Wednesdays 7:30 -9:30 pm

$225 for 6-Week Session

16 Student Limit

Beginning January 22, 2025

(No class Feb 5)

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We realize the vital importance of improvisation in the on-camera performance industry, and we have designed a course specifically with the on-camera actor in mind.  

 

Throw away the notion that this class is about “being funny.” It’s not. But it is about thinking on your feet, trusting your instincts, and using the rules of improvisation as a safety net to catch you when improv is called for on set and in auditions.    

 

What happens when the director doesn’t say “cut”, or when they say “Let’s just throw away the lines and go with your gut?” Actors without improv training typically freeze up.  

 

Have you been to a commercial or film audition when there was only improv and no script available?  It happens all the time.    

 

Unlike any other improv course in the metro, this 6-week class teaches you rules and exercises of improv and the practical applications on set and the audition room.  It is not about being funny.

 

The class is upbeat, high energy, very participatory and very, very fun, but always with the goal in mind of not “being funny”, but “being real.”    

 

Madison Niederhauser, a professional actor and theater professor, cut his improv teeth at Chicago's famed IO Theater.  He has designed a class just for actors who need to safely unlock creativity without the pressure of "being funny." He teaches it at The University of Oklahoma, and now he teaches it to Actor Factory students.

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This class will provide actors the power to think on their feet without the benefit of a script and will inject the performer with confidence, power and swagger in any situation.  

 

Why take an improv class?  

Improv is a performance art form, but it also creates a skill set and comfort level that will improve all of your work as an actor.      

 

What does improvisational acting help actors do?  

Make quick, precise choices when preparing for an audition. Walk into an audition ready to play the character and situation not just read the part. Directors often ask for improvisation--the actor that gets the role will be prepared for that moment.

 

Connect to other actors in a scene in an authentic way, building a reality together. Ignite your intuition and instincts to bring your characters to life. Inject vibrancy and joy into the work of acting with little to no preparation.  Dial down the anxiety and nervousness that detract from your performances.    

 

Does the idea of improvisation scare you?  

If the answer is yes, that’s not uncommon. Veteran stage actors are trained to embrace rehearsal and careful preparation.  Jumping into situations where you have no idea what will happen can sound terrifying.  Here’s the easy solution: there are no expectations placed on you in improv class.    

 

In the same way that you have unplanned, unrehearsed conversations every day, improv is just as natural.  You will learn the foundation of the give and take required to build a scene in a friendly, positive group of actors with the same goals.  

 

All you have to lose is your fear.