Improvisational comedy is often described as the art of writing and performing at the same time, but its rules apply to any creative or problem solving situation. Yes! And! In this class, we delve into the guidelines of agreement, assumption and attention, also known as "don't deny" / "don't ask questions" / "stay in the present" and why they have become guiding lights to people asked to be creative at a moment's notice. We apply the same rules to writing, exploring where they work with the classic writing rules of "show, don't tell" and why every rule is made to be broken, with exercises shamelessly cribbed from improv's greatest hits. Participants learn to laugh their way past writer's block using tools that will help advance their writing, their relationships and their joy.
Instructor: Matt Larsen is an artist, writer and performer who studied improv comedy under Del Close, Stephen Colbert and Martin de Maat and performed with numerous comedy greats. He co-wrote the Chicago Reader-recommended children's musical "The Paper Spaceship" as well as the kung fu musical "The Shadow of the Master," stay-at-home parenting articles, and articles for McSweeney's, Daily Science Fiction, Flashshot, and Golden Visions Magazine.
Details: Story Through Improv with Matt Larsen is a three-week course which takes place Mondays Aug 10-24 from 7-9pm remotely through Zoom. Register and we will send along information about how to connect via Zoom.
