Northern California This Week

The Second City Training Center Comes to San Francisco! Win a free S.C. Class! The Second City Training Center Los Angeles is coming to San Francisco and we want to play with you! Join our Intensive 3 day workshop, the Musical Improv Workshop, and come play with us at our Improv Jam! IFA 1 Week long Intensive May 2, 3 and 4 1:00-6 p.m. Learn the basic elements of The Second City style of improvisation. Students will study the agreements of improvisation, the building of an ensemble, creation of an environment and character construction. For those with extensive acting training or some improv experience. Offered on the following dates from 1:00-6:00 p.m. $325, but those on this mailing list save $50-class is just $275 when you mention the SFIF discount. Call 323/464-8542 to register. Taught by a Second City Resident Company Alumnus and SC Training Center-Los Angeles Teacher. Musical Improv Workshop May 5 5-7:00 p.m. This workshop is an introduction to the fundamental concepts of musical improvisation. Understand the basic rules of music and comedic song writing and apply them spontaneously to your next improv performance. This workshop provides a great overview for everyone interested in music in The Second City style. $95. Improv Jam 8pm-9:00pm Come one, come all! All actors are welcome at this FREE Improv Jam, hosted by The Second City Los Angeles Teacher TBA. Audience members will be invited onstage to play. Don’t miss this free performance opportunity! Workshops will be held at The Rhinoceros Theatre at 2926 16th Street in SF, 94103. Please do not call Rhinoceros directly-call SC TC-LA at 323/464-8542. This Week In Improv Big City Improv Ongoing Every Fridays: Big City Improv shows are unscripted, un-edited and created on the spot, using audience suggestions, participation and their dark and sordid lies. Every Friday night at 10:00pm The Shelton Theater, San Francisco 533 Sutter Street in Union Square. Tickets $20.00 For more information go to The Shelton Theater Website ComedySportz San Jose Ongoing Fridays and Saturdays: The National Comedy Theatre is proud to be the home of ComedySportz, competitive, team improvisational comedy every Friday and Saturday night in beautiful San Jose! Also,check out its late night show made especially for adults! For Tickets go to http://comedysportzsanjose.com ComedySportz Sacramento Ongoing Fridays and Saturday High Energy, all ages comedy fun! A national hit now in its new space in the heart of Sacramento! 8:00pm 2230 Arden Way Suite A near the Arden Fair Mall. For more information go to ComedySportz Sacramento’s Website Sacramento Comedy Spot Ongoing Friday and Saturdays: Voted 2008’s Best Comedy Club by Sacramento News and Review, The Comedy Spot features long form Improvisational Comedy including The Anti-Cooperation League and The Improv Showdown! 1716 Broadway, Sacramento, CA for tickets and full schedule of improv shows, go to http://www.saccomedyspot.com Secret Improv Society Every Saturdays Edge-of-your-seat improv theater; uniquely San Francisco, completely hilarious shhhh. Don’t tell anyone. 10PMThe Shelton Theater 533 Sutter Street San Francisco. $15.00. For tickets go to www.improvsociety.com Lucky Dog Theater: Full Spectrum Improvisation Last Tuesday of every month: These unique performances, triggered by a single word suggested by the audience, feature storytelling, physical theatre scenes, and solo pieces, all accompanied by recording artist YEHUDIT, a well-known Bay Area violinist. featuring Joya Cory, Van Philips, Elena Gardella and Gomez. May 26th – 7:30pm June 30th – 7:30pm The Marsh 1062 Valencia Street (near 22nd St.) San Francisco. Admission: $10.00 – $15.00 (Sliding Scale) Call 415-564-4115 for tickets or go online to either www.themarsh.org or www.joyacory.com. Stone Soup Improv First Saturday of every month 2009: Join us for our second year proudly performing in Oakland! Come and laugh, cry, and ponder the eminently entertaining human condition with Stone Soup Improv. June 6th *No July Show* August 1st September 5th October 3rd November 7th December 5th Temescal Art Center, 511 48th Street (at Telegraph Avenue) in Oakland. Doors open at 7:45pm and Show starts at 8:00pm Admission: $10.00 General ($7.00 for students with ID and seniors) http://www.stonesoupimprov.com or https://stone-soup-improv.ticketleap.com for online reservations. Blue Blanket Improv presents: “Comedy Improv Show” Every Second Saturday of every month: It’s never the same show twice. Each show is created on the spot, based entirely on audience suggestions. The new “To Do” in Half Moon Bay! 8:00 pm (Doors open at 7:30 pm) Cost: $10 (Advance tickets now available on-line) Enso, 131 Kelly Avenue, Half Moon Bay For Information and tickets at go to www.BlueBlanketImprov.com Rats In the Alley First and Third Thursdays: The Rats in the Alley continue to bring their own aggressive style of “trial by fire” improv to the North Bay. Uncle Bongs Pizzeria’ 203 Main Street, SuiSun City, CA, 94585 Street,SuiSun City CA. FREE. http://www.ratsinthealley.com for more information and tickets. BATS Improv Performance Schedule APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2009: Go to http://www.improv.org for a full list of times prices and tickets. Performances include: May 7th Student Showcase: The Harold: The cast will get a single word from the audience that will inspire a collage of scenes, songs and games in this free-form, unstructured Harold format. The Harold was created by Del Close and The Committee here in our very own San Francisco! May 8-9 Playwright Super Scene: Playwright Super Scene is the “Flintstone Vitamin” of classic theatre. With all of the nutritional value of classic theatre, and the tasty, fun of improvisation – this show puts the outcome of the show into the audience’s hands May 10, 17, 24, June 7,14, 21 & 28 Student Performance – Freestyle Impro: Graduates of the BATS Impov school take the stage in an anything goes improv free-for-all. With no competition and no eliminations, you, the audience, are the real winners. Every show is completely improvised, completely unique, and completely unpredictable May 15-16 Gods & Heroes: BATS’ brand new show takes on the gods! Join us for an evening of improvised stories in the epic style of Greek Mythology. We’ll use your suggestions to unravel mysteries of gods, humans, love, quests, magic, and creation. May 22-23 Family Drama: It’s a completely improvised story in the form of a traditional three-act stage play–the story unfolds in real time, on one set with each actor playing only one character. The audience selects the title for the show, which suggest the themes, stories, etc. May 29-30 Spontaneous Broadway: You, the audience, get to pretend that you are investors at a “Broadway Backers’ Audition” where will hear brand-new musical theatre numbers and then decide in which one you’d like to “invest. May 31 Student Showcase – Spontaneous Broadway: Students improvise solos, duets and group numbers from different musicals in the first half, and the audience votes on which one they want to see turned into a complete musical in the second! June 5-6 Warp Speed – An Improvised Trek: These are the voyages of the Starship (to be named by the audience).Its mission, to explore all new characters, to seek out new dangers and intense relationships, and to boldly improvise where BATS has never gone before. June 12-13 Bond, Improvised Bond: Money, women and power – shaken, not stirred. Add a splash of some seriously high tech spy gear and garnish with death-defying chases and you’ve got yourself a cocktail that is guaranteed to satisfy. Join the BATS improvisers in their newest format, as they battle evil, save the world, and still manage to dress for dinner. June 19-20 Double Feature™: It’s one of BATS’ most popular formats. Audiences enjoy watching just four improvisers play multiple characters (often in the same scene) and bouncing back and forth between two stories keeps the action lively. June 26-27 Big Broadway, Baby!: Enjoy an exciting and fun-filled night of improvised magic as BATS high-kicks it old school with this classic, Broadway-style musical overflowing with song, dance, and romance. Un-Scripted: Shakespeare The Musical! April 30-May 29 2009 “Shakespeare: The Musical” lovingly brings the Bard back to life every night, with completely new improvised musicals in the style of William Shakespeare. With Shakespearean acting and modern-day music, the Un-Scripted Theater Company will improvise a full-length musical inspired by the audience, every single night. Comedies, tragedies, wild adventures, and epic romances-each one completely improvised, each one unique. SF Playhouse, Stage 2 533 Sutter Street Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm* No 8pm show Sat. May 9 Tickets $20 general $10 students/seniors. You can buy tickets here, or go directly to www.un-scripted.com Would you like to be Listed in our Newsletter? It’s easy! We need to get from your improv event/class: 100 words of text A 100×100 computer picture of your event. (classes not included) All pertinent information to your event (including links to tickets services, phone numbers etc) Please send your text and picture to The West Coast Improv Alliance Our Northern California Newsletter goes out every Mondays 8am. Deadline for Newsletter is Friday at noon Our Southern California Newsletter goes every every Tuesdays 8am. Deadline for this Newsletter is Saturday at Noon Interplay Workshops These classes are a great way to access improvisational movement,voice and story. No experience required, all ages and abilities welcome! There are six opportunities each week to drop-in to an InterPlay class. For more information check out www.interplay.org or call 510-465-2797 Improvising The Un-Scripted Way These 3-hour classes will take you through improvising in the style of the Un-Scripted Theater Company using the skills that we train during our rehearsal process for our shows. Not only will you work on the same group work the Un-Scripted Theater Company does when we train ourselves, but the class will also focus on your own individual skills as an improvisor and how to take your own skills to the next level. Taught by: Christian Utzman Place: San Francisco Time: 7 pm – 10 pm Cost: $40 drop in on the day of class ($30 a class for taking classes as a whole series. Financial aid also available). For more information or to enroll, email Christian@un-scripted.com Willows Theater Improv Classes Kenn Adams will be teaching a beginning improv class for adults at the Willows Theatre Conservatory in Martinez. Explore your creativity, embrace your spontaneity, and just have some fun. Great for non-performers and beginning improvisers! More info and register on line at www.willowstheatre.org or call Kenn at 925-408-8540. Saturday Drop in Classes Ongoing Saturdays This Drop-in improvise a really fun class and a very welcoming group. It’s not clique-y. Newcomers are always welcome. If you come to class, you have to participate. Sorry, no voyeurs! The class is made up of comics, actors, improvisers, and just generally people who like to play. The laugh quotient is high! All ages welcome. This class was taught by Jim Cranna for 25 years! 1-4pm Fort Mason Bldg C, either Room #230 or 235 (depending on the week). Check the board outside each room’s door to see which room the class will be in. $12 Laughing Stock Free Improvisational Fund & Games Workshops Living with, working with, or know some one with cancer, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, kidney disease or other life-threatening illness Note: This is neither stand-up comedy, nor drama-therapy. Saturday Afternoons Workshops 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.Workshops held at S.F.’s CPMC Davies campus Gazebo Room. These free ‘comedy’ classes open to the above, their care partners/intimates as well as those working/volunteering for organizations in this health care services area. Free garage parking. The Gazebo is wheelchair accessible. MUNI N street car to Noe Street; 24 or 37 bus lines to Castro & 14th Streets. Free snacks and beverages provided courtesy of BATS IMPROV Board of Directors. Wear loose, comfortable clothes for movement. For more information contact LaughingStock@improv.org BATS School of Improv Whether you’re an actor working to enhance your performance skills or someone who thinks that improv just looks like fun, BATS Improv has a class for you. For more information on class schedule go to BATS School of Improv CSZ Sacramento Classes From Drop In to full on Sessions, learn improv from the nationally known ComedySportz in Sacramento! For more information on teachers, class payment and policies, please go to ComedySportz Sacramento Workshops with Joya Cory FULL SPECTRUM training activates full emotional and physical range to create Improvisational Theatre of authenticity and substance. Includes expressive movement and voice, theatre games, storytelling, acting technique & taming the inner critic. Expand creative energy, imagination and spontaneity. Strengthen your presence, learn to trust your intuition. and Develop confidence and ease. For more information on classes go to www.joyacory.com or call 415-564-4115 Next Stage Classes with Marcia Kimmell Director Marcia Kimmell founded The Next Stage in 1979. She was a student of Viola Spolin at the Second City in Chicago. Spolin created “Theater Games” and was mother of the improvisational theater movement in the US. The Next Stage Theater 1620 Gough Street (at Bush) San Francisco Call 415-826-6505 or email Marcia Kimmell. For more info online go to www.sillyzen.com Blue Blanket Improv Workshops Come out and play! Blue Blanket Improv is offering a six week Comedy Improv workshops! For more information go to Blue Blanket Improv’s Website School of Improv By blending emphasis on storytelling and strong scene work with the essentials of comedic theory and performance technique, The School of Improv classes offer a unique perspective on improv for performers at all levels that you won’t find anywhere else. The SFCC offers two classes, and enrolled students receive free admission to SFCC shows and discounts on monthly workshops. From those dead set on a career in comedy, friends that just want to have a good time, to people that just want to be more relaxed and natural in front of groups, The School of Improv can help get you there. For upcoming Improv Classes please check out The School of Improv Class Schedule on the SPF7 Website The Peninsula Improvisers Workshops The Peninsula Improvisers and Dragon Productions in Palo Alto now offer regular Beginning, Intermediate, and Specialty Improv workshops. Working in small groups in a safe, friendly, and fun atmosphere, students learn the fundamental skills underlying all improv performances. Whether you are an actor working to enhance your performance skills or someone who thinks that improv just looks like fun, these are the Peninsula and South Bay classes for you. Workshops are held at the Dragon Productions Theatre (across from the Palo Alto CalTrain station.) Check the Dragon Productions website http://dragonproductions.net/ and click on “Classes” for the latest class schedule. SF IMPROV BOOKS The Improv Playbook A must have for everyone who performers improv. Over 370 Improv Games collected over 20 years of improv play from the one of the Founders of BATS Improv, San Francisco, William Hall. For a table of contents and to purchase this book, please to The Fratelli Bologna Improv Playbook Site How to Improvise a Full-Length Play Author Kenn Adams (SF Synergy Theater)presents a step-by-step method for long-form improvisation, covering plot structure, storytelling, character development,symbolism, and advanced scene work. For more information on this improvisational book or to purchase, go to Amazon.com Improv On the Air Improvised Movies from barewitness films! Barewitness is the longest San Francisco Improv Company doing completely improvised movies! Check out all of their award winning films at www.barewitness.com. Cassandra Call Productions: Cassandra Call (the folks who brought you Sweetie Tanya!) brings you Radio Star Podcasts and animation! (Where every show is completely improvised and recorded in a single take and podcast every Wednesday)! To hear Radiostar Podcasts go to http://www.radiostarnetwork.com/ Un-Scripted Theater on Youtube Check out past and present clips from San Francisco’s very own Un-Scripted Theater (Including clips form their latest show Un-Scripted: unscripted) on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/UnDashScripted