Saturday 9/23 – Sunday 9/24
$99-1 day // $149-2 day*
Improv Workshop is for the ensemble actor and improviser who desires to cultivate the ability to flawlessly and spontaneously create magic on stage and in life. “IT” comes from a place of joy and connection to one’s source intuition, and is attained by giving yourself to the art form through LISTENING rather than thinking, from ALLOWING rather than forcing, from being FULLY PRESENT in the moment and FOCUSING on CONNECTION with your partner and your environment. You will understand why making your partner look good makes you in turn look twice as good and makes the workflow. Ultimately, you will understand that this is how ensembles are created.
This workshop will focus on scene work as well as Long form Improvisation. You will learn to develop tools to let scenes emerge organically, including:
• cultivating a heightened sense of listening
• cultivating a heightened sense of awareness of the scene around you, i.e. environment, textures, emotions, body languages, sounds, etc.
• learning the game within the scene
• making your partner look good
• finding the joy in the exploration
• getting out of your own way to allow creativity to flow
• understanding that the true magic lies in the synchronicity of you, your partner and the audience all discovering a point of focus at the same time
* As of 7/1/2023, we are instituting a strict no refund policy.
Please note, class start dates are subject to be postponed up to 4 weeks from original posted date
Instructor
Mark Beltzman is the funniest and most talented improvisor that I have ever worked with. I have worked on stage with him at Second City, done radio shows with him, we did movies like “Red Heat” together, and half a dozen episodes of “According to Jim.” Our scenes always got the biggest laughs.”– JIM BELUSHI
“Mark Beltzman walks the walk and listens to the talk. You WILL have fun. And that’s what it’s all about!” – GEORGE WENDT
MARK BELTZMAN has been acting, writing, and directing since 1981. He was one of the founding members of Improv Olympic in Chicago and of the legendary group, Barons Barracudas. Mark has worked and directed at the famed Second City in Chicago. He directed many improvisational and theatrical productions at Second City in Chicago and Los Angeles, including the Second City Alumni Jam. He was also instructor/ director at The Second City Training Center, Improv Olympic West and the Upfront Comedy Showcase, as well as all over the UK, London, Brighton, Bristol, and Paris, France. Mark has also acquired a great deal of knowledge about the creative process of producing, writing and directing while performing in such notable productions as: Mo Money, Billy Madison, The Wedding Singer, Speed 2, Star Maps, Lovely and Amazing, and Employee of the Month, Factory, Seinfeld, Rosanne, Norm, Curb Your Enthusiasm, According to Jim, Cold Case, House, True Jackson VP, The Young and the Restless, and Pretty Little Liars.
In his distinguished career, Mark has worked with; Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Steve Carrell, George Wendt, John Candy, Stephen Colbert, Jim Belushi, Adam Sandler, John Goodman, and ‘Whose Line Is It Anyways’ alumni Colin Mochrie, Ryan Stiles, and Brad Sherwood, Joel Murray, Pete Hulne, Pat Finn, Dave Koechner, Neil Flynn, David Pasquesi, TJ Jagodowski, David Razowsky, Ali Farahnakian