A busy week this week for classes and workshops at National Comedy Theatre and all around the Valley.
Tuesday: High School Improv League Class at Perry High School
AND Level 1 Workshop at NCT
Wednesday: Improv Workshop with the Improv Club at Sun City Anthem in Florence
AND Team Practice at NCT
Thursday: Speaking and presenting improv games and exercises at One N Ten Mesa
AND Thursday Night Troupe practice
Friday & Saturday: Shows
Performing improv is great fun and fans creative fire. Performing gives you the laughter of the audience and the delight of creating comedy with your fellow improvisers. And sometimes you get to pretend you are a "1920's gangster-slash-Leprechaun." It's tough to beat that.
TEACHING improv means setting other people on fire with insiration and positivity... as long as it is metaphorical fire and not actual flamible fire.
And really, once you have mastered that "prohibition-era mythical imp" character, you owe it to posterity to pass on the gift... am I right?
The High School Improv team at Perry High School and their team, the "PerryWinkles," has been part of our League going into their 3rd year. They have a new Team Captain, a batch of new recruits and after their workshop on Tuesday I can report that they have a really positive attitude and a good sense of team spirit.
We practiced scenework and games for their upcoming show with Basha High School- the proceeds are all going to charity. Check it out here.
Their Captain and some of their veteran players gave really insightful feedback and critique on the scenes and games we worked. It always my heart grow three sizes when I hear a High School Improv League Captain remind her team to "watch for opportunities to play with status." "remember to develop the relationship" and "dont forget to play with levels visually in your stage picture" it makes a teacher's heart go all a flutter.
I'm looking forward to working with them again next Tuesday to polish games for their upcoming competition at the Utah Shakespeare Festival.
The new Level 1 Workshop also kicked off Tuesday evening. Its always great to get a new group together. The last Level 1 for the year is scheduled for October. You can find out more about our classes here.
Wednesday I drove out to Sun City Anthem in Florence. I've been coaching the SCATS Theatre Group there for about 2 years now.
The group is tons of fun to improvise with. They love to laugh and, I will tell you without hesitation, between the High School kids and the senior citizens... the seniors come up with the raunchiest suggestions. Between them and everyone else, really. It's a bawdy crowd up there in Florence. This week we worked on games for their upcoming Open Mic night.
Thursday night we went to present some improv at the One N Ten meeting in Mesa. Improv and the little communities of improvisers that come together can be a super positive experience, especially for teens and young adults. It was great to take a group of players over there to share our own stories and introduce the kids to improv.
We also had really solid Main Stage Team practice and Thursday Night Troupe rehearsal this week... busy, busy! The good news is that each experience brings us more positivity, stronger focus, new perspectives and sharper improv wits! All of which we will bring to bear at the shows this weekend!
-NCT
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