Volunteer Spotlight: Krystal Ramseur
Krystal Ramseur, a performer with the Washington Improv Theather (WIT), leads a weekly improvisation class for women experiencing homelessness as part of Calvary Women’s Services’ education programs.
The collaboration began when Calvary staff reached out to WIT about providing programming to assist the clients in communication and self-expression.
For more than 19 years, the mission of WIT has been to unleash the creative power of improv in Washington, DC. That has certainly been the case at Calvary. Each week Krystal is delighted to watch women tap into their creativity and bring to life a wide variety of characters and scenarios.
We had a chance to catch up with Krystal after one of her dynamic classes and to hear about her experiences leading improvisation with the women at Calvary.
How would you describe your volunteer role at Calvary?
Through storytelling and acting exercises, I help women gain confidence in self-expression and public speaking.
How did you get started volunteering at Calvary?
The Washington Improv Theater was starting a new project with Calvary Women’s Services. I felt like this was the perfect opportunity for me. I work at an adult charter school, so coming into this class I already had a lot of experience with adult education.
Tell us about one of your favorite experiences leading this class.
What has struck me the most about facilitating this class is how much the women have enjoyed it. I’ve had several women approach me afterward and tell me how surprised they are to be having so much fun. I myself have been surprised by the acting range of the women. They really get into the characters in each scene and come up with some great lines.
Aside from gaining more confidence with speaking in front of a group, do you think there are other benefits to participating in these kinds of activities?
I can tell that a lot of the women really appreciate having a physical outlet and a comfortable setting where they can share their feelings with each other. Every class we start with a “stretch and share” activity. It’s wonderful to watch the women open up and also really listen to each other.
