Instructor: Michael J Gellman & Scotty Watson
Saturday, February 28th & March 1st - 11 am-5:30 pm (showcase 6:30 pm)
Price: $175 or $300 for both days
IMPROVISED ACTING – with Michael J Gellman
Improvisation - the jazz of theatre
This workshop is for actors and improvisers who want to explore and master new techniques and skills to enhance their auditions, text work, play creation and performance as well as those who write. Participants are encouraged to expand their potential for creating inspired performance.
In this workshop we will explore advanced techniques and their application to performance and play creation. This will include both traditional and newly developed improvised acting techniques and skills. Participants will focus on:
Finding the emotional and physical truth of our characters
Trusting ourselves and our character in performance
Playing and being truly present in the moment
Think as the character thinks
Using emotional reactions to empower what we see, hear, taste, touch and feel in performance
Getting out of our own way
The JOY in performance
For centuries, Improvisation has been a theatre created by actors for actors. It is simply acting without a script. From the days of Commedia dell Arte to modern day performance, improvisation has become an essential part of an actors’ tool kit.
Michael Gellman’s Improvised Acting Workshops are designed to bridge the techniques of improvised theater with traditional actor training.
SLOWPROV - With Scotty Watson
If you want to go fast, slow down
What the heck is New York Style Improv? Funny comes from specifics, reactions and details. “Witty,” or “clever” are terms describing focused listening, framing and echoing. Scotty de-emphasizes narrative and focuses on character reactions and authentic responses. You want to be funny? Stay away from "jokes" and focus on the situation.
Scotty follows 5 basic principles of improvisation. The first 3 are passed down from Elaine May & Del Close. The last 2 he picked up on the mean streets of New York.
Make active and positive choices
Support & enjoy the physical, verbal and emotional reality of the scene.
It’s an actor’s job to justify the information that’s been established and use it in the scene.
You are an important person and you have important things to say. Be seen. Be heard.
Be right here, right now.
Workshop Schedule both days:
Morning Session - 11 am-2 pm
Lunch Break (lunch included) 2-2:30 pm
Afternoon Session 2:30-5:30 pm
Showcase 7:30 pm - Saturday showcase at Unscrewed Theater/Sunday showcase at Tucson Improv Movement
Michael J Gellman is an alumnus of the Second City mainstage and was a resident director for Second City in Canada and the USA for 25 years. He was Artistic Director of the Second City Toronto where his shows were nominated for 7 Dora Mavor Moore Awards including twice for Outstanding Direction, nominated for Best Director for Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award, and won a Chalmers Award for Best Director. He teaches master classes all over the world.
Scotty Watson has been working in Improvisational Theatre for over 40 years. He taught advanced sketch writing for The Second City NYC and is currently Head of NYC Faculty for Artistic New Direction's Workshops in Improvised Theatre. He’s performed at The Second City, TheatreSports and The Social Capital Theatre in Toronto. Scotty has studied and and performed at all of the major improv theaters in NYC including Upright Citizen’s Bridge (UCB), The Magnet, The People’s Improv Theatre (The PIT) and ComedySportz. He regularly performs in Chicago at iO, The Annoyance, Clark On Clark and his beloved Logan Square Improv.