Maria teaches the beginner's improv course in Estonian together with Rahel and also leads jams.
She has been doing improv since 2013, both in Estonia and abroad. She has been one of the organisers of the international improv festival Tilt, and today you can enjoy her performing on stage as a member of the improv group Särinad.
Here are some questions from Improkool students that might help you get to know her a little better.
How did your improv journey begin?
I had watched the US TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? at a volleyball camp, knew a little about improv, and that it was cool. Around 2013, by a twist of fate, I met a complete stranger in a dumpling café who was on their way to an improv class. The stranger invited me to join, too, and so I started taking classes from Rahel Otsa. The stranger became a friend and fellow improviser.
Later, I joined the improv troupe Jaa !mproteater, and when I moved to Scotland in 2016, I became a member of the local improv troupe Wildly Unprepared. After returning to Estonia, I came back to study at Rahel Otsa Improkool, and I’ve been here since 2023.
What do you do in your free time and professionally?
I work at a bank, where I build credit risk models. In short, I have a technical and not particularly creative job where I get to solve complex problems.
In my free time, I enjoy playing sports, spending time in nature, travelling, and hanging out with friends and family.
What would you do if you had unlimited resources and 365 days to do whatever you wanted?
I’d take a longer trip, try out different new hobbies, read books, and just chill around.
What does improv give you, both in everyday life and on a deeper level?
Improv has definitely improved my ability to adapt to any situation and think on my feet. I also feel confident in any other public speaking situation and know that I can handle it.
Attending Rahel Otsa Improkool allows me to have fun with great people every week and switch off from everything else.
How has doing improv affected your life?
A lot! Thanks to improv, I’ve met so many wonderful people, had the chance to perform at many cool places and events, organise an international improv theatre festival, and spend so many hours laughing.
Who could play you in a biographical film about your life?
Anett Kontaveit, if she decided to become an actress.