A reporter covering a local parade witnesses the unthinkable. In a secluded corner, the town’s mayor is arguing with his teenage daughter, shoving her repeatedly. Should the reporter take a photo of this private moment? Then he notices the mayor reaching for a sharp object. What now? Should he intervene on the girl’s behalf or remain an objective observer?

In a recent communications course, undergraduates watched this scene unfold, with actors playing the roles of reporter, mayor, and daughter. At key moments in the drama, the actors would freeze, allowing the students to decide how the reporter should respond. The scene would then continue based on the students’ decisions.

The classroom improvisation is part of an innovative new program, UWOnCue, developed by Jim Boggs, a graduate student in communications with an extensive performing arts background. "It may sound corny," says Boggs, "but I see this as a way to use art to make a difference in the world. That’s my main motivation."

Since the program was introduced last summer, the group has "performed" in more than 40 classes across campus, covering topics ranging from sexual harassment to intercultural negotiations.

Each scenario is designed in collaboration with the course instructor to achieve the instructor’s specific goals. The actors—nearly two dozen undergraduates have been recruited—receive training in improvisation and classroom facilitation before entering the classroom. Interns Jeni Maier and Erin Hurme, both undergraduate drama majors, lead the recruitment and training efforts.

The improvisational nature of the performances—allowing the class to influence the scene—is a significant aspect of the program. "Through UWOnCue, we get to show students how the decisions they make impact people," explains Boggs. "We take those decisions to their logical conclusion. Students see that these are complex, messy problems."

No improvisation has been more eye-opening than one presented to journalism students on trauma reporting. An actor enters the room, distraught over the news that his wife has been killed in a shooting incident. Students must act as reporters and decide how to interview the grieving spouse.

"Because the topic is particularly disturbing, the professor sets up this improvisation carefully ahead of time, emphasizing that this is just a role play," says Boggs. "But we’ve done it six times and the class is always very emotional. If a performance is good, the walls drop away and there is no barrier between the students and the actor. They begin to see him as someone whose wife has just been killed and who is traumatized."

"The intensity is palpable," agrees Roger Simpson, professor of communications and the course’s instructor. "Students aren’t looking at abstractions; they are experiencing what appears to be a powerful reality in the classroom."

Not all of the students handle the mock interview with aplomb. But through the process they learn a great deal, both about trauma reporting and about themselves. "Many of our students will be covering the results of violent crimes," says Simpson. "By simulating a trauma situation, it really forces students to face the experience and then talk about it. It has really added an important element to the course."

Now that UWOnCue is well established, is Boggs taking a moment to sit back and relax? Hardly. He is now in contact with K-12 teachers, in hopes of introducing UWOnCue to a broader audience.