Workshops! We got 'em!
Unscripted New York Improvised Theatre Festival is proud to have offered THREE power-packed workshops for actors who love to improvise - ALL with passionate, experienced instructors!
All workshops took place at the home of Unscripted New York: Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, 244 W. 54th St., New York, NY.
Workshops, Fri May 25 – Sun May 27, 2012
Scenario to Stage Improvisation Workshop
Instructor: Michael J. Gellman, Senior Faculty Member at The Second City, and winner of this year’s national Improvisation News “INNY Award” for Best instructor
Friday (5/25) 11:00am - 6:00pm - Performance 5/25, 8:00pm
NEW: READ REVIEW OF THE SHOW PERFORMED SAME DAY AS WORKSHOP, BASED ON WHAT WAS LEARNED AND DEVELOPED WITH MICHAEL, FROM 'SCENARIO TO STAGE'!
"Led by instructor Michael Gellman of Second City, the company embarked on a theatrical adventure that was a treat for audiences rarely offered this glimpse into how improv began."
-- KATE SIDLEY, IMPROVISATION NEWS
Improv and Camera Workshop
Instructors: Heather & Chris Lutkin, AND members and NY-based collaborative team who have taught in Manhattan and at both Chicago and Kansas City Improv Festivals.
Saturday (5/26) 2:00pm - 5:00pm
FEEDBACK:
"I wanted to thank both of you for a great Improv and Camera workshop. It was fun and instructive to have so many opportunities to play on camera and be coached by you both. If you're up for it, we'd love to have you back!"
-- David Marx, AND Board Treasurer and Education Coordinator
Introduction to Storybox Unscripted Theatre Workshop
Instructor: Jonathan Pitts, Executive Director of the Chicago ImprovFestival and a guest artist at The Second City Training Center
Sunday (5/27) 11:00am - 2:00pm
All workshops took place at the home of Unscripted New York: Theatre 54 at Shetler Studios, 244 W. 54th St., New York, NY.
Workshops, Fri May 25 – Sun May 27, 2012
Scenario to Stage Improvisation Workshop
Instructor: Michael J. Gellman, Senior Faculty Member at The Second City, and winner of this year’s national Improvisation News “INNY Award” for Best instructor
Friday (5/25) 11:00am - 6:00pm - Performance 5/25, 8:00pm
NEW: READ REVIEW OF THE SHOW PERFORMED SAME DAY AS WORKSHOP, BASED ON WHAT WAS LEARNED AND DEVELOPED WITH MICHAEL, FROM 'SCENARIO TO STAGE'!
"Led by instructor Michael Gellman of Second City, the company embarked on a theatrical adventure that was a treat for audiences rarely offered this glimpse into how improv began."
-- KATE SIDLEY, IMPROVISATION NEWS
Improv and Camera Workshop
Instructors: Heather & Chris Lutkin, AND members and NY-based collaborative team who have taught in Manhattan and at both Chicago and Kansas City Improv Festivals.
Saturday (5/26) 2:00pm - 5:00pm
FEEDBACK:
"I wanted to thank both of you for a great Improv and Camera workshop. It was fun and instructive to have so many opportunities to play on camera and be coached by you both. If you're up for it, we'd love to have you back!"
-- David Marx, AND Board Treasurer and Education Coordinator
Introduction to Storybox Unscripted Theatre Workshop
Instructor: Jonathan Pitts, Executive Director of the Chicago ImprovFestival and a guest artist at The Second City Training Center
Sunday (5/27) 11:00am - 2:00pm
Scenario to Stage Improvisation Workshop
Instructor: Michael J. Gellman, Senior Faculty Member at The Second City, and winner of this year’s national Improvisation News “INNY Award” for Best instructor
[See Bios below for more on Michael]
FRIDAY (5/25) 11:00a-6:00p - Performance 5/25, 8pm
COST: $145 (Audit $30 including show)
Limit: 12 Students
Description: From Comedia del Arte to Mike Leigh, Christopher Guest and Larry David, improvisation from scenario is how we will make a living in the craft we love. In this one-day intensive workshop participants will explore the techniques early improvisers used to create improvised scenario-based one-act plays for the theater. The work will focus on both the long form methods described in the book, Process: An Improviser’s Journey as well as new applications developed by The Process Theater Group in Chicago. By the end of the workshop, participants will have developed a theater piece that will be performed that evening at the Unscripted New York Improvised Theatre Festival.
Requirements: AND Master Retreat (comparable to UCB/PIT/Magnet Level 4), or 4 Year Theater Degree or Equivalent Theater or Improvisation Experience.
To apply, contact [email protected] with requested festival workshop and your resume or list of qualifications.
[See Bios below for more on Michael]
FRIDAY (5/25) 11:00a-6:00p - Performance 5/25, 8pm
COST: $145 (Audit $30 including show)
Limit: 12 Students
Description: From Comedia del Arte to Mike Leigh, Christopher Guest and Larry David, improvisation from scenario is how we will make a living in the craft we love. In this one-day intensive workshop participants will explore the techniques early improvisers used to create improvised scenario-based one-act plays for the theater. The work will focus on both the long form methods described in the book, Process: An Improviser’s Journey as well as new applications developed by The Process Theater Group in Chicago. By the end of the workshop, participants will have developed a theater piece that will be performed that evening at the Unscripted New York Improvised Theatre Festival.
Requirements: AND Master Retreat (comparable to UCB/PIT/Magnet Level 4), or 4 Year Theater Degree or Equivalent Theater or Improvisation Experience.
To apply, contact [email protected] with requested festival workshop and your resume or list of qualifications.
Improv and Camera Workshop
Instructors: Chris Lutkin & Heather Smith Lutkin, AND members and NY-based collaborative team who have taught in Manhattan and at both Chicago & Kansas City Improv Festivals. [See Bios below for more on Heather & Chris]
SATURDAY (5/26) 2:00p-5:00p
COST: $50
Limit: 12 Students
Description: In this workshop, we'll explore why improvisers make great camera actors. Improvisation is being used more frequently in film and TV production; yet improvising for camera is not the same as improvising on stage. As an improvisational actor, your skills for reacting, listening, being comfortable with silence, exploring & heightening, using point of view dialogue, being flexible, and taking direction... all come into play in this hands-on camera technique session. Through soft-scripted and improvised scenes and the instructive use of camera playback, students practice on camera, learning vocal, cheating and framing techniques as they improvise, to discover what is needed to make an improvised screen performance come alive. Willing workshop participants will help create a short improvised video during this session.
Requirements: Attendance at Scotty's Wednesday Workshop (comparable to UCB/PIT/Magnet Level 2) or equivalent improv/theater experience; No on-camera experience required.
To apply, contact [email protected] with requested festival workshop and your resume or list of qualifications.
SATURDAY (5/26) 2:00p-5:00p
COST: $50
Limit: 12 Students
Description: In this workshop, we'll explore why improvisers make great camera actors. Improvisation is being used more frequently in film and TV production; yet improvising for camera is not the same as improvising on stage. As an improvisational actor, your skills for reacting, listening, being comfortable with silence, exploring & heightening, using point of view dialogue, being flexible, and taking direction... all come into play in this hands-on camera technique session. Through soft-scripted and improvised scenes and the instructive use of camera playback, students practice on camera, learning vocal, cheating and framing techniques as they improvise, to discover what is needed to make an improvised screen performance come alive. Willing workshop participants will help create a short improvised video during this session.
Requirements: Attendance at Scotty's Wednesday Workshop (comparable to UCB/PIT/Magnet Level 2) or equivalent improv/theater experience; No on-camera experience required.
To apply, contact [email protected] with requested festival workshop and your resume or list of qualifications.
Introduction to Storybox Unscripted Theatre Workshop
Instructor: Jonathan Pitts, Executive Director of the Chicago ImprovFestival and a guest artist at The Second City Training Center [See Bios below for more on Jonathan]
SUNDAY (5/27) 11:00am - 2:00pm
COST: $50
Limit: 16 Students
Description: Using a variety of visual and verbal storytelling techniques (including ensemble based narration), as well as sticks and cloths to dress the characters and the environments, this unique unscripted theatre process draws inspiration from Story Theatre, Noh Theatre, ritual theatre, Del Close, Keith Johnstone, and Joseph Campbell, as the performers improvise both the creation of the story's lead character (aka the protagonist) and discover the life and world of that lead character through a series of scenes and stories within stories. They take the lead character on its life's journey, ending only when the lead character is transformed for the better or the worse. Different productions of Storybox Unscripted Theatre have been improvised in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, London, Minneapolis, Montreal, Oslo, Paris, San Francisco, Seattle, Stockholm, and Toronto.
This workshop will be taught by Storybox's creator Jonathan Pitts, who besides being the co-founder and producer of the Chicago Improv Festival, has created and directed many different improvised theatre productions and improvised in over 1,000 shows. He's been teaching at the Second City Training Center in Chicago for 14 years and he's a contributing writer to their book on improvisation.
Requirements: Attendance at Scotty's Wednesday Workshop (comparable to UCB/PIT/Magnet Level 2) or equivalent improv/theater experience.
To apply, contact [email protected] with requested festival workshop and your resume or list of qualifications.
SUNDAY (5/27) 11:00am - 2:00pm
COST: $50
Limit: 16 Students
Description: Using a variety of visual and verbal storytelling techniques (including ensemble based narration), as well as sticks and cloths to dress the characters and the environments, this unique unscripted theatre process draws inspiration from Story Theatre, Noh Theatre, ritual theatre, Del Close, Keith Johnstone, and Joseph Campbell, as the performers improvise both the creation of the story's lead character (aka the protagonist) and discover the life and world of that lead character through a series of scenes and stories within stories. They take the lead character on its life's journey, ending only when the lead character is transformed for the better or the worse. Different productions of Storybox Unscripted Theatre have been improvised in Atlanta, Chicago, Honolulu, London, Minneapolis, Montreal, Oslo, Paris, San Francisco, Seattle, Stockholm, and Toronto.
This workshop will be taught by Storybox's creator Jonathan Pitts, who besides being the co-founder and producer of the Chicago Improv Festival, has created and directed many different improvised theatre productions and improvised in over 1,000 shows. He's been teaching at the Second City Training Center in Chicago for 14 years and he's a contributing writer to their book on improvisation.
Requirements: Attendance at Scotty's Wednesday Workshop (comparable to UCB/PIT/Magnet Level 2) or equivalent improv/theater experience.
To apply, contact [email protected] with requested festival workshop and your resume or list of qualifications.
Bios for Unscripted New York Workshop Instructors
Michael J. Gellman
About Michael J. Gellman, Instructor of “Scenario to Stage Improvisation Workshop”: Michael J Gellman 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.
Chris Lutkin & Heather Smith Lutkin
About Heather & Chris Lutkin, Instructors of “Improv and Camera Workshop”: Chris and Heather Lutkin are a creative producing and performing team who have been teaching and collaborating together for more than five years, including teaching a version of this “Improv and Camera” workshop at both the Chicago Improv Festival and the Kansas City Improv Festival (two years). They have collaborated on a number of screen and stage projects, including appearing at Ensemble Studio Theater, where Chris is a member, and at Artistic New Directions, where both have performed as part of “Eclectic Evening of Shorts – Boxers and Briefs” and other AND productions. CHRIS has been teaching camera acting since 1995, at The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, at Weist-Barron Studios, as well as for NYU and other film studios in NYC. He has been acting on stage and screen for more than 20 years. HEATHER is a writer, actor, and performance coach, plus a corporate communication strategist. Her fully improvised, feature film, UNSCREWED, is screening as part of Unscripted New York, and won several comedy awards at independent film festivals. Her background includes Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey’s Clown College and Second City Training Center, and she bases her work on experience with Michael Gellman, Mick Napier, Gary Austin, and Hilary Chaplin, among others.
Jonathan Pitts
About Jonathan Pitts, Instructor of “Introduction to Storybox Unscripted Theatre Workshop”: Jonathan Pitts is the Executive Director of the Chicago ImprovFestival Productions. He is also the Co-Founder of the prestigious Chicago Improv Festival. This is his 14th year producing the festival. He’s been involved in improvisational theatre for over 30 years. As an improv teacher, for the past 13 years he’s been a guest artist at The Second City Training Center and he’s also a 3 year faculty member at Piven Theatre Workshop. Nationally, he’s taught in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Champaign, Chapel Hill, Honolulu, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and San Francisco. Internationally, he’s taught in London for The Spontaneity Shop; and in Norway for Norsk Sceneskrekk.
