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Children’s Improv Workshop

Ages 10-15

In this Improv workshop for Young People we will start where it all begins, so no previous experience required.

In this three hour workshop we will look at “yes, and…” – the basis of improv, storytelling and characters.

Improv sharpens communication and public speaking skills. It also promotes fast thinking, engagement with ideas, can help break through mental barriers to creative thinking in any field, get out of your head and connect to the needs of the listener and respond more freely and spontaneously.

Come along with an open mind and be ready for some fun.

Parents are invited to come along for the last 30 minutes of the class to watch us work / perform.

Carolyn Mullen shares a bit about this special workshop

Teacher: Carolyn Mullen

Carolyn Mullen is an actor based in Sydney and Head of LMA’s Improv for Young People’s program.

As a mother of two Carolyn can testify to the power of “yes and” in her world and the direct effect it has with her children by being open to accepting their ideas and values; not choosing the world of me instead choosing the world of we.

Carolyn has a “Working with children” check and is currently studying certificate IV in education support and working at a local primary school.

She graduated from Ensemble Acting Studios in 2005 where she studied under Zika Nester OAM and has studied at the Actors Centre, NIDA, TheatreSports, Creative Arts at Macquarie University, Laugh-Masters Academy including The way of the Samurai with Ryan Karels (UCB), Taking Care of the Now with Jonathan Pitts (The Second City). Recent credits include feature film What Would Jesus Do, short films Manifesto and Fixing James Kinsley, music video for The April Family and TVCs for Aldi and CommBank.

Saturday, June 8
1:30pm – 4:30pm
Venue: NSW Teachers Federation (See map below)
Capacity: 15
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes

No improv experience required

SOLD OUT

Note: You will be redirected to the Laugh-Masters Academy website to register for this special workshop.

Workshop venue:

Techniques for Character Creation

Stop playing yourself

Stuck in a rut of playing various versions of yourself onstage? Do you find yourself wishing your character work was more well-rounded? Tired of playing the same old characters onstage and need to get unstuck? This workshop will give participants several practical techniques that can be applied instantly or utilized in rehearsal to create dynamic, three dimensional characters for improvisation and sketch writing. Methodologies include elements of the Stanislavsky, Laban and Michael Chekhov acting vocabularies plus other active and fun exercises. Bring writing instruments and be prepared to move!

Teacher: Amy Roeder

Amy Roeder is Executive Director of the 1932 Criterion Theatre and adjunct professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Maine. She was the Director of Education at Penobscot Theatre Company where she currently teaches improvisation. She is a 14 year veteran of ImprovAcadia, a member of Capital City Improv, and was on faculty at the Second City Training Center. She has performed with The Second City Theatricals in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Denver and across the western hemisphere with Norwegian Cruise Lines. Amy was the master class instructor at Cia Teatro Contemporaneo’s 9th Campeonato Carioca de Improvisaçao in Rio de Janeiro, taught workshops at Tony award winning Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and was a Coached Ensemble director at the Chicago Improv Festival.

Sunday, June 9
9:30am – 12:30pm
Venue: NSW Teachers Federation (See map below)
Capacity: 15
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes

Level 1 and up improv experience required

SOLD OUT

Note: You will be redirected to the Laugh-Masters Academy website to register for this special workshop.

Workshop venue:

Rhyme and Reason

Doth not misseth this

The Soothplayers are famous for making up Shakespeare plays on the spot. This workshop will help you hone the skills they use to do so, especially improvising in verse, playing with both sound and sense. We will focus on the aspects of Shakespearean style that offer us strong improvisation tools: luxuriating in sounds (offering us productive “mistakes”), extending metaphors, and turning intense emotion into action (soliloquies/asides). Whether you are interested in improving your genre work or in playing with poetry, this workshop will offer you both solo and group exercises to incorporate into your training, and it promises to be good silly fun.

Teachers: Adam Hembree and Ryan Patterson

Adam and Ryan are co-producers of Soothplayers. They founded the company in 2015, when Completely Improvised Shakespeare enjoyed its first Melbourne Fringe season. They have been producing and performing the show with their fellow players ever since, both throughout Victoria and interstate. They also produce Completely Improvised Potter, which has been enjoying great success since its debut in 2017.

Adam is completing a PhD in English, focusing on acting during Shakespeare’s time.

Ryan is a high school drama and theatre teacher.

Sunday, June 9
9:30am – 12:30pm
Venue: NSW Teachers Federation (See map below)
Capacity: 30
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes

Level 1 and up improv experience required

$99 Register now

Note: You will be redirected to the Laugh-Masters Academy website to register for this special workshop.

Workshop venue:

Turning Improv to Sketch

Write it how you meant to say it

If you love improv and are interested in getting more into sketch and other forms of scripted comedy, then this workshop is for you. In it, we will focus on techniques for using improv as a tool to create scripted comedic content. Students will learn to generate ideas through improv and explore and expand these ideas. The aim is for everyone to leave the workshop with several developed ideas they can go off and write – and then perform or film.

Teacher: Melissa McGlensey

Melissa McGlensey is an American comedian currently based in Melbourne. She has studied and performed at theaters across the world including the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (LA & NYC), Reckless Theater (NYC), The Improv Conspiracy (Melbourne), Laugh-Masters Academy (Sydney and Melbourne) and The Second City (Chicago). A recent graduate of the Harold Ramis Film School, she is also one of the founding members of The Shrews, Chicago’s only all-female improvised Shakespeare troupe. In Melbourne, Melissa is a company member of Soothplayers and Completely Improvised Potter. She also writes and performs stand up and sketch comedy and is a contributing writer for Reductress and Comedy Wire. You can also see her writing in The Huffington Post, The Mighty, Ms. Magazine, Today.com, The Onion’s Former site StarWipe and more.

Sunday, June 9
1:30pm – 4:30pm
Venue: NSW Teachers Federation (See map below)
Capacity: 25
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes

Level 3 and up improv experience required

$99 Register now

Note: You will be redirected to the Laugh-Masters Academy website to register for this special workshop.

Workshop venue:

Improv for Business Success

It’s not just for funny people

There’s more to Improv than comedy. In fact, it’s more about learning to “React, Adapt & Communicate,” as well as stay focused and present in the moment at a very high level.

This workshop led by the Founder of LMA Professional Development will help think on your feet and learn to react and adapt quickly to unexpected events and things you may not have planned for. This will help with leadership, presenting, and negotiation – where you rarely have control over what happens.

And it will dial up your communication skills too. The truth is we’re all taught how to read, write, and speak, but nobody teaches us how to listen.

Until now. This workshop will turn you into an “active listener” and have you “Yes, anding” your way to future success.

Teacher: Eran Thomson

Eran Thomson is the Founder of Zuper Superannuation, Laugh-Masters Academy, and LMA Professional Development.The latter specialising in improv-based learning and development training. LMA’s program design is uniquely built on a platform of behavioural science, procedural knowledge and cognitive learning – as opposed to the games based workshops offered by other improv schools and theatres. He has facilitated workshops with companies big and small including; Google, Telstra, Gartner, John Holland, Culture Amp and the NSW Government.

Sunday, June 9
1:30pm – 4:30pm
Venue: NSW Teachers Federation (See map below)
Capacity: 18
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes

No prior improv experience required

$99 Register now

Note: You will be redirected to the Laugh-Masters Academy website to register for this special workshop.

Workshop venue:

Intro to Improv

All the funny.
Without the money.

FREE workshop by Laugh-Masters Academy.

This is a free Intro to Improv Class taught in the unique style of LMA. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes and be prepared to move around and have some fun. Not sure if improv is for you? See what these people have to say.

This workshop will be a simple and fun intro to improv where you will explore some of the fundamentals of improv like “Yes, and…” and Active Listening, as well as play games and exercises that will help you get better at learning to React, Adapt and Communicate more effectively and effortlessly in any situation.

You will leave with a working knowledge of some simple tools to improve communication on stage and in your personal/professional life as well as everything you need to know to decide if improv is for you.

Low cost. Low commitment.
High value. And highly addictive fun.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Teacher: TBA

Saturday, June 8
9:30am – 11:30pm
Venue: NSW Teachers Federation (See map below)
Capacity: 25
Please wear comfortable clothes and shoes

No improv experience required

SOLD OUT

Note: You will be redirected to the Laugh-Masters Academy website to register for this special workshop.

Workshop venue:

Karaoke Yogi

Improv Ensemble

Born from the love of positive therapy, this troupe has created a unique recipe for a show that consists of art, health, and humour that will leave you feeling enlightened for days.

If the idea of downward-dogging up-close with hundreds of sweaty strangers is slightly daunting, you can inhale deeply and, now exhale – because the only people working up a sweat will be on stage.

Come prepared to have your facial muscles stretched, your heart open, and your belly filled with laughter from this karmic performance.

Together they will seek to explore the truth in relationships, with a show that is thought-provoking, real, raw, and vulnerable – and based on a true stories and personal experience.

This is Karaoki Yogi’s first major debut, and they are ready to let the dharma wheel roll.

Performer Bio

Karaoke Yogi train in Sydney at Laugh-Masters Academy (LMA) and are coached by improv legend, Jonathan Pitts.

This dynamically minded and culturally diverse team are considered to be one of the most refreshing acts to have emerged in the Sydney improv scene.

Catch their regular performances on Thursdays at LMA’s Indie Team Show at the Chippo Hotel.

Starring (in alphabetical order):
Bianca Vitale
Brad Kemp
Carolyn Mullen
Josh Ravindian
Maria Belousova
Patrick Marando
Scott Zhou
Susan Zheng
Veronkia Kryuchkova

Don’t miss these other acts:

Performer Lineup Announced!

We are thrilled to announce our 2019 performers.

There is something for everyone at The 2019 Australian Improv Festival. We’ve got long-form improv, short-form improv, musical improv, physical comedy, even Shakespearean improv comedy, and so much more.

We have professional acts from all across Australia – and the world – coming together for three amazing days of shows and workshops.

Tickets go on sale 1 May

More details and performer info on the shows page.

Andrew & Mithra

Harold Holt

Hot Doggies

Karaoke Yogi

Lady Fingers

Murder Murder

Room for Improv-ment

Soothplayers

The A-Team

Unplanned Melodies

The Australian Improv Festival is a community event. Help spread the word by giving us a like on Facebook, telling your friends at other schools, current and past teammates, old lovers, heck, even your dog.

See shows for free. Sign up up to be a volunteer!

Early Bird Rego ends 13 May

Harold Holt

Improv Ensemble

1967.

The year Australia saw the end of the six o’clock swill, and death by capital punishment. Indigenous people were recognised by referendum and New England, our would-be seventh state, was not. Postcodes were introduced, and Johnny Farnham smiled his way into our lives with Sadie the Cleaning Lady.

Oh and we lost our Prime Minister to drowning while he was showing off to his friends at the beach. And then we named a swimming pool after him.

It was also the year The Harold (an improv format ) was first played in California.

Five decades later, in 2019, at the inaugural Australian Improv Festival, we honour this Aussiest of disappearances by introducing the Harold Holt: a celebration of childhood, holidays, summer, seaside and communist political conspiracies.

It’s the improv format we had to have.

Performer Bio

This festival piece was devised by, and will be performed by, the same cast that brought you the Sydney Fringe sold-out success “Law and Order: Improvised Case Unit.” Jump in feet first.

Don’t miss these other acts:

Unplanned Melodies

Musical ensemble

Watch and be amazed as an entirely original musical extravaganza is crafted and composed before your very ears. Inspired by stories from a guest speaker, Unplanned Melodies will add a musical spin to a classic improv format! Monologues will turn into musical masterpieces with characters chorusing and cruising from scenes into songs!  


Performer Bio

Accompanied by the talented Tom Cardy on keys, Unplanned Melodies can turn any improv scene into a toe tappin’ finger clickin’ showtune, leaving audiences with a grin from ear to ear. The troupe includes, Kate Knott, Benjamin Hasic, Danii Johnstone, Jeromaia Detto, Chloe Latham, Amanda Hood, Alex Williams and Jodi De Vantier.

Don’t miss these other acts: