“How to Prep with No Prep”: Utilizing Improvisational Techniques to Develop Comfortability within the Unknowns of Interpreting
Date: June 14th 2025 12:00 PM- 3:00 PM
Location: CHS 2017 N. Mendell Ave, Chicago IL Rooftop (rain location, 3rd floor training room)
Cost: $35.00
.3 CEUs PS
Presenter: Kayla McCaffrey

“How to Prep with No Prep” is a 3-hour, in-person improvisation-based workshop for all levels of interpreters. The workshop offers the opportunity to build confidence, adaptability, and comfort in navigating uncertainty through improvisational exercises. Participants will engage in group games that focus on embracing mistakes, staying present in the moment, and adapting to the unexpected of the interpreting process. Following a short break, the workshop will transition into paired storytelling activities based on real-life interpreting scenarios, helping participants prepare for the quick thinking and flexibility required in the field. Depending on time, the session will wrap up with either group activities or small presentations, encouraging a pace that balances fun and growth, while reinforcing the skills needed to interpret with confidence and ease in any situation.

Kayla McCaffrey (she/her) is a Chicago-based comedian, actor, and BEI Certified ASL-English interpreter. She has studied and performed improvisational comedy since 2014, and has trained at the University of Minnesota/Guthrie Theater (where she got her BFA in Acting), Second City’s Conservatory, Whole World Improv Theatre in Atlanta, Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France, and graduated from iO Theater’s longform improv program where she now performs with their Resident Company, Megalodonna, performing the signature Harold weekly. Around town, Kayla has performed at the Laugh Factory, Second City, iO, Annoyance Theatre, and too many bars to count. Her other improv team, Wolf Town, has performed at the Detroit Improv Festival, Kalamazoo Improv Festival, The Last Word Comedy festival, and internationally at Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and most recently in Scotland at the Edinburgh Improv Festival. She has taught workshops and classes in Washington, New York, Georgia and right here in the immaculate state of Illinois. Kayla is a firm believer in the spirit of play, and improv’s ability to help us tackle the delicious ambiguity of life. In interpretation, improvisational skills foster creative thinking, comfort in uncertainty, and flexibility and adaptability in the unknown. If you are looking to hone and develop skills when prepping without prep, this workshop is for you!