This two-hour workshop takes a deep dive into managing all those terrible, off-limits audience ideas with techniques to make awful ideas rich and wonderful, all while keeping your integrity! Demonstrates principles for powerful scenework on taboo subjects, and practices for using bad/inappropriate suggestions to create something far better than the audience thought they wanted. For beginner to advanced improv and theatre students.
Cite des Arts, 109 Vine St., Lafayette, LA
Saturday June 7th, 10 AM - Noon
$30/student
Warning: ALL the trigger warnings. This class explicitly deals with handling challenging improv prompts related to violence, sexuality, physical and mental health, religion/politics, offensive stereotypes and more. While all of these subjects will always be treated with respect and professionalism, students should come prepared to engage with uncomfortable ideas, so we can learn to meet them in performance with grace.
Your teachers!
Dr. Nico Zaunbrecher has performed, directed and taught improvisational theatre in over 400 shows over the last 25 years. Starting with the still-running Cult of the Stage Monkey at University of Louisiana–Lafayette in 1999, he went on to complete a Ph.D. in Performance Studies at Southern Illinois University–Carbondale, focusing on culture, theory and history of improvisation and spontaneity. He has taught communication and performance at Lenoir-Rhyne University, South Louisiana Community College, and Southern University, and published research on improv and social theory in the journals Theatre Topics and Human Studies. He is currently Artistic Director of Silverbacks Improv Theatre and one-half of the improv duos Two for the Road, Lonelycrowd and Encounter En-Canto.
Steve Benelli is a seasoned improvisational actor, director, and teacher with over 25 years of experience. Since becoming a founding member and, later, director of the improv troupe and organization Cult of the Stage Monkey (UL-Lafayette) in 1998, Steve has gone on to perform, study and teach improvisational theatre in such places as Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Washington D.C., and Illinois. In 2012, Steve became a founding member of Silverbacks Improv Theatre, and has continued performing, directing and teaching through that troupe, and also founded and has directed Tempo Tantrums Musical Improv since 2017. Steve also employs his improvisational and musical training while performing with the Whiskey Bay Rovers at renaissance festivals, pirate events, and other venues.
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