About ImproWorks

Recently, I went to see a "long-form improv" show. In one piece a young woman playing a girl on the verge of womanhood, mimed swinging on a back yard swing as she talked to a young man sharing the stage. "You know," she said, "I've been coming over from next door since we were little kids. We've been good friends, but we're growing up." She "swung" closer. "How do you really feel about me... now?" No response. Another player came in and announced: "A bolt of clear light hit them both!" The actor playing the boy took the "bolt of lightning" cue in this disappointing direction: "I'll plant some more trees so that damn light doesn't come through."

I watched as a potentially good improvised scene about, let's say, friendship or sexual relations or growing up, turned stupid, because instead of accepting the "offering" from his scene partner, the actor WENT FOR THE JOKE!, copped out on the reality of the moment, and insulted the audience's intelligence.

DON'T TRY TO BE FUNNY. The emotional (and physical) fumbling and stumbling of real people courageously revealing themselves is the source of THE BEST COMEDY.

ImproWorks encourages you to play hard, risk failure, learn from mistakes and take chances which will lead to new and unexplored territory as an actor and improviser.

As director of ImproWorks, the job I have set for myself and the players, is to move beyond the "jokey" improv style that has unfortunately become the norm. Our goal is to bring into the contemporary landscape honest, character-based improvisation with an iconoclastic point-of-view.

At ImproWorks, we "play" at the top of our intelligence. Storytelliing, writing and filmmaking skills are explored hand-in-hand with our pursuit of excellence as improvisers. New exercises, games, and scene structures are constantly being invented. "THE AUDIENCE IS AHEAD OF US." We strive in our imaginations and our work to keep up.

To be truly contemporary, we must revitalize the work of the likes of Del Close, John Brent, Severn Darden (and many others) who were there when improvisation was honest, brave, ridiculous, smart and hilarious. So...

"LET THE THEATER GAMES BEGIN!"