This week's episode features Bart Sumner…
In 2009 Bart Sumner’s life was shattered when his 10-year-old son, David, suffered a traumatic brain injury at football practice and died in his arms. Finding a way back to the road forward in a world where mourners are told “He’s in a better place” or to “Get over it” is a daunting and painful journey. He came to realize that the twenty-five plus years he spent as a performer and teacher of improvisational comedy was not only the key to his own survival, but also a powerful tool to help others mired in grief.
Born and raised in New Jersey, Bart has been a professional Actor/SAG-AFTRA Member since 1990. He’s trained and performed with The Groundlings, Universal Studios, Hollywood, among other theatres. Though he initially was drawn to improv to try and be funny, he found it to be an incredibly powerful tool for processing grief. He is the author of Healing Improv: A Journey Through Grief to Laughter and teaches improv at the Comedy Fort in Fort Collins, Colorado.
In this episode…
From Bart, when asked how improv has improved his life offstage, “Helped me find a way forward after the death of my 10 year old son David”
Connect with Bart on Facebook and check out his book Healing Improv: A Journey Through Grief to Laughter
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