Panels, Performers Jams, and Parties - Oh, My!
Oh yes, we will have fun events at the 2013 Unscripted New York Improvised Theater Festival... more on those soon. Meanwhile, check out the info on our Premier Year Events below!
Unscripted New York 2012 Events
Unscripted New York is proud to present Special Events as part of our goal to bring a higher respect and awareness to the art form and artists involved.
Our 2012 Free Panel Event was a Hit!We brought together some of the BEST improvisational artists, teachers, historians, and experts, to talk about IMPROV -- Improvisation 4.0: The Improvised Narrative.
Dion Flynn, Michael J. Gellman, Rachel Hamilton, Jodi Lennon, and Jeffrey Sweet, all sat down with Fest Co-Producer Elizabeth Quinn for some lively discussion! PANEL FEEDBACK:
As an improv theory junkie, the panel discussion during the Unscripted Festival was something I've been craving for years to hear and witness. The panel brought together eminent teachers and practitioners of improv, and as a result, the discussion was lively and very engaging, representing different deep perspectives on improvisation that all generally agreed. It lasted a little over an hour, and it could have lasted double that length and I wouldn't have had enough! - Ben Hauck, Improv 4.0 Panel Attendee, Author, Long-Form Improv |
Listen to our Panel Discussion "Improvisation 4.0: the Improvised Narrative" via
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Unscripted New York "Pay What U Can" Panel
Saturday, May 26, 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Admission: FREE (Donations gratefully accepted)
First come, First serve
Admission: FREE (Donations gratefully accepted)
First come, First serve
Improvisation 4.0 – The Improvised Narrative
Join us for a panel discussion on the importance of improvisational theatre and what makes it so compelling to both audiences and performers. Listen to some of the top writers and improvisers in the community discuss how to use improvisation to create story, scripted material, or develop character pieces for both stage and screen. We’ll also talk about how this type of improvised performance has evolved and continues to be a more popular form of improvisation that audiences crave to see and performers are excited to do!
Moderated by: Unscripted New York Co-Producer Elizabeth Quinn
Panelists included: Dion Flynn, Michael J. Gellman, Rachel Hamilton, Jodi Lennon, Jeffrey Sweet -- more below on panel.
Moderated by: Unscripted New York Co-Producer Elizabeth Quinn
Panelists included: Dion Flynn, Michael J. Gellman, Rachel Hamilton, Jodi Lennon, Jeffrey Sweet -- more below on panel.
More on Improvisation 4.0 Panel Members
Dion Flynn is a multi-talented artist, teacher and director. A former soldier with the U.S. Army, Dion is proud to be marching with the hard-working troupers of the Unscripted New York Improvised Theatre Festival. He holds a BA in Theater (SUNYA) and MFA in acting from NYU. Versatile, Dion has worked closely with artists ranging from Rosie O'donnell to Spike Lee, and is currently on a house team at The People's Improv Theater (P.I.T.) in NYC, where he has performed and taught off and on since 2005. Dion has performed stand-up comedy in NYC and for the troops while serving overseas. Dion directed the (2010) documentary feature “Real Father” for TableTop Films and several solo shows in NYC. He's worked on the mainstage of the Moth Storytelling Events, in Shakespeare in the Park (Taming of the Shrew w/Allison Janney), at both The Public (Liev Shrieber's Hamlet) and Guthrie theaters. Dion has been a professional life coach for 6 years and runs a successful life coaching and training business at CareerMaps.net. As comic and writer he’s been on VH1's Best Week Ever, Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, in multiple national commercials and done tons of voice-over for radio, TV and the internet. Dion appeared in the TV sketch-comedy TV Loose Camera with Jimmy Fallon and in the feature film "Under Heat". A trained facilitator with the Anti-Defamation League’s A World of Difference, Dion was half of the improv team of Farahnakian and Flynn with former SNL writer and People’s Improv Theater founder, Ali Farahnakian. He's taught improv and acting privately, as guest artist and in workshops for Fortune 500 companies (Booz Allen Hamilton, Price/ Waterhouse, Herman Miller, EcoLab) and colleges and hospitals nationwide. More on Dion.
Michael J Gellman (Second City) is currently a Senior Faculty Member at The Second City – Chicago. He is an Alum of the Second City Main Stage and was a resident director there for 25 years. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member at Columbia College teaching in Comedy Studies and co-author of the book Process: An Improviser’s Journey, published by Northwestern University Press. He is also the Artistic Director of The Process Theatre Group. He has taught, directed, and/or performed with Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, Catherine O'Hara, Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, Steven Colbert, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Dave Pasquesi, Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Ali Faranakian, and Armando Diaz among others. More on Michael.
Rachel Hamilton is an actor, improviser, teacher, writer and director living in New York City. Rachel has a degree in Theater from Northwestern University, where she began her love affair with Improv. Having been cast in the company of Second City, Chicago, Rachel took the suggestion of one of her mentors, Mr. Martin deMaat and gave teaching a try. Fifteen years later she is still at it, and loving it more and more with each passing year. Rachel considers it an honor to introduce people to this magical art form and believes strongly that the basic tents of Improv also make for a rich and wonderful approach to life. Teaching credits include Second City, Chicago; Second City LA; Syracuse University, Michael Howard Studios, Magnet Theater as well as numerous corporate training gigs. Recent performance credits include Magnet Theater: Tiny Spectacular, Sleep Over; UCB: Asscat, Hamiltonia (Rachel's one-woman show); NBC: 30 Rock, The Conan O'Brien Show; Film: Spring Breakdown, I Hate Valentines Day, Internet: Onion Video and the upcoming, Chaos Theory. More on Rachel.
Jodi Lennon is an alumna of Chicago’s Second City, a member of The Annoyance Theatre, and a performer at IO. Jodi studied with Del Close, Mick Napier, Martin deMaat, David Pasquesi and others. As a member of The Annoyance Theatre, Lennon was a collaborator and performer in numerous plays and musicals including, Manson: The Musical, Co-ED Prison Sluts and Screw Puppies. She then moved to New York City as a writer/performer in the Comedy Central sketch show Exit 57. Lennon then created and wrote Tame Show for The Burly Bear Network. Lennon originated roles in the Obie award-winning and Aspen Comedy Festival One Woman Shoe and the Lincoln Center Festival’s Incident at Cobbler’s Knob, both by Amy and David Sedaris. She also played iconic characters in many Tweed Productions, fractured classic series, including Imitation of Life, Interiors, Night Mother, A Raisin In The Sun just to name a few. Lennon has performed at the UCBT in such shows as Asssscat, Let’s Have A Ball, Lennon & McCartney Live, and The Goof Around Gang. Jodi directed the one-person show, Fooling Around with Casey Jost which is currently running in NYC. You can see Jodi improvise with Ari Voukydis and Laura Grey in What A Year! More on Jodi.
Jeffrey Sweet is the author of SOMETHING WONDERFUL RIGHT AWAY, the oral history of Second City (a new edition will come out in 2013). He also wrote and performed in YOU ONLY SHOOT THE ONES YOU LOVE, a solo show that played in the 2011 Fringe and has subsequently played in a variety of theatres that actually pay money. He used improvisational research to develop WITH AND WITHOUT, a play that has had a number of regional production, including a radio version starring Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker and Lindsay Crouse. He serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild and is a member of Artistic New Directions. More on Jeffrey.
Michael J Gellman (Second City) is currently a Senior Faculty Member at The Second City – Chicago. He is an Alum of the Second City Main Stage and was a resident director there for 25 years. He is also an Adjunct Faculty member at Columbia College teaching in Comedy Studies and co-author of the book Process: An Improviser’s Journey, published by Northwestern University Press. He is also the Artistic Director of The Process Theatre Group. He has taught, directed, and/or performed with Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Gilda Radner, Catherine O'Hara, Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, Steven Colbert, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Dave Pasquesi, Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Ali Faranakian, and Armando Diaz among others. More on Michael.
Rachel Hamilton is an actor, improviser, teacher, writer and director living in New York City. Rachel has a degree in Theater from Northwestern University, where she began her love affair with Improv. Having been cast in the company of Second City, Chicago, Rachel took the suggestion of one of her mentors, Mr. Martin deMaat and gave teaching a try. Fifteen years later she is still at it, and loving it more and more with each passing year. Rachel considers it an honor to introduce people to this magical art form and believes strongly that the basic tents of Improv also make for a rich and wonderful approach to life. Teaching credits include Second City, Chicago; Second City LA; Syracuse University, Michael Howard Studios, Magnet Theater as well as numerous corporate training gigs. Recent performance credits include Magnet Theater: Tiny Spectacular, Sleep Over; UCB: Asscat, Hamiltonia (Rachel's one-woman show); NBC: 30 Rock, The Conan O'Brien Show; Film: Spring Breakdown, I Hate Valentines Day, Internet: Onion Video and the upcoming, Chaos Theory. More on Rachel.
Jodi Lennon is an alumna of Chicago’s Second City, a member of The Annoyance Theatre, and a performer at IO. Jodi studied with Del Close, Mick Napier, Martin deMaat, David Pasquesi and others. As a member of The Annoyance Theatre, Lennon was a collaborator and performer in numerous plays and musicals including, Manson: The Musical, Co-ED Prison Sluts and Screw Puppies. She then moved to New York City as a writer/performer in the Comedy Central sketch show Exit 57. Lennon then created and wrote Tame Show for The Burly Bear Network. Lennon originated roles in the Obie award-winning and Aspen Comedy Festival One Woman Shoe and the Lincoln Center Festival’s Incident at Cobbler’s Knob, both by Amy and David Sedaris. She also played iconic characters in many Tweed Productions, fractured classic series, including Imitation of Life, Interiors, Night Mother, A Raisin In The Sun just to name a few. Lennon has performed at the UCBT in such shows as Asssscat, Let’s Have A Ball, Lennon & McCartney Live, and The Goof Around Gang. Jodi directed the one-person show, Fooling Around with Casey Jost which is currently running in NYC. You can see Jodi improvise with Ari Voukydis and Laura Grey in What A Year! More on Jodi.
Jeffrey Sweet is the author of SOMETHING WONDERFUL RIGHT AWAY, the oral history of Second City (a new edition will come out in 2013). He also wrote and performed in YOU ONLY SHOOT THE ONES YOU LOVE, a solo show that played in the 2011 Fringe and has subsequently played in a variety of theatres that actually pay money. He used improvisational research to develop WITH AND WITHOUT, a play that has had a number of regional production, including a radio version starring Jill Eikenberry, Michael Tucker and Lindsay Crouse. He serves on the Council of the Dramatists Guild and is a member of Artistic New Directions. More on Jeffrey.
Unscripted New York Happy Hour Performers Jam
Sunday, May 27, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Admission: FREE
Join us for a celebration of our Unscripted New York Festival Performers as we gather together for a Happy Hour Jam on our Final Night of shows, Sunday May 27th.
We'll gather at 5:30 pm, sign up, and match improvisers who've never (or rarely) worked together -- and see what magic happens!
Watch some of the top improvisers in the festival get on their feet and use improvisation to create story, develop characters, and generally HAVE fun celebrating our new-found Unscripted festival community.
We'll gather at 5:30 pm, sign up, and match improvisers who've never (or rarely) worked together -- and see what magic happens!
Watch some of the top improvisers in the festival get on their feet and use improvisation to create story, develop characters, and generally HAVE fun celebrating our new-found Unscripted festival community.
