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Improv 101 — Improv Basics

Mondays 7-10pm starting Aug 25, 2008
Cost: $325

Students will learn the fundamentals of long-form improvisation. Core concepts covered include using character agreement to make your scenes succeed, developing character, character status, object and environment work, “playing at the top of your intelligence,” and heightening (finding ways to make your scenes get funnier from start to finish).

This course also introduces the specific vocabulary of the UCB Training Center.

This course meets for 8 sessions that are each 3 hours long. 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: 16 Students

No Class September 1st.

Jeff Hiller

hiller, jeff
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".

Student Feedback

"Jeff was awesome. He made us feel really relaxed and helped us all have confidence in what we were doing." "Jeff Hiller is the best! His classes are so much fun, you see everyone improve week to week and his constructive criticism is right on." "Jeff Hiller provided an entertaining and insightful class atmosphere while promoting collaboration and a safe environment to explore."