A few words from Ed Doris about the Ongoing Improv Classes...

From Ed Doris, the teacher for AWM's Ongoing Improvisation Classes...

Improvisational theater is in an interesting place in Kansas City. The scene and community is growing and there is more collaboration than ever before. Established Improv troupes are still running and reinventing themselves all the time. The Kansas City Improv festival was a great success. There were sell out shows and some of the best performances yet. I can’t remember a time when so much was happening with improvisational theater in this town. It’s a great feeling to see what is going on in this town.

Improvisational theater has a long, global history (Comedia Del'arte) and yet it is associated with some of the worst aspects of pop culture. When most people think of improv, Who's Line Is It Anyway? is the first thing to come to mind; if not a group of people in a still shot displaying jazz hands and wearing some "puny" t-shirts in enough colors they make a bag of Skittles seem bigoted. Despite what is commonly associated with improvisational acting, it is a skill that is desired in more and more actors. With the advent of Long form improvisation (Del Close, Improv Olympic) and the development of improvisational acting techniques for scripted theater (Ann Bogart, Steppenwolf theater, SITI Theater), improvisational training is a necessary part of an actors resume. Unfortunately there is no bag of tricks, or an equation to memorize, that will guarantee success. Improvisation is a skill. It can be learned but, like any craft, it must be honed. The only way to do that is to participate in it.
As an improvisational actor since 1996 I have had the good fortune to find a craft that I love. In that time I have been able to work with some of Chicago's and LA's top directors and improvisational actors. The classes that I have put together are designed to provide a foundation for actors with any level of experience with improvisational theater. Using several of the main theories of improvisation, I have focused on trying to integrate what I have learned into a cohesive body of knowledge. The result is this series of workshops. I do not want you to experience glorified charades, seemingly unrelated physical activities or short form games that leave the participants wondering why they are wasting their time. Rather I want you to recognize the tools available to you, tools we all have, and understand how to develop them.  One of the most important things that I have learned is how invaluable experience is. This is why at the conclusion of each month’s workshops the opportunity to perform is available. You can’t learn to improvise with out actually improvising. You have to risk failure and engage the craft to find success in it. In this way, and in many other ways, improv is a lot like life.
I wouldn't do this if I didn't love it. There aren’t many things better than sharing improv with an audience. I am even more excited to share my experience with performers. I look forward to seeing you at a workshop.

Ed Doris