WORKSHOPS – NYC Improv Festival – March 20th-23rd – Peoples Improv Theater
The Art of Allowing Improv
MARK BELTZMAN
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Prerequisite: Level 2 improv or equivalent experience
Dates:
March 20th (One-Day Workshop)
Wednesday, 1pm-5pm
Location:
The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT)
123 East 24th Street, between Park and Lexington Aves
This workshop will focus on scene work. You will learn to develop tools to let scenes emerge organically, including:
MARK BELTZMAN has been acting, writing, and directing since 1981. He was a founding member of Improv Olympic in Chicago and of the legendary group, Barons Barracudas. Mark has worked and directed at the famed Second City in Chicago. He directed many improvisational and theatrical productions at Second City in Chicago and Los Angeles, including the Second City Alumni Jam. He was also instructor/ director at The Second City Training Center, Improv Olympic West and the Upfront Comedy Showcase. Mark has also acquired a great deal of knowledge about the creative process of producing, writing and directing while performing in such notable productions as: Mo Money, Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer, Speed 2, Star Maps, Lovely and Amazing, and Employee of the Month, Factory, Seinfeld, Rosanne, Norm, Curb Your Enthusiasm, According to Jim, Cold Case, House, True Jackson VP, The Young and the Restless, and Pretty Little Liars. Mark’s ability to create “something from nothing” is exempli?ed in the outreach program he created in 2006, called “New Choice.” Mark and a crew of established industry professionals go into the inner city and teach improvisational and ?lmmaking skills to the youth. New Choice is now a 501 (c) 3 not for pro?t, and continues to expand.
“Mark Beltzman is one of the funniest and talented improvisors I have ever worked with. I have worked on stage and movies and television with Mark and our scenes always get the biggest laughs. Any chance you have to work with him is an opportunity for fun and broadening one’s knowledge of improvisational technique and of self. I am immediately signing up for one of Mr. Beltzman’s classes… If I could just afford it. Maybe I can get a scholarship for being an old friend. But he’s a toughie!” – Jim Belushi
“Mark Beltzman walks the walk and listens to the talk. You WILL have fun. And that’s what it’s all about!” – George Wendt
How to Create Awesome Scenes
GREG TAVARES
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Prerequisite: none
Dates:
March 22nd (One-Day Workshop)
Friday, 12pm-3pm
Location:
The Peoples Improv Theater
123 East 24th Street, btwn Park and Lexington
My name is Greg Tavares and I am in town promoting my new book – Improv For Everyone. In my book I describe what to do, step-by-step, to create awesome scenes with your partner. That is what I am going to teach In this class – the step-by-step method outlined in my book. You will learn a scenic structure or what I call the three stages of an improv scene. Here they are:
Stage 1: Build the agreement
Stage 2: Explore point of view to discover your character’s primary emotional drive
Stage 3: Heighten your character’s drive.
I am also going to teach a technique I use at the top of every scene I ever do. This technique gets me on the same page with my partner – every time. I call this technique “the Join.”
If you start scenes with the “Join” and follow the scenic structure outlined above you will create awesome scenes every time. Every student in this class will receive a free copy of my book – Improv For Everyone. Click here to find out more about his book.
GREG TAVARES acts, teaches, and directs in Charleston, South Carolina. He did his first improv show in 1985 and has never stopped. In 1995, he co-founded The Have Nots! with Brandy Sullivan and some other friends. He co-founded Theatre 99 in Charleston with Brandy and Timmy Finch in 2000. He wrote the curriculum taught in Theatre 99’s training program and gets as much out of teaching as he does from being on stage. He performs and teaches at improv festivals all over the country. He has a BFA in acting from the University of South Carolina and an MFA in directing from the University of Nebraska. He is the co-artistic director of Theatre 99 and the Charleston Comedy Festival. If you want to reach out to Greg, you can e-mail him at gregtavares99@gmail.com
“He gets to the very core of what makes improv both beautiful and hilarious” -Jet Eveleth
“Having performed beside Greg many times at Theatre 99, I can truly say that Greg practices what he preaches. He is a generous performer, teacher and man.” -Lennon Parham
Bull/Matador Scene Technique
MATT DONNELLY – SOLD OUT!
Tuition: $75
Prerequisite: Level 3 or Equivalent experience
Dates:
March 23rd (One-Day Workshop)
Saturday, 11am-2pm
Location:
Simple Studios
134 W. 29th Street, btwn 6th/7th Ave, 2nd floor
Class show: Saturday, March 23rd at 3pm
Bull/Matador is Matt Donnelly’s signature improv scene technique that encourages scene partners to mutually accomplish the scene together while being both theatrically sound and very funny. The technique gets performers out of their heads by reacting to body language rather than over thinking about the dialogue. Comedy and tension are maintained in the scene by one (BULL) character exploiting the emotional vulnerability of the other (MATADOR) character and learning how to switch the role within the scene without changing the characters, perspectives or circumstances. Performers learn how to comically and theatrically enjoy the scene as the (MATADOR) emotionally vulnerable, voice of reality. Performers also learn how to enjoy the scene comically and theatrically as the (BULL) exploiting character of another character’s emotional vulnerability, while maintaining sympathy and likability. This workshop is especially liberating to those who have had trouble with “finding the game” in the past. This is Matt Donnelly’s answer to flaws of “game”-driven improv.
MATT DONNELLY Currently a writer for the Discovery Channel’s show: Penn &Teller Tell A Lie, Matt was also recently voted BEST MALE COMEDIAN in Las Vegas by BroadwayWorld.com. Matt Donnelly hosted and performed in the Long Form Improv show “Executive Monkeys” at The Palms Resort Casino, and he currently hosts “SET” at The Onyx Theatre in Las Vegas. Matt has also enjoyed a two-month run in Wayne Brady’s show, “Making **it Up,” at the Venetian.
Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Matt was an instructor at the People’s Improv Theatre in New York City for six years where he taught Level 3 – Intro to Performance Improvisation, as well as master classes in La Ronde, Deconstruction and Chapter Forms (ie: Armando/Mosaic). He co- created the live improvised movie show “The Neutrino Video Projects,” which appeared at the HBO US Comedy Arts Festival before being franchised to 11 other cities around the world. He also taught improv in the acting program at the New York Film Academy, and continues to teach annually with the Columbia University Business School Executive Education Program with Business Improvisations. He has directed house teams at The PIT, UCB, and Magnet Theatre in New York. Seminal improv groups Matt has performed in include Neutrino, Possible Side Effects, Threat and The Faculty. In Las Vegas, Matt teaches Advanced Long Form at Improv Vegas, and frequently travels across the country to teach at comedy festivals. His improv teachers include Amy Poehler, Armando Diaz, Charna Halpern, Liz Allen, Miles Stroth, as well as many others. He earned his BFA in Acting from Montclair State University.
Improvising Emotionally
REBEKKA JOHNSON
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Prerequisite: Level 3 Improv or equivalent experience
Dates:
March 23rd (One-Day Workshop)
Saturday, 1pm-4pm
Location:
Simple Studios
134 West 29th Street, btwn 6th/7th Ave, 2nd Floor
Class show: Saturday, March 23rd at 5pm
When you use emotions to initiate and drive scenes, you can create deep scenework that will make improvising easier. By the end of the day, you will be able to make bold emotional choices and push your scene partner to react more. This workshop will be challenging and hilarious!
REBEKKA JOHNSON is a writer/performer living in Los Angeles. She is a co-creator of the award-winning musical comedy trio, The Apple Sisters. They have monthly shows in LA and Las Vegas. She is the producer of the acclaimed series, Speakeasy with Paul F. Tompkins. She was a cast member on the MTV hit show Boiling Points. Additionally, Rebekka has voiced many of the characters in Comedy Central’s animated series, Ugly Americans. Recent castings include the Apatow film, “This is 40” and Arrested Development. She has written and produced comedy videos for Slate, as well as, created her own comedy craft show called Craft Riot.