Splash Biography

This class gives a broad introduction to the mentality and art of improvisational comedy. "Short form" scenes are short (duh!), stand alone bits of comedy (perhaps with one joke or punch line), and are often driven by short form "games." This course introduces the concept of "Yes, And" and practices it through various short form games. Like all classes in this improv sequence, most of our time will be spent doing, rather than talking about, improv. Everyone will participate. No previous experience is necessary.

Long form is almost like an improvised play; a collection of scenes that ultimately tie together into one topic or event. Two-person scenes are the backbone of long form improv, and in this class you will develop the skills to construct them given any suggestion from the audience. "The Game" is the core concept of a two-person scene, it is the common strand that ties all of the silly and serious things together. In this class we will use "The Game, game" to construct scenes that are funny and, more importantly, where both people are on the same page. We will then attempt "The Director," a rudimentary long form structure in which a director (me) instructs the improvisers through a series of two person scenes that all have a common strand. Most of our time will be spent doing, rather than talking about, improv. Everyone will participate.

"The Harold" is the quintessential long form structure, a way to combine two-person scenes to almost guarantee something funny and ...