Going to the sea is also an act of improvisation!

At first glance, improvisation theater and surfing seem worlds apart: one takes place on a stage, the other in the sea. However, both require the same skills: being present, having adaptability, and being attuned to the present moment – connection with the surrounding.

Improvisation theater is similar to surfing in that, in both practices, acceptance is fundamental. In both surfing and improvisation, we do not control environmental factors or nature, and therefore we adapt permanently. It is a practice that requires listening and perception. That is, being open to connection with the other and with the environment, and acting from there.

Both in an improvisation theater scene and when surfing a wave, that experience is unique and unrepeatable. Each wave happens in the present moment, is not controllable, is a phenomenon, and does not repeat itself in the same way, just like each improvised scene in theater.

One of the most important tools in the practice of improvisation theater is "Yes, and...", acceptance. 1 Through improvisational theater, we learn to flow through "yes!". Flowing is the secret to being creative. We build together, without forcing or controlling, but rather observing what we have, what is given to us by the other actors.

Porto Surf Femmes with actress, clown and improviser Marta Costa.

Marta Costa (b. 1987) is an actress, clown, and improviser who began her artistic career in 2005. She is a recognized Doctor Clown with Operação Nariz Vermelho since 2017, having developed her clowning practice at ClownLaboratori Porto. Drawing from a unique background that includes a Master's in Physical Education and extensive international theater training, Marta creates and performs her own shows, including “Aceitas?” (2015), “Balança” (2017), “Martha Coast Gim” (2022), "Albas" (2023), and Martandreia (2024). Finding improvisation at the crossroads of sport and theater, she co-founded the collective Ervilha No Topo do Bolo in 2019.