The Comedy Project

Hooks and Holes

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Ever feel your scenes just don't take off? Or that they feel too thin? You need to grab a hook or dig a hole!

In this workshop, we'll identify those moments  you can use to help inject energy into your scenes and make them jump. To take the scenes in unexpected directions by recognizing those fun and interesting quirks on stage, grabbing a hold of those hooks, and taking off! 

 

But don't worry! We'll also make sure you're not grabbing every hook and going too thin! We'll grab some shovels and help you recognize opportunities to dig deeper - creating richer characters and points of view on stage for you and your audience.

 

Hooks and Holes!* Two ways to make your scenes hit harder!  * Yes, this probably should've been called Hooks and Shovels but I wanted the alliteration!

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​More about Rolland​

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Rolland Lopez has taught workshops at festivals and theaters throughout the country. At M.i's Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, for several years coached "The Draft" - a lottery student show, coached house teams, as well as resident teams. He's been a regular teacher there since 2012 and has taught all of the different levels. 

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As a performer, he performs with Rich Baker in their festival headlining duo "Rollin' in Riches", with Patrick Rowland (from "The Amber Ruffin Show" and 3Peat) in "Rolland & Rowland", and was a short-form player as "Agent Double Cross" in Mission Improvable for 14 years. 

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He believes in teaching techniques that can be used the very next time you're on stage and techniques that allow the students to bring their own personalities and senses of humor into the artform.

Embrace Your Weird: Playing With Human Flaws and Foibles In Improv Scenes

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When we look at all aspects of personality - the wonderful, the weird and the just plain wrong -  through the "fun-house mirror" of improv we can create characters with unusual flaws and foibles. In this workshop, we will tap into our own "weird" through fun, joyful, improv exercises designed to reduce fear of playing into traits or points of view that in the conventional world we might judge in a negative way. Through these exercises we can expand our awareness of the gifts hidden in human imperfection, and the field of playful exploration this approach makes possible.

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More about Jude

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Jude is creative arts therapist, social worker, improviser, certified practitioner of applied improvisation (through the Applied Improv Network), storyteller and storytelling coach, and host of the Improv In Real Life podcast. She teaches online and in-person improv classes and applied workshops through my company, Lifestage, Inc - www.lifestage.me, for companies, agencies and organizations that hire me to work with their staff, and for community-building events on Long Island where she lives.

 

Jude's improv training is ongoing, having completed the improvisation programs at The Peoples Improv Theater and The Magnet Theater in NYC, and she continues to take classes regularly to learn new exercises, get reps and have maximum fun. She was on a Magnet Theater Megawatt house team for 2 years and is currently on the NYC-based indie team Submarine World. She was chair of the 2019 Applied Improv Network World Conference, in partnership with the Alan Alda Center For Communicating Science.

How to Succeed in Musical Improv (Without Really Trying)

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Join award-winning musical improvisor and teacher Robyn Helwig to master the building blocks of character-driven, long-form musical improv. Learn basic song structure, catchy choruses, improvised choreography, and how to add emotional depth to your music and improv. Anybody can be a great musical improvisor- step out of your comfort zone. Accessible to all, regardless of music skill or improv experience.

 

More about Robyn

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Robyn Helwig (she/hers) is a Pacific Northwest native who has spent the last decade teaching and performing musical improv throughout the Midwest. She has designed and taught musical improv classes and been the primary music director for the Backline Comedy Theater in Omaha, NE since 2020 as well as performing at festivals across North America with her award winning musical improv duo Pandemic! @ the Disco. Her brand of improv leans heavily into character-driven emotional stakes to give audiences reasons to relate and care about even the most absurd of characters and situations. 

 

A special education kindergarten teacher by day, Robyn is passionate about improv as a life skill, and also teaches workshops, residencies, and professional development seminars on using improv to connect with others, specifically neurodivergent students. 

 

She is currently living in Oregon with her furry life partner, Pancake (the cat) and their son Lukewarm Tater Tot (also a cat).

 

 

The Gauntlet

 

The best character workout in improv.

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More about Rich

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Author of the book Improv Made Easier and founder of the Dare to Fail! Improv School, Rich Baker has performed improv and sketch comedy across the country with The Second City, ComedySportz Chicago, Mission Improvable, and his festival headlining duo, Rollin’ In Riches.

 

As a speaker, he’s been featured at events for organizations like Google, GoodRx, Mercury Insurance, and the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

 

He also wrote and directed the award-winning web series Third Shift on Amazon Prime and worked as a writer for the hit YouTube series Epic Rap Battles of History. Check out everything Rich has going on at https://linktr.ee/RichBaker

Blue-prov: Sophisticated not Crude

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This workshop delves into the world of adult content and uncomfortable topics. Learn and refine your skills of innuendo, metaphors, and more than just profanity and gesticulation. If you have ever had to climb out from between someone's legs as a newborn baby, or cut a scene due to a political shift, and wish you could do something different, then this workshop is for you. Dive into a world where uncomfortable topics can be honored and showcased.

 

NOTE: This workshop will cover adult content, and topics which may be uncomfortable - attendee discretion is advised.

Community Workshop - Improv Basics

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Are you a beginner at improv? Seasoned vet? Or just your DM for your DnD Campaign? This workshops helps emphasize the basics. We will go over the foundational steps to making your scenes feel grounded and connect you with your scene partner. This class is open to all community members and performers. We ask that participants are at least 13+ who attend the workshop!