Starting an Improv Class or group

 Well, It has been a while since I've written in my improv blog.  I've been too busy with family, teaching online, and trying to create a new improv class in my hometown on Martha's Vineyard.

Finding a practice venue was one of the hardest parts of this venture.  I finally found that I could teach at my local town's senior center.  (Improv is great for seniors but I'll blog about that another time.) The next difficult part has been gathering the players.  I've had to make it Pay What You Can with a suggested donation.  That's alright with me because I just want to share the joy of improv even though there is a time commitment for me more than the time I'm teaching and preparing for the class.  I'm also trying to spread the word and convince others they can do it, and have fun doing it, as well.  Therefore, I've made it for all levels and a drop-in class so people can give it a try without commitment.

So far, I've had classes no larger than 3 other people than me.  Nonetheless, I honor my commitment of 2 hours one morning a week and hopefully, it will grow.  

With the approximately 6 people who have shown up, I have created an email group and have shared my Facebook page:  "Improv Fix East"  https://www.facebook.com/HeidisImprovClass.  I also shared it with other groups I've taught here.  Every way you can promote your classes helps build them.  On that page, this blog is shared.

Happy 4th of July to my improv friends in the U.S.A.!🎆🎇



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Improv at a Distance

  Improv Distance Like all creative endeavors, I find the judgment of one’s own performance can dampen the creative spirit. Creating requires letting go of our ego which is where our self-criticism lies. However, if you take time and take a step back from the creative process you can find insights to improve your performance. It’s why I like to be video recorded sometimes. Also, when one takes an improv break, one collects more experiences from which to gather improv ideas for performing. While doing so it is helpful to think about how various activities, including your and others’ gestures and expressions or accents and voices sound. Check out yourself in a mirror. Listen to others’ conversations. Revisit your own conversations. Watch how people really do things, like washing dishes, putting on make-up, hanging laundry, walking around a room, etc. Remember we don’t use props except in the game props. Everything in improv is mimed. All these practices can be ...
Read more

My History with Acting and Improv

I always loved watching live-action performances and at eight years old when I was cast in my first school play I was thrilled however, felt shy and self-conscious in that position. Fortunately, I didn’t have too many lines. On weekends I often had my younger sister perform plays with me for my parent. That same year for Halloween I was chosen to paint one of the storefront windows in our small downtown. Because my father’s sister was an artist I followed that lead toward visual arts. I never lost my fascination for acting arts though. In high school, I tried to gather my little sister’s friends to develop a play for a school project. In my twenties, as a young mother, I helped create my children’s school play sets and when I became brave enough, I started taking local acting classes and did some performing in a local community theater. I often had my children perform their own devised plays for their friends and family. Learning and remembering my lines was the bane of i...
Read more