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Improv 201 — Game of the Scene

Sundays 3:15-6:15pm starting Apr 13, 2008
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 101
Cost: $325

The UCB Theatre Training Center bases their curriculum around the idea that all quality individual comedic scenes focus in on one central comedic idea – this idea is referred to as “The Game” of the scene.

This course will focus on teaching students how to use the idea of “The Game” to create their improvised scenes. Students will be taught how to identify “games” within their scenes, and how to use the concept of heightening to properly play out their scenes once they have them. (Heightening is finding new ways to make your scenes get funnier from start to finish.) The class will heavily focus on learning how to use patterns to fill out comedic scenes based around one central “game.”

Students will also be introduced to the idea of “second beats,” or returning to scenes, characters, and concepts from earlier in an improvised piece.

This course meets for three hours a week for eight sessions. At the end of the course, students will take part in a class performance at the UCB Theatre. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.

Class Size: 14 Students

Improv 201 - Game of the Scene

Students will learn to create great scenes by finding and playing the game and explore these games through second beats, laying the foundation for performing the Harold.

Prerequisite: Improv 101

Maximum class size is 14.

No Class May 25th.

Will Hines

hines, will
Will Hines has studied and performed improv at UCBT since 1999, current on the improv team The Stepfathers. Among his teachers: Ian Roberts, Matt Walsh, Matt Besser, Armando Diaz, and Sean Conroy. He's co-written, starred in and directed many sketch shows. He makes short videos and dabbles in stand-up like an arrogant swaggering dilettante. He's appeared in a few commercials as well as bit parts on Comedy Central, Conan O'Brien and Best Week Ever. He's taught at UCBT since spring of 2003.

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