Austin Improv

Val and I are planning to go to CIF, and I'm looking at their workshop schedules.. the names are not familiar with me.. could people familiar with these teachers let me know if you think they're good or suck?? thanks!

http://www.chicagoimprovfestival.org/20 ... nsives.php

Wednesday, April 26
Breaking Out of the Scene
Instructor: Asaf Ronen

Title TBD
Instructor: Joe Bill
Thursday, April 27 (MY BIRTHDAY!!!)

Asian Theatre for Western Improvisers
Instructors: R. Kevin Doyle

Fun With Physicality
Instructor: Karen Wight

The Stage Picture
Instructor: Jill Bernard

the weekend workshop includes:
Tim Kaurinksy, Mick Napier
some book talk by Charna Halpern
Mark Sutton
plus teachers from like 5 training centers

I highly recommend Joe Bill. I had an 8 week class with Joe at Annoyance and he kicked me into shape. He's also a really great guy to boot. I think a few other people who read this board would back me up on all of this.

That said, I know nothing about the other four people. But, trust me, Joe is worth your time. He's also been improvising for far longer than any of the other peeps (judging from their photos).

Joe is a part of Annoyance Theater, IO, BassProv (catch this if they're at CIF), IO's Georgia Pacific (RIP), and is a co-creator (with GP) of the BAT (aka the Blind Harold).

Karen Wight is a member of Goga, who played the 2nd OoB. She is also in an all silent improv duo called imp. I took her class a couple of years back and liked it a lot. And it never hurts to have a good repetoire of physical abilities onstage.

I'm taking a big Joe Bill intensive at the DC Comedy Fest. I've heard really good things about him.

And I've never taken a class with him, but I hear wonderful things about Mick Napier. And his book was really helpful.

ColdTowne will probably see you at some of these classes.

Rock.

ditto on joe bill.

he coached the last IO team i was on and we were blessed blessed blessed to have him drive us.

take his class, you will not regret it.

AND - if you get a chance to take a class with susan messing, i recommend you get up on it. she is one of the most fearless, strong players and is a great role model for the ladyfolk. plus, she has a mouth like a merchant marine.

e

Man, all of these classes look sweet. That Jill Bernard class on Stage Picture looks pretty dope. I've never met her though, but she seems to be a popular figure on the Yesand message boards.

Personally, I would love to know more about Asian Theater for improv purposes, but I'm weird that way.

Shannon

erikamay wrote:AND - if you get a chance to take a class with susan messing, i recommend you get up on it. she is one of the most fearless, strong players and is a great role model for the ladyfolk. plus, she has a mouth like a merchant marine.

I agree, though it doesn't look like she's doing any workshops (at least through CIF).

HOWEVER, she is performing in her two-person show Messing With A Friend. From the number of people coming back to Chicago for the festival, I'd bet she has an interesting partner for the show. Check it out!

Joe Bill is teaching a workshop? Go, go, go, go, please go. He's one of the most affirming, yet relentless teachers I've ever had the pleasure to work with. He sub-coached for my old ensemble, Space Mountain, and really fired us up with new approaches to the work.

I also HEART Susan Messing. She's fearless, and she inspires her students to also embody that fearlessness in their work. Mark Sutton also rules.

peace,
mac

I just crumbled under the pressure and signed up for the 4-hour intensive workshop with Joe Bill in D.C.

hopefully this won't interfere with my plans to meet with representatives from Louisiana to give them the Penance Stare...

Asaf is an odd dude... he knows his improv, and he's got a lot of styles and theatre genres under his command, but he can be socially awkward. I worked with him a little bit in New York, and he always seemed to act like he knew me better than I was aware of. He really knows his stuff, though. I've seen him do some very impressive work. He is one of the main people who runs the improv-related website YesAnd.com. I can't say what his workshops are like, if he's nurturing or an improv nazi or what, but I can guarantee that he's not just winging it. He'll have some good insights, I'm sure.

I can speak for him a little bit, in the workshop sense. I took his directing improv class at the Dirty South Fest and I got a lot out of it. He was pretty honest with notes and I felt like I was in good hands.
His book on directing improv just came out, as well.

Although he might be coming to OoB, so maybe save up your Asaf expereince until here. No guarantees, though, just discussion at this popint.