Third Space Improv Gives St. Augustine Veterans a Place to Reconnect Through Play

With nearly 10 percent of St. Johns County adults having served in the armed forces, military roots run deep in our town. We’re home to over 300 veteran-owned businesses, and the US Census Bureau estimated that 25,000+ veterans call St. Augustine home. Yet returning to civilian life can mean rebuilding routines, relationships and a sense of belonging outside the structure of military service. For some veterans, that transition calls for spaces beyond traditional support systems-places to connect, try something new and simply be present. Third Space Improv is just that. Founder, Amy Angelilli, articulates an important distinction when she says, “I am careful about describing improv as a treatment for trauma. That isn’t what we’re doing, and I’m not a therapist. What I can speak to is what I have witnessed in the room.”

Driven by Amy’s desire to serve those who may not identify as traditional performers, the program welcomes the varied life experiences veterans bring to the table. “I was interested in creating a space where those experiences could co-exist with something completely different: play, laughter, spontaneity and imagination,” Amy shares. “Bringing that experience to veterans...was a way of saying ‘you belong here, too.’”

Through their collaboration with Hope 4 Veterans, Veteran women are offered a purposeful space to surface their playful, comical and spontaneous spirit, even as adult responsibilities try to eclipse them. While our brains sometimes leap into conversations armed with an immediate take, improv’s central “yes, and...” tenet calls for genuine listening and openness first. That intersection of structure and freedom is where Amy sees veterans thrive. “There are rules, but within those rules you have enormous freedom to be yourself,” Amy relates. “You don’t have to be funny. You don’t have to have the perfect answer. You just have to be willing to listen, accept the offer your scene partner gives you, and take the next step together.” Veterans are already adept at teamwork, clear communication and dynamic pivoting, qualities that translate beautifully on stage..

In a community where military roots run deep, Third Space Improv and Hope 4 Veterans curate a special style of homecoming. The forward looking vision isn’t to run a narrow program parallel to existing offerings, it’s an invitation for veterans to move seamlessly into broader performance opportunities and local creative life. Beyond the laughs, the stage offers a home for connection and play. What a stirring reminder that St. Augustine’s richness lies in the open spaces where neighbors lower their guard, share the spotlight, and build belonging.

200 Malaga Street, Suite 7
3rdspaceimprov.com