Shakespeare through Improvisation
Instructor: Brian Lohmann
Shakespeare through Improvisation
With Artistic Director Dan O’Connor and Co-Artistic Director Brian Lohmann
This class will explore how Shakespeare can actually help you to be a better actor and a more versatile improviser. Whether it is creating a character or establishing the “where” of a scene, the Bard is a great tool for improvisers. We will also look at how to improvise a play using style and story together and sustaining over 90 minutes without a script. Teachers, actors and directors can deepen their own experiences with rhetorical devices, character motivations and storytelling by adapting techniques that Shakespeare employed in his scripts through the art of spontaneous play.
Brian recently presented a workshop on “Shakespeare through Improvisation” at a conference at NYU, and has taught at the Public Theater’s Shakespeare Lab, the Oregon and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals and was core faculty for the MFA programs at A.C.T. and the Old Globe Theatre/USD.
Dan co-created IT’s Shakespeare UnScripted and has taught genre based narrative improvisation for performers around the world.
Commercial Audition Intensive
Instructor: Jo McGinley
This is an on camera workshop
In this 4 week workshop you will learn the concept of 2nd Circle, proper Breath under pressure, and how to nail a commercial audition.
You will learn improv tools that can save your audition, Slating, Group Scenes, Partner Scenes, speaking to the camera, and Solo Scenes all broken down into how each one is different and what you can do to make them work. We will hone in on the trickiest scenarios and how to slow the ball down and make it work for you. You will see your work on tape throughout the class. Learn the technique of improv so you can build a foundation on which to be spontaneous.
Bio: Jo’s commercial clients include Southwest Airlines, Honeynut Cheerios, Bank of America, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Bounty, Merck, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, The Learning Channel, Chrysler, Lending Tree, Progressive Insurance, Ameriquest, Maytag, Primestar, Subway, Nestle Tollhouse, H&R Block, Bell Atlantic, UC Davis Med. Center, Raley’s, Hertz, Nokia and others.
Soap Opera Intensive
with Jessica Jimenez-Perry
(daytime emmy award nominee for Guiding Light)
In this students will learn how to create Classic Soap Characters and improvise
-Classic Soap Storylines
-Soap Themes
-Scene Endings
-Inner Monologues
and the Value of Lies (in the soap genre)
The first four weeks students will learn the art of soap storytelling, soap blocking, and invent strong grounded characters which they will rely on for the remaining four weeks of the course. Week three, students will have the oppotunity to watch and play with cast members of Avalon Terrace in a special class that will focus on show openings and endings. On week four, the class will begin preperation to perform a full episode of a soap they will create in class for their friends and family.
The last Saturday of the course will be a full performance, with wigs, costumes, lights and music.
Teacher Bio: Jessica Jimenez
Jessica appeared on Daytime Television’s The Guiding Light. For two and a half years she starred at Catalina Quesada on the long running daytime soap and in 2002 earned an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress on a Daytime Series. She is currently co-directing the improvised Soap Opera, Avalon Terrace with Jo McGinley.
Focus
Led by Jo McGinley
Once a Month on Sundays,
2-5PM, $249
Quotes from former students about the Focus class:
“Jo’s Focus class is a truly holistic, interdisciplinary approach to removing clutter from our lives and our minds — the accumulated stuff getting in our way, stuff we could be dealing with but often don’t address due to avoidance or delaying tactics or piling up blame on ourselves because… we’re not getting things done. Clearing out even the smallest, most mundane obstructions can create a flow, making a space for other things to start in motion. Through class exercises, breathwork, sharing and support, it’s clear just doing stuff, like looking at where we are and stating what we intend to change, can make other stuff start to happen in our lives.”
“This class has, honestly, changed my life by clearing several areas where I have been stuck for years. Jo keeps you on track with kindness and you won’t ever forget that.”
This four session workshop is for those who want to tackle a specific goal, and then see improvement in that area over the course of our working together. Come to the first class with a specific goal in mind, or at least an idea of one, and we’ll create a game plan for you to follow over the following 3 months.
Special Notes:
1. You must attend each session as they build on each other.
2. There is a weekly check-in that is due to the Instructor via email.
3. There may be follow up phone calls with the instructor if the student needs extra information in between the once a month meeting.
With an international background, Tracy Burns has been teaching and performing improvisation since 1984. In 1999 she was the Co-Recipient of the Best Improviser Award in the European Theatresports Championship. A founding member of London Theatresports, Tracy was the Co-Artistic Director for Theatresports U.K. and helped introduce Theatresports to Germany. Tracy believes providing a safe environment and helping people let go of their inner critics is all most people need to access their own unique creativity and humor.
Jo McGinley specializes in narrative improvisation, creating improvised stories in classical and popular genres. “Improvising Plays & Films” is the product of over 15 years of research and exploration.
Lisa Fredrickson has been an ensemble member of many Improv companies including Seattle TheatreSports, SAK Comedy Lab Orlando, Disney’s Comedy Warehouse, LA TheatreSports, Inflatable Betty and Shakespeare Unscripted. She is the resident Improv teacher at California Luthern University. She was an original cast member of “Fellowship:The musical” in Los Angeles, she performed at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival with Seattle’s Unexpected Shakespeare and she has often appeared in “Boo” the Improv show at New York, New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Her TV credits include “Greek”, “Desperate Housewives” and “The Tick”. She has been in numerous TV commercials, usually as some sort of uptight mother. She is currently in a masters program studying Spiritual Psychology. She is married to an amazing Banjo player and she loves babies…and Banjos…and babies who love Banjos.