IMPROVISATIONAL ACTING – Gary Austin
Even for the finest actors, there are moments where split second choices make all the difference in performance. Learning to be comfortable in those choices, is the point of improvisation. These workshops will free the actor and enable him to make the right choices, by committing to the unknown, getting out of her head, and being in the present moment. This freedom allows the actor to create vibrant, real performance in both improvised and written scenes.
"Suggesting topics for rants, changing the characters' ages, genders, nationalities... Gary has an uncanny sense of what to toss out when. Within a matter of minutes, a vague impulse would become a rough sketch, and over the days that followed, the rough sketch would acquire definition, specificity, humanity."
– Jeffrey Sweet, New York's Backstage Magazine, on Gary's work creating characters
and scenes with actors.
and scenes with actors.
BOOT CAMP – Ron Wilson
Beginners and experienced improvisers need to practice the basics of improvisation to stay sharp and on their game. This class will include improvisational exercises culled from Viola Spolin, Michael Chekhov and Gary Austin; designed to build characters and scenes. Special attention will be paid to give-and-take, listening, laying on information, and emotional commitment.
IMPROV PERFORMANCE 101 – Ron Wilson
In these workshops we will work with improvisational techniques and processes to build scenes and monologues. We will develop, flesh-out and expand relationships between characters. We will create an improvised show from the work that happens in the workshops - and then perform it in front of an audience at The Avery Schreiber Theatre. This course allows you to learn and develop your foundation in improvisational work giving you the tools to grow in your performances whether improvised or scripted.
IMPROV PERFORMANCE 101 – Ron Wilson
In these workshops we will work with improvisational techniques and processes to build scenes and monologues. We will develop, flesh-out and expand relationships between characters. We will create an improvised show from the work that happens in the workshops - and then perform it in front of an audience at The Avery Schreiber Theatre. This course allows you to learn and develop your foundation in improvisational work giving you the tools to grow in your performances whether improvised or scripted.
PHYSICAL IMPROVISATION – Rob Watzke
Thinking is counterproductive to creativity. The key element of improvisation is the ability to stop thinking. One way to jump into this world is through physical improvisation, a high-energy workout that will awaken the sense of play and arouse creativity. This course uses non-verbal games and scenes to work on physical communication. Taking the words away, allows the players to free their minds, listen and react. As the class progresses, dialogue is slowly brought back, but the sense of play remains and scenes take on more depth and humanity. The work is aimed at getting the improviser out of the intellectual mind and into the intuitive one.
MAKE A SONG (song improv) – Wenndy MacKenzie & Matt Cartsonis
Singing is communicating. This class uses improvisational tools to communicate through music. The exposure to music from an early age gives all human beings an innate, unconscious musical road-map that appears through song improvisation. In this course students will explore their ability to express themselves through song, with musical accompaniment. Singing experience is not required.
CHARACTERS AND THEIR VOICES – Wenndy MacKenzie
This workshop helps actors create new characters with unique physical and vocal characteristics, mannerisms and behaviors. Learn to be comfortable with dialect, accents, physicality and other radical character changes. Students will walk away with characters they can use in their work. The instructor will work with participants on vocal technique applied to stage performance and voice-overs for animation and commercials (characters and straight voice).
