Festival Workshops
All workshops are $20
Email adrianne@torontoimprovfestival.ca to reserve your spot in the workshops.
Saturday, Oct. 22: 11-2pm
1) Stage Craft
Are you standing in front of the guy speaking? Which way did that door open? Where did you put that mime glass? Does it really look like you're making a cake in that bakery scene, or are you just moving your hands around? The details and tricks of "the little things" will be slapped in your fun loving face in this workshop for everyone who doesn't want to just be another talking head.
Matt Alden (Rapid Fire Theatre)
Matt Alden has been writing and performing since junior high. The same year he saw Kids In The Hall live to be exact. Matt has written and starred in many plays including "The Overnight" (5 Stars, Edmonton and Winnipeg Fringe), "Ghost Righters" (5 Stars) and "Real Time" (Nominated for 5 Sterling's including best new work. Held over 2006 Toronto and commercially produced in Rochester New York.)
Matt's other highlights include acting and contributing material in the hit musical "Boy Groove" (Dora award winning, Just For Laughs). He is also a company member of the improvised soap comedy "Die-Nasty" (Canadian Comedy Award Winner 2007) and Rapid Fire Theatre's Theatresports. For six years Matt was the lead singer and songwriter of A-Jo a band who had airplay across the world.
Matt also writes radio commercials and sketches and was key writer on the television show Caution: May Contain Nuts.
2) Steal this workshop/Don't be a liar
This workshop will deal with the concept of your improv is only as smart as you are. So rather than making stuff up like a liar, why not steal facts and realities from people, places and scenarios you already know. These skills will ultimately make your onstage presence more believable, funny and poignant. Focus on: Environment, Character, Scene work, Theft
Taz VanRassle (The Sunday Service)
Fifteen year veteran and self proclaimed 'Bratty Boy' of Vancouvers' comedy scene, Taz can be seen improvising across Canada, America, Europe and Australia. He is best known for his work with weekly improv shows The Sunday Service (2011 Canadian Comedy Awards nominee-Best Improv Troupe), Urban Improv (2011 CCA nominee -Best Improv Troupe) and Vancouver TheatreSports League®.
With five Canadian Comedy Award nominations for 'Best Male Improviser' (including 2011) under his belt, Taz has solidified himself as a leading figure in Canada's growing improv community. When not punching people in the face with comedy, he can be found teaching and directing his craft to people of all skill levels, race, gender and creed. Taz has collaborated and performed with the likes of Ryan Stiles (the Drew Carey show), David Cross (Arrested Development), Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad), Will Sasso (s#%t my dad says), Scott Adsit (30 Rock) and Oscar Nunez (the Office[US]).
3) Game of the Scene
This workshop will focus on techniques to help find, play and heighten patterns within scenes. It will also show improvisers how to identify a game for your scene, yourself and between you and your environment. Keep all these balls in the air and you will never be board or boring. Unless you're boring.
Adam Cawley (MANTOWN, Impatient Theatre Co. and Second City Alum)
Adam Cawley is an alumnus of The Second City Mainstage where he wrote and performed in five revues including their first fully improvised revue and 'Something Wicked Awesome This Way Comes' which was the most successful show in Second City Toronto's History. He has been nominated for eight Canadian Comedy Awards (including Male Improviser and Improv Troupe) and one Dora Mavor Moore Award. He has performed at Just for Laughs, The Del Close Marathon, The Chicago, Vancouver and Toronto Improv Festivals and even at The Annoyance Theatre in SKINRPOV. His troupe MANTOWN has been invited to perform across Canada and recently performed with Tim Meadows and Kevin Sorbo.
Adam has taught for all of the Toronto Improv companies: The National Theatre of The World, The Bad Dog Theatre, Impatient Theatre and The Second City Conservatory. As well, at The Second City he created his own advanced specialty class called 'Game of the Scene' which ran for three years. He was recently hired to teach improv at Humber College in their Comedy: Writing and Performance program.
Saturday, Oct. 22: 3-6pm
1) Organic Group Creation
Explore and discover organic environments and group scenes, threw a series of exercises and games designed to have you moving throughout the space and creating organically without judgement or hesitation. This workshop will focus on keeping you connected with your fellow players, having a heightened awareness of what's being discovered around you and creating and physically exploring environments with a group.
Matt Folliott (Impatient Theatre Co.)
Matt Folliott is an improviser with the Impatient Theatre Co., ITC house team Standards & Practices, and The Jeremy Birrell Show and has improvised across North America, performing in the Out of Bounds comedy festival in Austin TX, The Vancouver International Improv Festival, The Del Close Marathon and many more. Matt teaches at Second City and is also a regular instructor with Impatient Theatre. He'd like to thank his dad for making him silly.
2) Free-form Improvisation
This workshop explores the makings of the unique style of the ImprovBoston Mainstage. The format of our show follows the concept that every moment in a show can be deconstructed and can lead to another scene all while following the funny and where the show wants to take you. We'll review the tools that will enable you to create a unique free-form performing experience every time you hit the stage. We will review ideas of listening to what the show wants, what can be funny, when are the best times to edit and how to edit the scene.
Will Luera (ImprovBoston)
Will Luera is the Artistic Director of ImprovBoston, Artistic Director of the Lowell Comedy Festival and Artistic Associate of the Chicago Improv Festival. In 2004, Will was the Boston and national winner of PAX-TVs World Cup Comedy. Will is also a producer and actor in Strange Faculty, which was accepted to the 2007 New York Television Festival, the 2008 Los Angeles Independent Television Festival and winner of the 2008 NBC Comedy Short Cuts competition.
