307 W. 26th Street New York, NY 10001 (212) 366-9176

Join Our Mailing List
Switch to LA Site

Improv 600 — Advanced Performance Workshop

Wednesdays 7-10pm starting Apr 30, 2008
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 501, Application Only
Cost: $325

In this character intensive performance workshop, students will work on building up their character repertoire; stretch their range of character possibilities and work on creating grounded characters rather than caricatures. Students will learn easy techniques for building characters, how to initiate with strong characters, and how to feel confident when called on to play a specific character type. Exercises will include overall pointers as well as individual attention.

This class meets for eight weeks and involves four class performances at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

Class size is 16 students

ONLY STUDENTS WHO APPLIED AND WERE ACCEPTED CAN REGISTER AND PAY FOR THIS CLASS.

Taught by Jeff Hiller & Lennon Parham

Do you tend to play yourself in most scenes? Do you always play the same 3 awesome characters? Do you play characters that are larger than life and not grounded in reality? Well, get ready for character boot camp. In this character intensive class, students will work on building up their character repertoire; stretch their range of character possibilities and work on creating grounded characters rather than caricatures. We'll learn easy techniques for building characters, how to initiate with strong characters, playing your characters game and your scene partners, and how to feel confident when called on to play a specific character type. Exercises will include overall pointers as well as individual attention.

If you are interested in taking this class, send an email to classes@ucbt.net with the subject "Character 600", by 12pm on Friday April 11th. We will review the applicants and send a notice to those who have been accepted by Friday , April 18th.

Jeff Hiller and Lennon Parham

Jeff Hiller has performed and studied at the UCB Theatre since 2001. He has studied with many great teachers at the UCB including workshops with all four UCB members. Jeff has been teaching at the UCB since 2006 and has been coaching independent improv groups since 2004. Jeff was a member of harold teams Creep and Police Chief Rumble (2004 ECNY award, best sketch group) and has performed in many shows at the theatre including "Kilgore: The Musical", "A Ho Ho Horatio Christmas", "The Real Real World", and "Listen Kid". Jeff is a musical improviser and has played with "Baby Wants Candy", "I Eat Panda's and Friends", and "The Made Up Musical". He was the founding member of the all gay improv teams "Feathers and Flannel" and "Neely O'Hara". Jeff is also a regular performer in the NYC musical theatre scene withe credits such as: "Silence: The Musical", "Slut", "The Awesome 80's Prom" and "The Children" (NYMF Individual Performance Award). Jeff's TV credits are MTV's "Boiling Points" (Series Regular), Fuse's "The PA" (Series Regular), Some bits on Conan, VH1 Talking Head shows, the voice of Nano on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", several commercials, and as a gay prostitute on FX's "Starved".

Lennon Parham is currently a member of the UCBT Touring Company and the house team, Reuben Williams. In recent months, you could find her flailing about as Nomi Malone in the hit stage show, Showgirls: the Best Movie Ever Made. Ever! or as Sandy Michaelson, Solid-Gold Dance Understudy in the improvised Real Real World. She is also co-creator and performer of The Adventures of Lock & Kay, a two-woman show about the rise of a Pop Superstar Duo. Previous New York Improv and Sketch credits include Kill Your Darlings, The Shoves, Dillinger, We Built This City on Rent Control (Second City NY) and Blindspot. NY Theatre credits include Crepuscule, Hold the Fat, Until We Find Each Other and many other workshops with the O'Neill Playwrights Conference and MCC's young playwrights group. She holds a BS in Theatre from the University of Evansville in Indiana and taught French for 2 years at TL Weston High School in Greenville, Mississippi with Teach for America.