Impro Theatre

Foundation I - The Beginning

jo — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:15:23 +0000

Instructor: Lisa Frederickson
Prerequisite: None
Start Dates: TBD
Duration: 8 weeks
Cost: $300

Foundation I is a great workshop for someone who has never taken improv, as well as someone who is looking to learn a new improv style. This class focuses on the basics of improv, how to give simple, clear information to get a scene started, how to be changed by information given to you, and mostly to get out of your head, leave your inner critic at the door, and have fun on stage.

By the end of an 8 week session an F1 student will know:

• Improv Lingo: (they are given a glossary of terms)
• Relaxation: Through warm-up (vocal & physical) they are given tools to relax under pressure and be “present”.
• Having fun while frying. Letting go of the “getting it right” syndrome.
• Embracing Failure, Mistakes are truly Gifts.
• Basic Stage Presence: the student can be seen and heard, is not constantly upstaging or turning back on audience.
• Learn to build a scene by learning how to CROW (establish Character, Relationship and the Objective and Where of the scene) through a series of exercises where they learn CROW through their bodies and not just intellectually. They will be able to execute CROW or at least know when it isn’t there. They will have an understanding of Building Characters, Emotions, Relationships, Objectives, Where’s, Endowments, & Narrative.
• Saying Yes – able to move action and not block. Playing first offer out all the way until it organically flips into something else. Getting in tune with their own impulses and starting from that clear space – then learning to accept others impulses.
• Ensemble/making your partner look good, sharing control. Clicking into the Group Mind and getting out of your own way, serving your partner, making your partner look good,
• Letting go of Control: not planning ahead.
• Status is introduced, but more of a focus in F2

Classes

jo — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 05:06:43 +0000

Learn the fundamentals of improv in our Foundation Series. Actors and non-actors alike can benefit from our foundation classes. No previous experience required.
Take the next step with Scene Study, a great weekly improv workout. Foundation I or Dean approval required.
Studio Classes require an extended time commitment and present the opportunity to build a tight-knit performing ensemble, delve into long form, and explore genre-work. Scene Study or Dean approval required.

Lauren Rose Lewis

jo — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 22:26:11 +0000

Lauren Rose Lewis, a SoCal native, received her BA in Theatre from Pepperdine University. Lauren has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in David Mamet’s “The Water Engine” and John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” Since then, Lauren has appeared in numerous television shows, including: “CSI:NY,” “Entourage,” “NCIS,” “Two and a Half Men,” “Rules of Engagement,” “Ugly Betty,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Lincoln Heights,” and the Hallmark Channel’s movie “A Kiss At Midnight.” Recently, Lauren booked the FOX pilot “Inside Jokes,” and appeared on TBS’s “Glory Daze.”

Sondheim UnScripted

jo — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 18:42:23 +0000

An improvised musical in the style of Stephen Sondheim.

Directed by Dan O’Connor and Michele Spears

About the Show

Impro Theatre embraces the style of one of Broadway’s most heralded artists by creating a completely improvised musical in the style of and inspired by Stephen Sondheim. Using only audience suggestions the cast invents a brand new, never before seen musical. Every show is completely different the only thing that stays the same is the thrill and sheer joy of seeing an entire musical created before your eyes.

Reviews for Sondheim UnScripted

“An outstanding cast that clearly understands the form they are spoofing and have the vocal power to sustain it.” — LA Weekly

“…what’s fresh about “UnScripted” is the way it evokes the playwright’s distinctive sensibility without lapsing into easy satire.” — LA Times

LA Noir UnScripted

jo — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:54:20 +0000

An improvised play in the style of film noir.
Directed by: Brian Lohmann

About the Show

For those who love the hard-boiled fiction of Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain and the gritty film noirs their stories inspired, a new batch of “theatre noirs” will be unveiled this Spring. In this world-premiere format, twenty-seven never-before-seen plays will pay tribute to Noir’s tough-taking private eyes and femme fatales. From the brutal sneer of Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly to the cynical chivalry of Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity, Noir’s poetry and violence, desire and destiny all find new life through the unpredictable staging, improvisational wit and verbal dexterity that infuse the stories of Impro Theatre. Rogue cop, doomed lover, corrupt robber baron, sadistic killer, B Girl or chanteuse — no actor knows what role he, or she, may be asked to play when stepping out to improvise.

Reviews

“GO. Hilarious…You will see them at their comic best.” —Tom Provenzano, LA Weekly

“The audience loved every minute of it…a thoroughly entertaining event.” —LA Splash.com

“For those that enjoy their theater full of booze with a death by gunfire thrown in for good measure, L.A. NOIR UNSCRIPTED will fit the bill…one may become enchanted.” — Accessibly Live Off-Line

“BRILLIANT…THEIR VERY BEST UNSCRIPTED YET…a must-see. These masters of the adlib… simply couldn’t be better at their craft. Even the uninitiated will have one heck of a good time falling under the Impro Theatre spell.” – StageScene LA

“The real fun lies in anticipating where this patchwork story is going to go next, and in watching the actors doing whatever it takes to keep the narrative afloat.” — L.A. Weekly

Dickens UnScripted Holiday Show

jo — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:54:03 +0000

A completely improvised play in the style of Charles Dickens.

About:
Impro Theatre gives Charles Dickens the same deep reading and in-the-know ribbing already doled out to Shakespeare, Austen and Sondheim. It’s an ever-changing always hilarious theatre experience.

North Coast Rep

Monday December 19th and Tuesday December 20th at 7:30pm

Date: Monday December 19th and Tuesday December 20th

Time: 7:30 PM

Where:San Diego - North Coast Rep, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Ste. D
Solana Beach, CA 92075

Tickets: Info line: (888) 776-NCRT (6278) or online via North Coast Rep

Paul Rogan

jo — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:15:59 +0000

Originally from London, Paul worked with all of the UK’s major improv groups, including the Comedy Store Players (as an associate member), with “Eddie Izzard and Friends” at the Ambassadors Theatre, and in the improvising double act “The Sean Connery Brotherhood” with Patrick Marber. He has represented England at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival three times, and internationally. He joined Impro Theatre to co-produce, co-direct and perform in “Jane Austen UnScripted,” and has since appeared in their Shakespeare, Dickens and Tennessee Williams. He has also worked in LA with Off The Wall and LA Connection. Film and TV work includes “My Name is Earl,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Sleeper Cell,” “Cory in the House,” “20 Good Years,” “Miss March,” “Thunderpants,” and “A Knight in Camelot.” Theatre work in the UK includes George in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” the Emcee in “Cabaret,” and Malvolio in “Twelfth Night,” and in “LA Bill W and Dr Bob” and “A Christmas Carol” at Theatre 68. As a stand-up comedian, Paul has played the Improv in Hollywood, and in the UK he performed regularly at the Comedy Store, the Improv, the Jongleurs chain, as well as touring in Europe and on radio and TV. His show “How to be the Perfect Couple” was a hit at the Edinburgh Festival, and had a sell out run in the US.

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jo — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 20:12:49 +0000

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jo — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 19:16:44 +0000

Shakespeare UnScripted

jo — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 21:21:18 +0000

An improvised play in the style of William Shakespeare

Directed by Brian Lohmann and Dan O’Connor

Reviews for Shakespeare UnScripted

“Shakespeare UnScripted is a superlative example of what theatrical improv should be.” — ImprovReview.com

“The real fun lies in anticipating where this patchwork story is going to go next, and in watching the actors doing whatever it takes to keep the narrative afloat.” — L.A. Weekly

“DEATH-DEFYING STUNTS OF IMPROMPTU PARODY…Comically gifted performers (who) fracture the Bard with a right good will….the theatrical equivalent of circus aerialists…these remarkably clever performers fly through the show with the very greatest of ease… all involved keep the laughs coming and the cadence astonishingly Shakespearean.” — F. Kathleen Foley, L.A. Times

GO. “The wit, charm, energy and creativity on display are delightful and entertaining.” — Lovell Estell III, L.A. Weekly

“OUTSTANDLINGLY TALENTED…Hilarious…This is a company worth watching.” — Kate West Reviews

Jane Austen Holiday Shows

jo — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:17:53 +0000

Jane Austen UnScripted:Holiday performances of the critically acclaimed Jane Austen UnScripted

Dates:
Opens Saturday December 3rd and runs until Sunday December 18th

Impro Theatre’s side-splitting hit of last season returns to The Broad Stage with its irreverent twist on Austen’s literary oeuvre, “a delicious combination of humorous wordplay and stiff upper lip mannerisms” (Entertainment Today). A rollicking good time for all, this improvisational comedy serves up an added dollop of insider wit for Austen lovers and, indeed, anyone who loves the quicksilver excitement of comedy improv mixed with irreverent affection for the literary source. Don’t forget to join The Broad Stage in time for your invitation to the Members-only December 16th performance for the special treat of joining the cast for a most civilized and unserious high tea.

Time:
shows are 2pm and 4:30 pm Saturday and Sunday
with Friday Night performances at 7:30 on December 9th and 16th

Where:
The Broad Stage
Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center
1310 11th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Tickets:
$42.

More information:
310-434-3200
The Broad Stage Website

Jane Austen UnScripted

jo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:06:17 +0000

An improvised play in the style of Jane Austen.

Directed by Paul Rogan and Dan O’Connor

Reviews for Jane Austen UnScripted

“Eleven first-rate comedians…breathtaking wit…” — LA Weekly

“One of the funniest evenings in town… a stunning feat of performance and literary wizardry. And incidentally, it’s hilarious.” — Annie Gilbar, Los Angeles Times Magazine

4-STAR RATING by Los Angeles Times Readers

“ImproTheatre’s gift lies in far more than improv’s expected one-liners and zingers–rather, their gift is the more subtle and complex art of storytelling…Austen would be pleased, indeed.” — Laist.com

“I LOVED Jane Austen improv!” — CoolGrrrls.com

“Gorgeous period costuming and language…the players will make you laugh and then inspire you to read the classic works for yourself…you will want to come back for more.” — Kate West Reviews

“One thing that is for certain is the continued success of this outstanding group of actors and something absolutely not to be missed.” — SoCal.com

“A talented team of eight performers executes right before the audience’s eyes… Amusing…funny take of J.A. that really takes off!” — Accessibly Live

“Jane Austen UnScripted is a delicious combination of humorous wordplay and stiff upper lip mannerisms.” — Entertainment Today

Jane Austen only wrote six novels in her lifetime, but they are some of the most beloved tales of love and misunderstanding, wit and wisdom, and passion and betrayal ever written.

Now, for the first time in two centuries, Impro Theatre delivers a new Jane Austen story every night. Passionate, willful women flirt and verbally joust with handsome, brooding young noblemen. Hearts are broken, secrets are revealed and true love wins out in the end. Or does it?

The essence of Austen’s brilliant and timeless romantic comedies and social satires is brought faithfully to life by this expert team of funny and gifted actors, whose other explorations of great literary figures include Shakespeare, Dickens, Sondheim, and Tennessee Williams.

Tennessee Williams UnScripted

jo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:48:23 +0000

A world premiere improvised play in the style of Tennessee Williams

Directed by Brian Lohmann
Produced by Impro Theatre and CAFE Arts.

Reviews for Tennessee Williams UnScripted

“TENDERLY COMEDIC…savvy…lingers somewhere between satire and homage…a very smart choice.” —Steven Leigh Morris, LA Weekly

“IMPROV GENIUSES…Absolutely hilarious…a different show every time…they let loose their imaginations and the rest is magic.”
—Steven Stanley, StagesceneLA

“PLENTY OF LAUGHS…charming…delightfully manic…remarkably smooth.” —Jennie Webb, Backstage West

“Funny, moving and absolutely in keeping with Williams…Impro Theatre’s considerable agility and its infectious sense of play makes you want to go back again to see what else this group can conjure next out of Williams’ high humidity”. —Charlotte Stoudt, Los Angeles Times

Goldstar “Roar of the Crowd” Winner

Past Performances

jo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:36:37 +0000

Some of our critically-acclaimed unscripted performances.

Fundraiser: Twilight Zone Unscripted

jo — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:07:27 +0000

As a fundraiser for Impro Theatre, The Student Company will perform 24 improvised episodes in the style of Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone.

“Serling placed average people in extraordinary circumstances so he could investigate the moral and political questions of his time.”

Directed by: Jo McGinley

Starring: Jim Babcock, Marianne Bennett, Stephanie Clayton, Courtney Flynn, Jack Jernigan, Alvin Lam, Jason Murphy, Jessica Jimenez Perry, and Gary Rae.

When: 2010 DATE TBA

What: Noon to Midnight
(episodes are 25 minutes, doors will open in between episodes to let audience in and out, no entry after an episode has begun)

Where: At the Impro Theatre Workspace

Click below for tickets and show times:

Stephen Kearin

jo — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:39:51 +0000

Stephen Kearin is a 23 year veteran of the improv stage and was a founding member of Improv Theatre and True Fiction Magazine. He is currently a company member of Impro Theatre in Los Angeles and the trio 3ForAll in San Francisco. His stage appearances include the stilt-walking shadow of Iago in The San Francisco Opera’s Otello, Sally-Sue Weber in A Weber Family Christmas and originated the role of Blaine Bustier in An Evening With Dirk & Blaine. Stephen is the co-creator of “Simlish” and was the principal male voice of both The Sims and The Sims 2.0.
He is currently featured in the Dreamworks Animation films Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2 and Monsters Vs. Aliens. He directed Kirk Ward in The HBO Comedy Festival premiere of Fatherland and is a visiting instructor at Stanford University, USC and Cirque Du Soleil.

Shakespeare UnScripted

jo — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:10:39 +0000

Photos

jo — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 02:10:28 +0000

Sondheim Unscripted

jo — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:15:39 +0000

“An outstanding cast that clearly understands the form they are spoofing and have the vocal power to sustain it.”
— LA Weekly

Jane Austen Unscripted

jo — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:09:35 +0000

Impro Theatre

Foundation I - The Beginning

Classes

Learn the fundamentals of improv in our Foundation Series. Actors and non-actors alike can benefit from our foundation classes. No previous experience required.

Take the next step with Scene Study, a great weekly improv workout. Foundation I or Dean approval required.

Studio Classes require an extended time commitment and present the opportunity to build a tight-knit performing ensemble, delve into long form, and explore genre-work. Scene Study or Dean approval required.

Lauren Rose Lewis

Sondheim UnScripted

About the Show

Reviews for Sondheim UnScripted

LA Noir UnScripted

About the Show

Reviews

Dickens UnScripted Holiday Show

Paul Rogan

Upcoming.org - calendar preview tool

Sample Google Calendar

Shakespeare UnScripted

Reviews for Shakespeare UnScripted

Jane Austen Holiday Shows

Jane Austen UnScripted

Reviews for Jane Austen UnScripted

Tennessee Williams UnScripted

Reviews for Tennessee Williams UnScripted

Past Performances

Fundraiser: Twilight Zone Unscripted

Stephen Kearin

Shakespeare UnScripted

Photos

Sondheim Unscripted

Jane Austen Unscripted