Personal Storytelling Class

First person storytelling shows are all the rage on stages and podcasts across the country.  In this class, you will learn how to take true events from your own life and weave them into engaging performances. We will work on public speaking skills, presentation, story structure, different narrative approaches, and creating your own unique style.  Each week, students will be given a new assignment for how to structure a story.  Students choose their own subject matter for their personal stories.  This class culminates in a performance, where each student will share a 3-7 minute personal story.

• PrerequisitesNo experience necessary.
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Applied Improv Workshop

The benefits of learning and exercising improv skills can help any group achieve their goals. In this workshop, the instructor will lead students through various enjoyable games which will focus on one or more of the following: confidence, listening, communication, mindfulness, collaboration, public speaking, creativity, thinking on one’s feet, and more. Then, the group will learn how to apply these skills to fit their team’s specific needs.

Contact Amanda if you’d like to schedule your own private workshop.

• PrerequisitesNo experience necessary
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Continuing Improv

In this class, students will build upon the skills they absorbed in Beginning Improv, and learn how to confidently sustain scenes. They will continue to explore short form performance play, while also adding more to their skillset, fully completing a sturdy foundation for strong improvised theatre.

• PrerequisitesBeginning Improv
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Forms

Students will spend the first four weeks of this eight week class learning a sampling of different long-forms. This class goes far beyond the Harold to explore character-based, narrative-based, and deconstruction-based formats.  Students will spend the second half of this session workshopping and developing a new original format that they will perform in a final graduation show. 

• PrerequisitesAdvanced Scene Study completion or preivious long form improvisation class/training at any reputable training center
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Narrative Collage Master Class

Although not as well known in many improv communities, Narrative Collage is a unique and entertaining improvisation format originally developed by Del Close. Because it relies on individual monologues to create a connected story through separate narratives that are expertly woven together, it is a perfect fit for online play. This format highlights the players’ abilities to create and sustain strong characters and stories.  In this 4-week class, students will exercise both their skills of building a strong, cohesive narrative and creating and sustaining clear characters, all while learning the tools needed to execute an engaging Narrative Collage performance.  

• LocationOnline
• Prerequisitesprevious improv training/experience required.
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Creating a Character (from the Inside Out) Workshop

In this one day workshop, students will explore what makes a character tick and how to go deeper than playing just a cartoonish caricature.  Actors will exercise the techniques that assist in portraying genuine, believable characters who have heart.

• Prerequisitesprevious improv or acting training/experience required.
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Build a Form

We will create a new improvised format every single class! Based on the students’ improv experience and preferences, as well as an idea we will draw out of a hat, the director/instructor will lead the ensemble of students in exercises that move into a brand new mid-form or long-form improvisation each week. Students can sign up for just one class, the whole session of classes, or any number in between.

• Prerequisitesprevious improv training/experience required
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Improv for Teachers

No matter the age of your students, utilizing improvisation skills and games to supplement your personal teaching approach helps nurture new, dynamic ways of learning in the classroom. In this workshop, you will learn the basic principles of improv and how to apply those concepts to lessons across your curriculum, fitting your classroom’s specific needs.

• PrerequisitesNo theatre experience necessary.
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Intermediate Personal Storytelling

This 8-week class builds on the skills that students exercised in their first Personal Storytelling class, as they continue to explore the most engaging ways to share their personal experiences. The instructor will give specific feedback so that students can sharpen their own unique storytelling style. This 8-week class culminates in a final online performance, wherein each student will showcase a personal story.

• LocationOnline
• Prerequisites8-week Personal Storytelling class or instructor permission
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La Ronde Workshop

‘The Round’ is a lovely improv format both on its own or as a jumping off point for a broader narrative, in which players explore characters, relationships, and dynamics.  Students in this class will hone their character and relationship playing skills through exploring this format and learning all that it can teach us.

• Prerequisitesprevious improv training/experience required
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Advanced Personal Storytelling

This class builds on the skills students executed in both Personal Storytelling and Intermediate Personal Storytelling, as they continue to refine their own unique style. Based on each student’s individual needs, the instructor will give further story structure assignments or specific homework based on the student’s individual goals with a particular story. This class is not just for students of storytelling, but for experienced storytellers who would benefit from the weekly homework deadlines of a master class.

• LocationOnline
• Prerequisites8-week Intermediate Personal Storytelling or instructor permission
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Just for Fun Improv Workshop

It’s easy for adults to forget to set aside time in our lives to play and laugh, but it’s one of the most important things we can do for our happiness.  This feel-good improv class is play-time for grownups, a delightful and necessary break from the work and stress that can build up in our lives.  You’ll spend the entire class-time simply playing and having fun, as Amanda leads the group through both beloved classics and lesser known games.  Since this workshop is just about playing fun games, it’s open to adults with all levels of experience with improv, whether that’s no experience at all, just a little bit, or a whole lot.  Making time for play is an act of self-care.

This is the Holiday Edition! You’ll get a break from holiday stress while learning some games you can share at your own holiday party!

• LocationOnline
• PrerequisitesNo experience necessary. All experience levels welcome.
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Summer Storytelling

This online class is for any personal storyteller or storytelling student who wishes to continue to explore the most engaging ways to share their personal experiences. The instructor will give specific feedback so that students can sharpen their own unique storytelling style in a supportive environment. Students can easily fit this class into their summer schedules by choosing to take just one class, the whole six-week session, or any number in between. (One class costs $38, the price for taking all six is $199).

• LocationOnline
• PrerequisitesPersonal Storytelling Class or instructor permission
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Narrative Improv

Find out how to apply narrative to any scene or improvised show—without being in your head about it! Learn story structure beyond the basics so that you can recognize and utilize it in your work. Students will learn the ins-and-outs of storytelling, exploring common story structures from ancient fairy tales and legends to contemporary movies, applying their new skills to expertly weave together a narrative-based, format-free, online improvised performance.

This class culminates in a final online graduation performance.

• LocationOnline
• PrerequisitesAdvanced Scene Study completion or preivious long form improvisation class/training at any reputable training center
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Talk Like Shakespeare Workshop

If you felt like you could just never “get” Shakespeare in high school, this class will rectify that. In this fun workshop for adults, students will play enjoyable games and exercises to learn the difference between their “thees” and “thous.”  Students will be throwing around both compliments and insults, Shakespeare-style, in no time!

• PrerequisitesNo experience necessary.
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Dramatic Improv Fundamentals

Scripted theatre expresses all subjects, moods, and styles; improvisational theatre should have the same limitless possibilities. In this workshop, improvisers will learn the techniques needed to create a space in which dramatic improvised scenes can occur, without feeling forced or pretentious. Students will revisit and review acting techniques in a fresh way that is applicable to all improvised play. In this workshop, students can expect individual feedback on their scenework in a safe, supportive environment. Even improvisers who don’t have the goal of improvising dramatic scenes will gain skills to help improve all of their improv.

• Prerequisitesprevious improv training/experience required
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Improv for Actors Workshop

Improv is a useful tool for actors, which helps bring forth ease and sincerity in your acting.  Plus, it makes auditioning easier and less stressful. In this online workshop, not only will you gain the skills and confidence to stray from the script when needed, you will learn how to apply different improv techniques to engage with your scripted material in fresh ways.  This medium is a perfect fit honing your skills for taped and live online auditions!

This online workshop is pay-what-you-can ($20 suggested).

• Prerequisitesprevious acting training/experience required
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Spoon River Workshop

Spoon River is a delightfully dark improv format based off the book, Spoon River Anthologies by E. L. Masters.  Students in this one-day workshop will learn and play with the form, while working their character, storytelling, and monologue skills.  With monologues as its core structure, Spoon River is an ideal format for online improvised play.  We will explore the different approaches individuals and ensembles can make to this mostly forgotten format.

• Prerequisitesprevious improv training/experience required.
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