Comedy that cares: Laughter is the best medicine at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
Mental wellness achieved through the arts
There is a mental health crisis in the United States.
In a 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation and CNN survey, 90% of Americans think this is true because of effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. They also believe most people who have mental illness are not able to get the care they need.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in a 2022 study confirmed an estimated 23% of Americans have some sort of mental illness, emotional disturbance or behavioral issue, from mild to acute.
“Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community,” according to a 2022 report by the World Health Organization.
More awareness and openness about mental health allow for more creative, alternative solutions for people who struggle with mental wellness. They should seek professional help for diagnosis and treatment and also consider supplemental approaches to enhance results.
By the numbers
Click on the images below to see full charts.
Data courtesy of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Photo courtesy of AP.
Can Stomping Ground Comedy Theater be part of the solution?
Stomping Ground's story
Facilitators Andrea Baum and Lindsay Goldapp demonstrate a name game that begins a caregivers workshop at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater, Nov. 17, 2024. Video by Sally Verrando
A group of people stand in a circle. A woman makes eye contact and says her name. She makes a simple gesture. The rest of group repeats the name and imitates, or mirrors, the motion three times.
Everyone in the circle takes a turn introducing themselves in a creative, fun way. This is an exercise that Stomping Ground Comedy Theater uses to start its Improv for Caregivers workshop — caregivers for people with Alzheimer's and other dementia.
“What would happen if we all just stood and looked at you?” facilitators Andrea Baum and Lindsay Goldapp ask the participants.
Answers from the group include feeling awkward, unheard and rejected.
The goal of the exercise is to demonstrate empathy for caregivers who are trying to help people with dementia feel accepted and connected.
Stomping Ground Comedy Theater uses improvisational theater games, which are the foundation of its mental health project Improv for Life. The programs focus on groups with similar life situations to work on specific goals: individuals with anxiety or with neurodiversity, healthcare workers and caregivers for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementia.
Goldapp demonstrates and Baum explains the Hand Brain Model involving emotions and communication. Photo by Sally Verrando
Goldapp demonstrates and Baum explains the Hand Brain Model involving emotions and communication. Photo by Sally Verrando
Goldapp demonstrates and Baum explains the Hand Brain Model involving emotions and communication. Photo by Sally Verrando
Goldapp demonstrates and Baum explains the Hand Brain Model involving emotions and communication. Photo by Sally Verrando
Co-founders Goldapp, a professional actor, and Baum, M. Ed., LPC — a licensed professional counselor — tag team the courses by directing the games and processing the psychology. Together, they say they help participants cope with stress, create emotional awareness, regulate emotions, improve communication, develop confidence and build supportive networks of relationships.
Goldapp, the executive and artistic director, and Baum, the Improv for Life director, launched Stomping Ground Comedy Theater and Training Center in 2017 as a nonprofit with a twist. Half of the focus is on comedy performances and classes, and the other half is dedicated to mental wellness courses.
“We use improv,” Baum said, “for mental health wellness, social emotional learning and therapeutic skills for unique-needs populations.” She incorporates different therapeutic methods, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, rapid resolution therapy, biofeedback and mindfulness.
Mark Pfeffer, a psychologist, and Becca Barish, a licensed social worker and the director of The Second City Training Center’s wellness program, developed one of the first courses of Improv for Anxiety in 2011. They based their course on elements of group therapy.
“We knew that improv was being used for mental health in other places around the world and that there was research to support that it was effective,” Goldapp said.
A 2017 “Thera-prov” pilot study in the Journal of Mental Health concluded that improv exercises could be “a strong and efficient treatment for patients with anxiety and depression.” Other studies followed and found similar results.
Photo by Sally Verrando
Photo by Sally Verrando
Photo by Sally Verrando
Photo by Sally Verrando
Photo by Sally Verrando
Photo by Sally Verrando
Baum and Goldapp knew of each other from Dallas Comedy House. Baum was studying improv and Goldapp was performing.
“Andrea saw me in a show at DCH,” Goldapp said. “Apparently she thought I was really funny. She emailed me out of the blue and asked me to pretend to be a psychic at her birthday party. I said yes because I was a working, gigging actress. It was a WILD night.”
When Goldapp wanted to open a venue in 2016, she said she reached out to Baum “because I knew she was a therapist and was a huge advocate for using improv as a tool for mental health and wellness.”
Baum revealed that starting a place like Stomping Ground was her dream and passion, said Goldapp.
Improv for Caregivers
When Baum was 15, her father had a brain injury. She said she tried to train in caregiving counseling when she first started her career, but it was emotionally difficult.
Later, she used her newly learned skills from improv to communicate with her dad.
“I saw a really big shift in how I felt and how Dad was feeling,” she said. "It was life-changing.”
Seeing a need in the community, Baum teamed up with Goldapp to start Stomping Ground.
The first three mental health workshops they introduced were Improv for Autism, Improv for Anxiety for Teens and Improv for Caregivers.
“We put a lot of effort into building the community and letting people experience the power of improv,” Goldapp said.
Andrea Baum leads an Improv for Life workshop. Photo courtesy of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
Andrea Baum leads an Improv for Life workshop. Photo courtesy of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
Andrea Baum leads an Improv for Life workshop. Photo courtesy of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
Andrea Baum leads an Improv for Life workshop. Photo courtesy of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
Andrea Baum leads an Improv for Life workshop. Photo courtesy of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
Andrea Baum leads an Improv for Life workshop. Photo courtesy of Stomping Ground Comedy Theater
The goal is not to drop the ball as it gets passed around the circle. The ball represents a simple task like tying shoes. As the ball is passed, other objects are added — ribbons, small plastic toys, tote bags — and passed in both directions. The pace speeds up. Someone says to hurry. Don't drop the ball!
Click below to listen as Baum and Goldapp demonstrate a metaphor of what it's like inside the head of a person with dementia.
The purpose of this exercise is to build empathy for people with Alzheimer’s. The workshop participants express frustration handling all the objects with the additional noises that distract them.
A Facebook post from Stomping Ground Comedy Theater, Nov. 13, 2024.
Improv for Caregivers is funded by The Dallas Foundation and AWARE Dallas, providing grants for Alzheimer’s projects, programs and research in North Texas.
“Stomping Ground’s program Improv for Caregivers is the exact type of program we love to support,” said Karen Koop, president of AWARE North Texas. For 35 years, AWARE has supported local nonprofits that help people affected by Alzheimer's and dementia.
“Providing engagement, community, laughter and coping skills through their workshops can be of great benefit to any caregiver, family member or friend of a person living with dementia,” she said.
“Improv for Caregivers taught me more than communication skills — it opened my heart and mind. It gave me the tools to find gratitude and a renewed appreciation for my loved one with dementia, enriching not only our relationship but every relationship in my life.” Anonymous workshop participant
Stomping Ground has anonymously surveyed 750 participants to measure the success of Improv for Caregivers. Goldapp listed the top three goals of the program and the results:
Goal #1 To build confidence in family caregivers
79.5% satisfaction rate
Goal #2 To build capability in family caregivers
78.3% satisfaction rate
Goal #3 To build resilience in family caregivers
90.9% satisfaction rate
Improv for Anxiety
“We really built our programs with our unique experience and skills combined —Andrea's as a psychotherapist, who had studied improv, and mine as an improv veteran, who had experienced the benefits of improv for my severe anxiety.”
Lindsay Goldapp
Jen Small was a participant in Improv for Anxiety.
She said she entered the first class “unbelievably anxious. That fear of the unknown can become incapacitating in some ways.”
Small said she started to feel comfortable by the fourth class.
“You have to create connections amongst your group for improv to work, for the games to be fun,” she said. “You build a community while you're learning to be your authentic self.”
Frances Wyatt is another Improv for Anxiety participant.
“It starts with a big football in my stomach,” Wyatt said. “It can take me literally hours to talk myself into picking up a phone and calling somebody, just because the anxiety is so overwhelming.”
Wyatt said she knew after the first class that the Improv for Anxiety program was better for her than talk therapy.
“The anxiety still comes up, but I'm much more willing to push it down, to try to step over it and try new things.”
Andrea Baum (right) directs an Improv for Life workshop. She says the satisfaction rates for other classes are similar to those for caregiver workshops. Photo by Sally Verrando
Andrea Baum (right) directs an Improv for Life workshop. She says the satisfaction rates for other classes are similar to those for caregiver workshops. Photo by Sally Verrando
Andrea Baum (right) directs an Improv for Life workshop. She says the satisfaction rates for other classes are similar to those for caregiver workshops. Photo by Sally Verrando
Andrea Baum (right) directs an Improv for Life workshop. She says the satisfaction rates for other classes are similar to those for caregiver workshops. Photo by Sally Verrando
Andrea Baum (right) directs an Improv for Life workshop. She says the satisfaction rates for other classes are similar to those for caregiver workshops. Photo by Sally Verrando
Andrea Baum (right) directs an Improv for Life workshop. She says the satisfaction rates for other classes are similar to those for caregiver workshops. Photo by Sally Verrando
A feature of the Improv for Anxiety class is a service bell.
Whenever a participant feels anxiety creeping in, at any time, they can ring the bell, stop the activity and proclaim the anxiety out loud.
The bell-ringing sometimes takes on a life of its own as it triggers more people to react in rapid succession. Anxieties turn into giggles. Then laughter.
The stage at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater. Photo by Sally Verrando
The stage at Stomping Ground Comedy Theater. Photo by Sally Verrando
More arts resources for mental wellness
Cynthia Evetts, a retired occupational therapist, is a board member and facilitator at The Art Room in Denton. Members can create all sorts of visual art, including painting, jewelry, ceramics, paper, fiber arts and more. Art is used as therapy to help improve mental wellness. Photo by Sally Verrando
The Art Room
The Art Room in Denton began in 2019 as a nonprofit studio for people with mental health issues to explore self expression through visual art. The goal is to provide a safe space for artistic expression, reducing stress and creating emotional healing. The use of the studio and supplies are free to all members.
"We hope to demonstrate that engaging in art is therapeutic," according to the website. The programs are not formal art therapy or clinical trauma therapy.
To become a member, a participant fills out a confidential application. An interview clarifies the needs and expectations of both parties.
"We want to keep a real safe zone and make sure that people are there for a common purpose," said Cynthia Evetts, a board member and facilitator at the Art Room. Each session is staffed by volunteers experienced in art and a mental health.
Members need to function independently, physically and cognitively, she said. They are not staffed for one-on-one consultations or help with behavioral management.
The Art Room offers open studio sessions and specific therapeutic programs.
It works with Denton County support groups to provide Arts for Veterans with instructional classes. Once some vets experience the benefits of creating art in a safe space, Evetts said, they come to open studio sessions, as well.
Studio 416 is dedicated to high school students. "The decision was made to have a special studio just for the teens so they didn't mix in with adults," she said. "We could have special programming that would really speak to them."
The Art Room in Denton displays shelves of participants' artwork. Photo by Sally Verrando
A 3-D Art Room project of colorful beads and paper butterflies. Photo by Sally Verrando
Evetts, a retired occupational therapist, leads a class called Therapeutic Thursdays that's different from open studio sessions. "Some people were looking for a little more structure, a little more guidance in how to do art that would help them work through their mental health concerns," she said.
Artists, mental health professionals and the general public can volunteer at The Art Room. But the nonprofit is not staffed for one-on-one consultations or help with behavioral management, said Evetts.
Volunteers and members are not required to have art experience, just an interest in it. The Art Room needs volunteers for the art sessions, as well as events like art markets, exhibitions and its fundraiser, The Positive Cycology Ride. It's a community bike ride in May that promotes Mental Health Awareness month and The Art Room's programs.
"It's reaching out to a broader community and not just people who struggle," Evetts said. "Everybody should be taking care of their mental health, right?"
Amphibian Stage — DE-CRUIT
Amphibian Stage in Fort Worth hosts a program called DE-CRUIT that helps incarcerated military veterans. It uses Shakespeare's monologues to help increase emotional regulation and decrease the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, mood swings and addictions.
The idea began as an autobiographical one-man show written and performed by U.S. army veteran Stephan Wolfert. The script was based on his experiences in the military and adjusting to civilian life afterwards. Then, in 2017, he started a therapeutic program in Los Angeles called DE-CRUIT (the opposite of recruit).
It's scientifically evaluated under the guidance of the New York University’s Department of Applied Psychology with data from electroencephalograms (EEGs), heart coherence therapy and psychological surveys, according to the website of Amphibian Stage. De-Cruit is an approved diversion program for the Tarrant County Veteran’s Treatment Court.
Mitchell Stephens, a classically trained actor and graduate of Texas Christian University, started facilitating the local version of the program in 2018 at the Tarrant County Green Bay Facility. The COVID-19 pandemic created a temporary suspension of the program. Green Bay is a medium-security jail for inmates serving short sentences or waiting for trial and sentencing dates.
Mitchell Stephens facilitates Amphibian Stage's De-Cruit program, working with incarcerated veterans in Tarrant County. He directs them in reciting Shakespearian monologues to help them learn about regulating their emotions. Photo by Sally Verrando
De-Cruit in 2017 was founded by Stephen Wolfert, a U.S. Army veteran. Beginning as a one-man show, he transformed it into a national program. Mitchell Stephens has led the program since 2019 for Amphibian Stage. Image by Adobe Stock
"I am in no way licensed or accredited and cannot offer any sort of psychological or psychiatric advice," he said. He uses his Shakespeare training to direct inmates through intense emotions that emerge from the monologues.
"I never force anyone to do anything they don't want to do," he said. "But I do encourage them to try and surprise themselves. Everyone gets an opportunity to read some Shakepeare aloud."
England has a history of skirmishes and wars, he said. Shakespeare wrote of war, and his contemporary audience could relate to those experiences firsthand.
"A lot of the text that we pull from is easy for veterans to attach to because it is a shared experience," Stephens said. "It can be applicable to anyone who may have experienced trauma in their lives but aren't necessarily veterans. Ultimately, it's self-guided trauma therapy."
Stephens said his main goal is to provide incarcerated veterans with tools to reframe difficult thought patterns and to reclaim ownership of their emotions and of themselves.
"To remove guilt and shame," he said, "and not to remove responsibilty. To talk to themselves a little bit more compassionately so that when they do get out of jail, they stay out of jail."
Built with Shorthand
