Using theater games and exercises from Frantic Assembly, Viola Spolin’s “Improvisation for Theater” and classic theater games, participants will be introduced to some of the basic concepts of improvisation for the theater. No previous experience required! While this is an introductory workshop, all levels are welcome.
The skills built in improvisation are not strictly for the stage! Skills such as confidence, boosting creativity, developing communication skills, adaptability, resilience, and embracing the unexpected are applicable in everyday life.
Improvisation is more than just a performance skill; it’s a valuable life skill that can help you thrive when everything goes wrong. By embracing the unexpected, staying present, and adopting a “Yes, And…” mindset, you can turn challenges into opportunities and build resilience in the face of adversity. – Improvedge.com
Workshop games will include:
Name game
Press Hands (Frantic Assembly)
YOU
Space Walk (Viola Spolin)
Yes, And
Mirror Game
What am I doing?
Who Started the Motion? (Viola Spolin)
Machines
Hymn Hands (Frantic Assembly)
Students will engage in a variety of these exercises and improvisations to create physical and emotional freedom, be present in the moment, develop verbal and non-verbal connection to their environment and scene partners, and encourage confidence and concentration through the act of play. Dress prepared to move. Bring water!
NB: This class will take place in person at HVWC on Saturday Feb 22, 12:30-4:30pm.
Shannon Stowe joined the faculty at The New School in 2015, creating and teaching the Dance for Actors in the MFA program. She currently teaches in the BFA and MFA programs. Her primary area of focus is acting, devising, and movement for actors. Before moving to New York to attend the New School for Drama as an MFA Acting Candidate, Shannon was very active in the San Francisco Bay Area theater scene. As an actor, Shannon appeared has appeared in many productions. Some favorite roles include Medea (Medea), Nora (A Doll’s House), Gwendolyn (The Importance of Being Earnest), Pegeen Mike (Playboy of the Western World), two stints as a Kit Kat Girl in Cabaret, In the Bleak Midwinter written by and starring Dorothy Lyman, and Law & Order SVU. In New York, Shannon has choreographed for Wizard Oil Productions, Ego Actus, Theatre Uzume, Off-Broadway for Masterworks Theatre Company and for her own dance theatre company, New Dance Theatre. New Dance Theatre made their Off-Off-Broadway debut with ASYLUM and received three nominations from the New York Innovative Theatre Awards: Outstanding Performance Art Piece, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Choreography/Movement. At the New School, she served as choreographer and assistant director for the Classics Studio productions at the New School from 2011-2017. She is also on faculty at the American Academy of Dramatic Art where she teaches Movement for Actors. Shannon is a certified Holistic Health and Wellness Counselor, personal trainer, group fitness instructor. She was the Group Fitness Manager for TMPL Gyms here in NYC and currently teaches a variety of classes at various locations. A certified yoga and meditation instructor, Shannon’s focus is on restorative practices and mobility training. She created and teaches the Reslient Body class for the College of Performing Arts. She also created her own fitness platform, Triple Sweat Fit. Shannon received a certificate from the Yale Professional Directors Training Program and is a proud member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA, and ATME (The Association of Theatre Movement Educators). Recent training includes completing courses in Embodied Activism and work with Frantic Assembly. Shannon has her MFA in Acting from the New School, MA in Drama from San Francisco State, BA in Theatre Arts and Psychology (double major) from Westmont College.
https://shoutoutla.com/meet-shannon-stowe-actor-dancer-choreographer-and-wellness-professional
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