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PlayMD.ph

Supporting healthcare communication & collaboration mindsets and skills via improv principles and purposeful play!

05/08/2026

As improvisers, we are trained to jump in and engage with what each and every moment calls for. And last Saturday, we didn’t expect that this meant being physically, mentally, and emotionally involved. We loved every minute of it!

In “Life is a Joke!”, Paolo Salazar gently introduced us to clowning. He reminded us about getting out of our heads, finding freedom in failure, taking care of our audiences, leaning into our sense to absorb and reflect what we see, and the power of physicality without words. (Clown eyes hits different now after our session!)

And if there is one precious thing that we took away from his workshop, that would be Delight. Seeking and finding delight in everything that we do and the situations we find ourselves in.

Delight can be defined (and I may be wrong in this but this is how I understand it) as a nuanced joy one feels just by simply being in the moment. It is, for me, actively choosing to see things with wonder and awe and celebrating discovery.

This session beautifully prods us to seek delight and bring joy to how we “yes, and” offers.

Thank you, Paolo! We really felt how you took care of us and held space for us to get out of our heads and just play. Maraming salamat!

📷 by Zander Salvador, Pedro Puzon, and Paolo Salazar.

04/08/2026

Love is arguably the scaffolding underneath improvisation. “Yes, And” is a language of love before it’s a technique.

Hear me out. Your partner gives you something vulnerable and unfinished. And instead of correcting, denying, or making it about you, you receive it as something worth building on. This is listening and co-creating in any relationship. This is, well, love.

Think about it. Acceptance, generosity, presence, and trust are not only drive improvisation but are also key components found in working relationships. All point to love.

And during this birthday month of PlayMD, I’d like to cast light on love in the context of improvisation. Why we fell in love with it. And how it underlies the stories we tell, the relationships we create, and the craft that we passionately pursue.

Play fully invested. Play fully committed. Play fully in love.

03/08/2026

Meet Paolo Salazar, our clowning facilitator last Saturday. I dove into his “Life is a Joke!” workshop having this notion that we would just mime stuff and do what clowns stereotypically do.

But this guy changed all that. He opened our eyes (Apparently, physically having big eyes is a big thing in clowning.) and redefined what this craft can offer.

And one thought resonated with me the most. He reframed clowning as a way to heal people. And through it, attempting to heal people heals you.

And about this healing angle. Paolo was mentored by Dan Griffiths, Founder of The House of Clown. Dan was, in turn, mentored by Patch Adams. (What?! I was inspired by Patch during med school days. Talk about degrees of separation!)

I have never been this tired and spent after a workshop! As in! Heart, mind and body were fully engaged. Sobra.

Paolo made it feel easy, fun, and non-threatening. By the end if the day, we were physically exhausted but our hearts felt full. And we know that we barely scratched the surface. This chapter needs to be continued. Looking forward to it!

31/07/2026

“I came to appreciate that improvisation is less about acting and more about reacting — to others in a scene, to the audience, to the present.”

“I discovered that skilled improvisation is merely the interpersonal equivalent of having insight and being adapt able.”

“At Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, for example, one seminar utilizes improvisational theater practices to improve communication, cognition, and teamwork.”

“Research has shown that such [improv] training can enhance physician-patient communication, and thus improv diagnostic accuracy, patients’ adherence to treatment, and overall patient satisfaction. Furthermore, improved communication with patients can reduce physicians’ job-related stress, burnout, and litigation risk.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2016/08/what-improv-can-teach-tomorrows-doctors/497177/

30/07/2026

There is a shared culture among improvisers that I love. And you see it when they come together. It reveals its beauty when you see people from different backgrounds, unique stories, and varied levels of improv play together.

There is an unspoken agreement of mutual support, respect and care born from having a shared language, common principles, and a collective goal to build something as a group.

Imagine if all everyday interactions were like this? Where you can come as you are and play, knowing that the people who are present operate on a default setting of keeping everyone safe. No judgment. No one-upmanship. Just encouragement and celebration.

Yes Andi’s musical improv intensive is one such a space. And it runs for two more Sundays. Walk-ins are very much welcome!

Photo by Em Guevara.

27/07/2026

Red noses, big shoes, funny antics. Clowning always reminds me of scenes from Patch Adams - a person that has intrigued me ever since med school and has even influenced my views on healthcare and patients.

But having a conversation with Paolo Salazar opened my eyes to what this craft really provides. He gave me a glimpse of what clowning offers. And I became even more curious, drawn and excited!

With 15 years of experience in clowning, Paolo holds a BFA in Acting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, where he studied physical theater and clowning under the mentorship of Dan Griffiths, founder of The Church of Clown.

As his pedagogy, Paolo believes that “clowning is a universal language capable of fostering human connection across borders.” Through clowning, he aims to help communities “navigate uncertainty through humor, humility, and freedom found in failure”.

Life is a Joke!
Clowning for Improvisers
with Paolo Salazar

EPC Studio
August 1, 2026
Saturday
2-6PM

Hosted by PlayMD and Bimpo Improv.
Posters by Paolo Salazar.

26/07/2026

Having the capacity to make choices on the fly involves being aware of why we make them in the first place. This opens our views to other possible choices we can make.

Self-awareness breaks mental habits and reveals new options. And understanding your internal drivers creates a mental pause between your first impulse and your final action.

Theatre proxemics, metacognition, ideation and storytelling. Yesterday was a mouthful. Thank you taking more than just a bite, Bimpo.

23/07/2026

A scene usually starts with an offer, which is any word, idea, or action that two people can build on together.

Easy offers are clear and specific with tangible specificity. They are gifts that we can easily take a bite out of and derive meaning from. Because that is one of the gift of improv - the gift of seeing choices.

Studying long form continues this week with Montage, where a single prompt can give rise to multiple stories.

Where we can practice listening, creating characters, and building relationships while choosing our own adventures.

22/07/2026

Fear is just another form of excitement. Both have the same physiological response. There is the cortisol and adrenaline rush, the increased heart rate, and the heightened focus.

The only difference is how your brain labels it. And labelling matters because it determines whether you lean on to it or pull away.

Last Sunday, I felt fear again while stepping onto the stage. And that takot or kaba to fail or make mistakes while people watched felt … good. Nakakamiss.

It’s crazy how that little shift in mindset can totally rewire how you deal with such situations. And that’s just one of the things you learn with improv.

I went to the Yes Andi Musical
Improv Intensive thinking I was there to just help with the documentation and logistics. Thanks Andi and guys for asking me to jump in at times. You make it feel safe! Kinabahan ako and it felt great!

The intensive runs for 3 more Sundays and everybody is welcome to walk in and join the fun!

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