag #CleanEating, right?”
• “Unexpected item in bagging area? More like unexpected life choice, Susan. You bought the family-sized ice cream after claiming you’re on a diet—good luck with that!”

We could even build a whole narrative around it: The self-checkout system has evolved into JudgmentBot 3000, part of a new initiative in Progress City’s retail sector where your consumer habits are analyzed in real-time. At the end of your shopping trip, it prints a receipt that’s half grocery list, half unsolicited life advice:

• “Receipt: Milk, Bread, Cereal, 6-Pack of Beer.”
• JudgmentBot: “Looks like someone’s got their breakfast and dinner sorted. Have you considered a salad once in a while? Also, here’s a coupon for therapy—you might need it.”

Turning Improv Scenes into Parody and Satire

This improv approach allows me to turn small, everyday annoyances into full-blown satire. It’s about taking the mundane and blowing it up into something so exaggerated that it becomes hilarious, yet still feels grounded in truth. The key is tapping into our shared frustrations and giving them a voice that says what we’re all thinking but never say out loud.

Another Example: The Influencer Economy in Progress City

Let’s look at another idea: the rise of the self-branding influencer. In Progress City, the influencer isn’t just a person—they’re a corporate entity with a legally registered trademark on their own personality. They’ve blurred the line between their authentic self and their marketable persona so much that they’ve forgotten who they really are.

Step 1: Improvise the Concept

• Imagine an influencer in Progress City who takes the concept of “personal brand” to its logical extreme. They’re like a human pop-up ad, constantly promoting themselves even in regular conversation.
• Influencer: “Oh hey, nice to meet you! By the way, this handshake is sponsored by my new line of ethically sourced hand lotion. Link in bio!”

Step 2: Exaggerate and Create Parody

• Let’s take it further. In Progress City, influencers don’t just sell products—they sell moments. They trademark their laugh, their smile, even the way they sigh with mild exasperation. They have to pay royalties every time they use their own facial expressions in a TikTok video.
• We could even imagine a Personality Licensing Bureau, where influencers line up to register their latest catchphrases:
  • Clerk: “So you’re trademarking ‘You Only Live Once, But Make It Profitable™’? Excellent choice. That’ll be $500 per use.”

Step 3: Construct the Satire The satire writes itself: In Progress City, authenticity is a marketable asset. People spend hours perfecting their “genuine” moments for the algorithm, and when they finally have a truly spontaneous experience, they’re paralyzed by the thought: Did I forget to hit record?

This isn’t just parody—it’s a critique of how we’ve commodified our own personalities, turning every moment into content for the endless feed of our digital existence.

The Intent Behind the Laughter

At the heart of it, the satire of Progress City isn’t just about making fun of modern life—it’s about shining a spotlight on our shared absurdities, showing us how far we’ve drifted from the things that once mattered. Through improv and comedy, I create a space where we can laugh at ourselves, confront our contradictions, and maybe, just maybe, start a conversation about how we can change course before we become a real-life parody of our own progress.

Progress City is a love letter to the ridiculous, an ongoing sketch comedy of our times. It’s my way of saying: Look at the mess we’ve made, and let’s find a way to laugh about it together—because laughter is the first step to realizing there’s something we might want to fix.

Improv and satire thrive on the delicate balance of humor and truth, and Progress City is where these elements come alive. By embracing the “Yes, and…” philosophy, we don’t just laugh at the quirks of modern life; we hold up a mirror to them, exaggerating their absurdities until they’re impossible to ignore. It’s a world that invites us to confront the hilarity and heartbreak of our collective progress with wit, creativity, and a dash of optimism.

So, let’s keep saying “Yes, and…”—to laughter, to critique, and to the hope that through humor, we can navigate the chaos of modernity and imagine something better. In Progress City, every punchline is an invitation to reimagine the punch.