Tim Orr workshop tour 2014

Full details of the recent workshop tour by San Francisco's Tim Orr, please see the wonderful report by Laura Doorneweerd.

Hili Yalon @ ImproBattle

Hili Yalon visited Impro Battle to conduct a workshop "Goodbye Mask." The workshop was attended by 20 participants. The objective of the workshop was to get the actor in touch with their own truth in order to become more believable. The side effects of the workshop were for the group to get to know each other better and to feel safer amongst each other. One of the  nicest points in the workshop came towards the end when all the participants read a monologue they wrote. The entire room was at full attention and the emotions of the readers were incredibly real and honest. Some immediate reviews from ImproBattle's closed Facebook page:
"Was vandaag weer een top les anders dan voorheen maar heb er echt wat van opgestoken het gaf mij weer power en extra inspiratcie om weer lekker de draad van impro battle op te pakken nogmaals was te gekke les en me complimente aan de leraares"

"It was a Great evening and we have been talking about working together with the israel class . So Lets hope .thanks a lot all of you but first off all the theacher hili thanks a lot"

Thanks Hili and hope to see you again soon.

Improv Comedy Mumbai in Amsterdam 2013 - Workshops

Improv Comedy Mumbai will be back in Amsterdam and give two classes on Saturday the 7th of December:
Workshop 1: 10:00-1:00pm
Workshop 2: 1:30-4:30pm

40 euros per workshop.
70 euros for both.

To sign up, contact Stephanie Blokzijl at improvfuture@gmail.com

The Power of support Improv Workshop. 10:00-1:00pm

Instructor: Adam Dow

If you look good then I look good. This is the foundation of good improvisation. In this intermediate to advance course we focus on radical scene support. This class will work on active listening skills, endowment of other person on stage, attention to detail, and commitment to strong third character entrances. These skills can help you raise the stakes of the scene and make you a more fun improviser to play with. Adam Dow has had over 18 years of professional Improv experience from
working at Seattle Theater Sports, starting the first Improv group at the University of Washington, bringing the Improv scene to India, and being the main trainer of Whose Line is it Anyways India TV Pilot.

Total Class: 3 hours
Max Students: 15 people

Dance & Singing Improv Workshop. 1:30-4:30pm

Instructors: Drhuv Lohumi, Naveen Kaushik, and Nigel Rajaratnam

Learn to use improvised singing and dancing to create dynamic musical numbers. From the Indian Improv group that brought Improvised Bollywood to Amsterdam for Impro festival in 2012. Experience how to create unique and interesting stage pictures of improvised dancers while integrating dynamic expressive songs based around important plot points of a musical number such as Hero Song, Love Song, Sad Song, and a variety of Improvised dance games unique to Mumbai. This highly interactive class will give the students lots of stage time to try out there singing and
dancing skills. Accompanied by the highly talented musician Nigel Rajaratnam get the full experience of Improvised song and dance Mumbai Style.

Total Class: 3 hours

Max Students: 18 people

Workshop with JSTAR from Atlanta

The fabulous JSTAR is coming to Amsterdam!
JSTAR ıs the founder and artıstıc dırector of the 9 year old Basement Theatre ın Atlanta, GA USA. He ıs also the producer of the Spontaneous Combustıon ımprov festıval ın Atlanta ın March (2013 wıll be year 6 for the fest) Jstar has studıed at ıO (ımprov olympıc), Second Cıty and The Annoyance ın Chıcago as well as UCB New York, and Keıth Johnstone. He has also worked wıth everyone (alıve) who has wrıtten an ımprov book! Hıs ımprov style and teachıng combınes the best of the best from all schools ın order to have the most fun on stage! Jstar has travelled the world teachıng and performıng ımprov... ask to see hıs tattoos!

He'll be teaching a workshop on Saturday November 23 about starting scenes in new ways called: THREE STEPS AWAY.
How many times do we get that suggestion from the audience
HAMBURGER... and start the scene... "this is the best Hamburger!"
MOTORCYCLE... "This is the first time I've ridden a motorcycle!"
FOREST..."I've never been to the forest before!"
In this workshop we learn how to expand from the Suggestions
to begin dynamic scenes that will please not only your audience
but you as the actor!

The workshop takes place at Crea in Amsterdam from 1 to 4pm, and costs only 25euros.

Email to anne@easylaughs.nl for more information or to register.

ps If you want to see him perform, he'll take the stage with easylaughs the night before (Friday November 22)

Tim Orr (USA) - Advanced Wheres and Action

Tim Orr is an actor and trainer from San Francisco, who played with renowned groups like 3 For All and True Fiction Magazine. He now owns his own company Improv Playhouse of San Francisco and has been visiting The Netherlands every two years since he performed at the Amsterdam impro festival in 2005.

For his 2013 tour he visited 3 countries to teach Dutch, Belgian and French improvisers (almost) everything he knows that can add to better improvising.

And it started all with the weekend intensive Advanced Wheres and Action. About this workshop Tim said: "I haven’t taught this yet in Amsterdam. I think that people would love it!"

After 2,5 days of swimming in the Olympics, getting lost in horror houses, flying helicopters and chasing murderers on a merry-go-round, that was indeed what had happened: all 14 participants loved it. And each other. And Tim for inspiring each of them tremendously. 

To close, the master himself speaks:

"Many thanks to all my students, friends and colleagues in Amsterdam and throughout The Netherlands for an awesome month of improv!  It's an honor to work and play with you.  Special thanks to Lady Laura Doorneweerd for a great job of organizing all the workshops, and also to All Improv for its support. Hope to see you next year!" 

Kevin Gillese (Rapid Fire Theatre) teaching two workshops

Kevin Gillese of Rapid Fire Theatre fame is coming to Amsterdam and teaching two workshops:

1. Shortform impro comedy: Saturday April 20th, 13:00 - 15:30, Crea Amsterdam.
Price: € 30,- per person. Max number of participants: 12. Experience level: All

Description:
Kevin has performed more Theatresports than anything else, and in this workshop he will be bringing all his favourite games and structures to play around with. You will brush up on some games that you have forgotten about, and learn some new ones too. In addition to this the instructor will share his personal tips and tricks for strong short form scenes. As we all know, having strong improv skills is only half the work, the other half is knowing how to play the format that you're in, and that's what this workshop is all about: mastering the art of short, improvised comedy scenes.

2. Narrative in longform: Saturday April 20th, 16:00 - 19:00, Crea Amsterdam.
Price: € 30,- per person. Max number of participants: 12. Experience level: Must have some experience with long form improv.

Description:
Kevin's personal improv philosophy is that narrative is a fundamental part of almost every type of improvised theatre, and that not enough focus is given to developing those storytelling skills. In this workshop Kevin will go over all the building blocks of narrative (objectives, super objectives, conflict, narrative arcs, etc.) and then lead the group through a variety of exercises designed to strengthen those specific muscles.

Kevin is mostly known from his 2-men improv group "Scratch". He performs all over the world and has a wonderful style of teaching.

Apply by e-mailing to: david@groenbrothers.com.

Payment can be cash at the workshop, or if preferred by invoice.

OFFER: if you attend both workshops, you pay only € 50 for 2 workshops!

The Ripple Effect by Ryan Millar

I was delighted to have the opportunity (thanks to AllImprov and easylaughs) to come to
Amsterdam and lead a workshop on The Ripple Effect in at the CREA. The workshop came
after the international debut (yeah... ‘international debut’: I like the sound of that) of my
solo improv show Marbles.

The workshop activities were grouped under the heading ‘The Ripple Effect’ to suggest the
idea of following ripples and seizing in-the-moment discoveries. The session was the result
of a number of things I’ve come across while doing solo improvisation. They centre on two
main themes: one is authenticity, and the other is exploration.

Authenticity in improv means being entirely true to what’s happening in the moment; in
the room, in the scene, and with yourself. Complete honesty is really compelling onstage,
and even when you add in character and emotion and attitudes – and blur the lines
between reality and fiction – that doesn’t change. The performers should never be or seem
inauthentic. It’s difficult not to put up protective walls, but it’s good to at least identify when
it happens.

One of the most fun exercises on authenticity was actually inspired by the room
specifications. When I was booking it I found out the room had a stereo, so I decided to build
some dancing into the session. One reason is that I really enjoy dancing.

The other reason this seemed to make sense is that dancing can be used either as
self-expression or as armour to hide behind. (As typified by teenage boys at a school
social ‘pretending’ to dance, but too self-conscious to actually do so).

However, when people are completely committed to dancing (no matter how good or bad
they are) it's much more interesting. Of course, unless you’re supremely self-confident it’s
hard to dance by yourself in front of a group and not feel self-conscious. But in the workshop
we all did it, and experienced the different feelings. Leaving ‘the point’ of it all aside for a
moment: we had a pretty sweet afternoon dance party.

Afterwards, we did a number of exercises to help us get at the idea of riffing on (or
exploring) ideas. During the session I realized that it’s actually quite a rich area, and there
could've been at least a few more hours to the session.

If anything, finding an idea was the easiest part of the spontaneous monologues I had
people create; a number of people onstage discarded perfectly good ones trying to find
a ‘better’ one. In all cases, those first ideas were perfectly wonderful. Seizing the unexpected
idea or moment can turbo-charge scenes and stories and take them into unexpected,
risky and rewarding places. Though the work on riffing runs parallel to some other improv
concepts, the idea of discarding perfectly ideas – or ignoring rich accidents – to focus
on something that we hope (or expect) to be coming along is a far too often onstage
occurrence.

I know that applies to me, as I've been using these techniques to generate material for
solo improv and in other forms, but The Ripple Effect also seems like the kind of thing that
anyone could find useful, in their ‘real’ life or in other capacities.

It was over all too soon. But perhaps there will be a next time, and we can go deeper into
the ripples, and have an even bigger dance party.

The Format

Director and improviser Gerald Weber from Zürich came to the Netherlands to teach the weekend workshop The Format. 

The Friday evening workshop focused on acting for longforms in which both intermediate and advanced improvisers took part.

Gerald continued with a smaller group for a full weekend of exercises, training for longforms and developing an own longform. 

The participants started off with sharing one part of the home work they received: sharing their most embarrassing moment. This resulted in inspiring nicknames like 'Window Smasher' and 'Best of Nothing', that were used the rest of the weekend.

On Saturday Gerald took the participants along a number of longforms, including the Armando Diaz Experience and the Harold. The training focused on spontaneity, archetypes, stage directions, ensemble work and honesty on stage.

 

On Sunday Gerald and the participants discussed what inspired them in the different longforms, which lead to the making of the new format. This format included monologues, scenes that build on each other and unexpected story lines. Napoleon's Bagel was born and in the early evening presented to an audience. 

It was an intense weekend and a sparkling show. After the show, visitors told us about the references they saw to great philosophers, movies and the Ducktales.

But foremost, this weekend has enriched the participants in many ways. To quote one: "I have been looking for this for years". 

A big thank you to All Improv for making this happen. 

Hero's Journey Class

On December 10, 2011. Peter More (of easylaughs and the Ad Libertines) gave a presentation-style workshop on the Hero's Journey. The workshop was attended by a nicely mixed group of people with a variety of experience in the Hero's Journey. The workshop covered the core concept of the the Journey and went on to discuss how it can be used within improvised stories. The workshop was part of a sponsorship deal with Ad Libertines a new narrative-based group that will reform in 2012.

"It was a wonderful workshop!!" - Mariette

Playing with Reality in Amsterdam

Myself, along with fellow company members Carolyn McCandlish, Jennifer Kent & Julio Peña, were in town last week to conduct our interactive performance workshops. Our style of performance invites onto the stage a member of the audience to portray the protagonist of an improvised narrative. Utilizing several techniques and concepts, we create a safe space for the participant to make bold choices and fight for their beliefs, all while creating a cohesive story for the viewing audience.

Our level 1 workshop took place over 2 days – Saturday, 29 October, and Sunday, the 30th. We had 6 attendees who worked wonderfully as a team and learned the tools we could share. At the end of the second day, they gave a performance for the public, which was also streamed live for everyone to see. In case you missed it, you can watch the recording here: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/18214885. After only 12 hours of training, they did an exceptional job, and we’re proud of their work.

The level 2 workshop was condensed to a 3-hour session on Wednesday, 2 November. With 2 new attendees and 2 attendees from the level 1 workshop, we were able to impart a handful of skills that we use to understand how the participant wants to play and how to challenge them. All attendees seem to have gained valuable tools from the session.

Our goal for these workshops was to teach some of our skills, and, while the attendees may not dive into the world of interactive performance, they can at least transfer some of them to their work in improvisation and performance. From talking with the attendees afterwards, it sounds like they’re able to do exactly that.

We were also fortunate enough to perform in the second slot of easylaughs’ Friday show at CREA Café. It was a full house, and the workshop attendees came to support us.

We returned home to New York this past weekend with pride in our work and confidence in what we taught. Thank you to All Improv for giving us this opportunity. We hope to return soon!

Shea Elmore
Director
Playing with Reality


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Playing with Reality is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of Playing with Reality must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Patti Stiles' Workshop Notes

Thanks for supporting Patti Stiles' workshops in Amsterdam.

I will not need the full allocated support cause the workshop filled up completely.
I'll send a (little) donation request separately by e-mail.

I am now sending you my entry for the blog:


Patti Stiles: she made us look and feel good!

Canadian (now Australian) improv goddess Patti Stiles has been trained by Keith Johnstone and this was obvious in the 2 workshops she taught in Amsterdam. A lot of Keiths motto's have been misinterpreted over the years, and she has set them straight. This may sound very strict, but Patti is a wonderful person, breathing all improv principles and opening up many new possibilities.

The most impactful day was the second one, especially for improv teachers. She showed us how we hover around what is really important: the motto of Make your partner look good. All improv principles like Yes And, being Aware, etc. derive from that basic motto. Which is more than just a t-shirt motto! We talked about the fact that forbidding players to block, stall, whimp, etc. does not make their fear go away. The fear will come back at other levels.

If you truly want to take their fear away, you need them to start focussing on the other player. If you are making your partner look good, you are not in your head with your own fear.

This, and so many other insights, were the result of Patti's workshop. We hope the new values will quickly spread to the Dutch improv society!

Anja Boorsma
Far Fetched Productions

5-day intensive Clown and Acting Workshop

We're excited to announce a 5-day intensive Clown and Acting Workshop in Amsterdam given by Ira Seidenstein as part of his 2011 European tour. This workshop is sponsored by Allimprov.

Who: Ira Seidenstein, M.A., PhD (Cirque du Soleil, Bell Shakespeare Company, Opera Australia) is an American/Australian director of theatre, circus, clown,and commedia with over 35 years of experience in these fields. He has worked in over 100 theatre productions often combining work as director, playwright, actor, and choreographer. He uses skills of classical acting, dance, mime, singing, and circus and has worked with over 100 directors in Stage and Screen. Internationally he has one of the most varied careers in the world of Clown, having worked in classical theatre, circus, dance, opera, commedia dell’arte. He has taught throughout Australia and internationally in Auckland, Belfast, Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, New York, Oslo, Paris, San Francisco and Stockholm. For further information, see www.iraseid.com.

What: Ira has developed the Seidenstein Method known as Quantum Theatre which is a series of anatomical movements designed to assist actors and improvisers (professional, veteran, or novice) to awaken within their own body, intellect, consciousness, and through creative play. In very practical ways, the Seidenstein Method is like the yoga of acting. It is unique and adaptable; it applies to all performances, from slapstick to Shakespeare.

Ira will teach his method during the 5-day intensive workshop. It will include "The Four Articulations" which form the basics of all performance: Body, Space, Time, Time-Space Continuum. The students will discover whole new worlds of creativity, inspiration, and true drama, via the work of their bodies.

When: Sunday 6 November to Thursday 10 November 2011, 10.00am to 4.00pm

Where: Crea Studios, Turfdraagsterpad 17, Amsterdam.

Cost: €300 per person.

Registration: Send an e-mail to peter@easylaughs.nl. Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-in-first-serve basis.

Playing with Reality - This Month in Amsterdam

I feel like this sort of “playing” could be addictive.
– Rosabeth, voluntary participant

Interactive Performance Workshops
Conducted by New York’s Playing with Reality (www.playingwithreality.org)

Led by founder & director, Shea Elmore, Playing with Reality will conduct two 12-hour sequential workshops in
Amsterdam for improvisers and actors alike. Workshops are being offered at a fraction of the regular price.

I have been an improviser for nine years and am struck by the unique depth and meaning created
through this form; it has redefined for me what is possible in improv.
- Amanda Miller, inter-actor

You will learn how to:
* read and respond to a participant’s “type”
* create characters that build instant rapport with participants
* avoid the three most common mistakes of interactive performance

Like acting on a high wire, this work demands of me more energy, focus, and sheer faith than any other
kind of performance.
- Sarah-Doe Osborne, inter-actor

Level 1 Class (Maximum 12 Attendees)
The Level 1 Class is geared towards actors and new improvisers. Participants will learn basic improvisation and
interactive techniques. The focus of our work isn’t necessarily to be funny, so you’ll get plenty experience on
being “boring”. We strive to create full stories, and your storytelling techniques can only grow from here.
Cost: 50 euros
Class Schedule: 29 Oct: 10am-1pm, 2-5pm; 30 Oct: 10am-1pm, 2-5pm
Class Performance, Sunday, 30 Oct: 7-8:30pm
Class & Performance Location: Talia (www.i-talia.net), Prinsenstraat 12, 1015 DC Amsterdam

Level 2 Class (Maximum 12 Attendees)
You succeed in the basic tenets on a consistent basis. You’re ready for some new challenges in the craft. Sign up. You’ll
learn how to work with some of the most challenging participants and turn them into stellar improvisers in a matter
of minutes. You’ll know how to challenge participants without breaking their spirits. You’ll feel the satisfaction of
empowering individuals to achieve their full potential.
Cost: 50 euros
Class Schedule: 31 Oct – 3 Nov: 6-9pm
Class Performance, 4 Nov: 7-8:30pm
Class & Performance Location: Talia (www.i-talia.net), Prinsenstraat 12, 1015 DC Amsterdam

To apply, write to info@playingwithreality.org.
Include a cover letter and CV, and for which level you’re applying.

Playing with Reality invites audience volunteers to play the lead role and co-create the story. Imagine a choose-your-

own-adventure story, created on the spot, which anyone can live. Playing with Reality has held multiple productions
and workshops, including a workshop for easylaughs (www.easylaughs.nl) and a solo inter-actor performance by Shea
Elmore in Amsterdam, The Choices We Make. The upcoming workshops are made possible in part by a grant from All
Improv (www.allimprov.nl).

Patti Styles in Amsterdam

There's a first time for everything: Patti Stiles in Amsterdam

A couple of years ago when I was at an International Improv Festival in Leuven (Belgium), I took a workshop from Patti Stiles.
And this was such a delight, really. This woman just breaths improv. So kind, open, warm, flexible, authentic. She is one of those people that has a Yes And radiation.

Furthermore, she taught me a lot of games I didn't know. And this has unfortunately become a unique situation, as I have spoiled myself with so many Far Fetched workshops that I hardly get Really Fresh Inspiration.

Well, Really Fresh Inspiration is what I got in Leuven. Patti was trained by Keith Johnstone in his Loose Moose Theatre (Calgary, Canada) and she uses a lot of exercises in his style. Really fun to do and watch.

So... I kept Patti on my wishing list for Far Fetched Productions and this fall I'll finally manage to get her to Amsterdam. As I can absolutely not afford a flight ticket from Australia (not even with the help of All Improv ;), I had to wait for her to visit Europe anyway. She will now be at a German festival and travel to Amsterdam by train. So, not even jetlagged! Couldn't be better.

The two workshops she will be teaching were fully booked within 6 days. Surprisingly I was not happy, cause I felt terrible to have to disappoint all those who where too late and are now on the waiting list. Especially Peter More from Easylaughs, who wrote me that Patti was one of his early teachers. But even though Peter is in the committee of All Improv that decides on upcoming grants, I had to put him on the waiting list too... Hope I won't regret that.

Will write about how the workshops turned out afterwards!


Anja Boorsma
Far Fetched Productions

Rob Reese Workshop Report

On Saturday 5 February, Rob Reese (experienced improv coach and director, trained in Chicago now based in New York, Artistic Director of Amnesia Wars) ran an afternoon workshop for 16 people.

The workshop opened with exercises focused on establishing as immediately as possible the "who" and the "where". The lion's share of the workshop involved the participants performing open scenes. Rob gave insightful feedback on each of these scenes, analysing what made one scene work and caused another to struggle. He passed on invaluable tips on things that you can do to help yourself and your partner in a scene (define who and where asap, give yourself a repetitive movement you can go back to, catch the game and augment it, for example), and on traps to avoid (getting into negotiating over facts, teaching, arguing for example). Rob is a perceptive, gracious, fun, and inspiring coach. If only he lived in the original Amsterdam instead of the new.

Ira Seidenstein's 5-Day Clown & Acting Workshop Report

As part of his 2011 European tour, Ira ran a 5-day intensive clown and acting workshop attended by six people of varying levels of improv experience.

It was a process of discovering one’s body, remaining aware of it, and using it fully. Each day we discovered new things about the way we engage our bodies. On day five we were aware of things that we would never have perceived on the first days.

The days were structured in generally the same way: every morning we would work through a series of physical exercises designed by Ira (in 1976) known as the core mechanics. Then we would work through another series of creative physical exercises designed to explore feelings and energy discovered when we “listened to” and moved our bodies in a certain way. We can all now practice these physical exercises ourselves on a daily basis.

In the afternoons, we performed exercises based on the work of some of the great clowns: Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance, Josephine Baker. These exercises were simple yet profound. Amidst much struggle we each caught moments of magic.

This was not like other workshops I have been to; this was like training. When we got up to do the clown exercises it was not a casual affair like “oh I will see how it feels and give it a try”. Ira worked it so that each exercise felt precious, like it was the last, and could not possibly be wasted on half-ass attempts. We were inspired to give it all every time; that was the only way to make breakthroughs, to discover more vital ways of being. Needless to say, we all slept like babies on brandy that week.

Here are comments from the other participants:

“Five days with Ira was extraordinary, challenging and inspiring. His method offers a systematic and technical approach to how an actor can begin physical work and performance immediately, through a simple daily practice.”

“I knew it would be good for me, but it was actually fantastic for making me more aware and in control of my body. I thought 5 days would be more than enough, but it was only after 4.5 that I was really starting to get the hang of it. I felt a door had been opened and I would love to explore what's in there much, much more. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to be aware and control their body on stage and avoid being just another static, floppy-armed, "blah-blah-blah" sort of improviser.”

“intense and exhausting in a very good way. This was a crash course on using and being aware of how my body moves. I'm very happy I did the workshop...I would do it again.”

“Ira opened a door for a better understanding of the physical aspects in acting and clowning. Though defending and promoting his approach, it should be seen as a starting point for everybody who seeks new ways and challenges. With direct and sometimes harsh feedback he kept the tension on a high level so that everybody became aware of his or her mistakes. It was a great experience with a great group and a great teacher. In short: I love clowning.”

“The intensive clown and acting workshop was a powerful experience for me. These past 5 days have enabled me to achieve a greater comfort level in expressing myself physically and also allowing myself to move in more expressive ways. In addition to body awareness, I also learned about core mechanics that provide my body with energy, and I will continue to practice these movements. I will take what I’ve learned and experienced and continue to practice it in my improvisation, especially the act of sending my partner energy in a scene.”

Ira plans to run further workshops in Amsterdam, possibly in November 2011 and probably in March 2012. They will be advertised on www.easylaughs.nl.

Playing with your body, workshop report

William Dashwood gave a three hour workshop for eleven improvisers about techniques and insights from the mime of Decroux and Marceau that we can use in improv scenes.

We pushed invisible supermarket trollies, expressed emotions while reaching for imaginary packets and tins from a supermarket. We experienced how posture and eye contact influences our status, played psychic kung fu, opened doors super convincingly, took tram rides on a wobbly tram while hanging on to the safety bars. And two participants got to make the scariest cup of tea they have ever made in their lives.

After the workshop several people were asking "I want more! When is the next workshop?"

Thanks William Dashwood, I hope you'll give another workshop soon.

Tim Orr Workshops Report

Well, Tim has left Holland after an intensive two weeks full of workshops…

Having taken four of them, I feel fully inspired and regarding the messages on Facebook I am not the only one. By now everyone that took a class is probably suddenly LOUD and CLEAR. Or at least trying to be so. I am really looking forward to use as much of the stuff I´ve learned in my regular training and I hope so do you.

Thanks to everyone who took a workshop: for subscribing and entering so enthusiastically. For showing up on time (well, mostly) for supporting the other participants even though you didn’t know him or her. For allowing them even to hit you or kiss you (physicality workshop), pursue you or wrongly endow you, or blow you into space….

And thanks Tim for so energetically inspiring us, even though we laid out a killing schedule. We had a good time!


Good luck with all your Improv Activities!


Anke Wijnja

On behalf of FarFetched Productions

5-day intensive Clown and Acting Workshop

We're excited to announce a 5-day intensive Clown and Acting Workshop in Amsterdam given by Ira Seidenstein as part of his 2011 European tour. This workshop is sponsored and made possible by Allimprov.

Who: Ira Seidenstein, M.A., PhD (Cirque du Soleil, Bell ShakespeareCompany, Opera Australia) is an American/Australian director of theatre, circus, clown,and commedia with over 35 years of experience in these fields. He has worked in over 100 theatre productions often combining work as director, playwright, actor, and choreographer. He uses skills of classical acting, dance, mime, singing, and circus and has worked with over 100 directors in Stage and Screen. Internationally he has one of the most varied careers in the world of Clown, having worked in classical theatre, circus, dance, opera, commedia dell’arte. He has taught throughout Australia and internationally in Auckland, Belfast, Berlin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, London, New York, Oslo, Paris, San Francisco and Stockholm. For further information, see www.iraseid.com.

What: Ira has developed the Seidenstein Method known as Quantum Theatre which is a series of anatomical movements designed to assist actors and improvisers (professional, veteran, or novice) to awaken within their own body, intellect, consciousness, and through creative play. In very practical ways, the Seidenstein Method is like the yoga of acting. It is unique and adaptable; it applies to all performances, from slapstick to Shakespeare. Ira will teach his method during the 5-day intensive workshop. It will include "The Four Articulations" which form the basics of all performance: Body, Space, Time, Time-Space Continuum. The students will discover whole new worlds of creativity, inspiration, and true drama, via the work of their bodies. It is possible that a student performance will be organised following the workshop (to be confirmed).

When: Sunday 1 May to Thursday 5 May 2011, 9.30am to 4.00pm.
Where: Crea Studios, Turfdraagsterpad 17, Amsterdam.
Cost: €400 per person.
Registration: Send an e-mail to sarah@easylaughs.nl.
Spaces are limited and allocated on a first-in-first-serve basis.

4 april: Tim Orr komt eraan!

Nog even en Tim zit op het vliegtuig, op weg naar Amsterdam. Anja en ik zijn druk bezig met de laatste voorbereidingen voor de workshops. Maakt dat ik er extra zin in krijg!
Vooral nu Tim van het weekend de hand-outs stuurde die bij sommige workshops horen. Het komt allemaal opeens heel dichtbij.

Bij het lezen ervan werd het me ook weer eens duidelijk hoeveel ambacht er eigenlijk zit in èchte goede impro. Bijvoorbeeld alleen al in het goed mimen wat je aan het doen bent. Wat je beet hebt en hoe je het hanteert. Het helemaal voor je zien, inclusief het gewicht ervan, de textuur. Hoe gaat het open of aan, hoe beweegt het. Dat is oefenen, oefenen en nog eens oefenen. Naast heel goed kijken in het dagelijks leven èn het een keer zien en doen met iemand die dat heel goed kan. En zo iemand is Tim, hij kan je als kijker doen vergeten dat je naar een ‘leeg’ toneel zit te kijken. Soms laat hij je zelfs vergeten dat je in het theater bent... En dan wordt Impro opeens magisch.

Tot die tijd zit er voor mij niets anders op dan te oefenen, oefenen en te oefenen.
Met veel plezier, dat in elk geval. Tot op de workshops!

Anke Wijnja – FarFetched Productions.
meer info over de workshops: www.farfetchedproductions.nl