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Improv 401 — Harold Workshop

Thursdays 7-10pm starting Jul 23, 2009
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 301 within previous two years
Cost: $350

Improv 401 serves as the end official \"end\" of our improv program. This course offers students the chance to strengthen their individual skills while giving them more practice with the long form improvisation performance known as the Harold. Additionally, the course will introduce new openings and exercises about playing without fear, emphasizing group ownership, and bringing more of themselves to their scene work.

One goal of the course is to help students perform stronger scenes. The instructor will use the first half of the course to identify and troubleshoot any weaknesses that the individual players may be demonstrating.

The other goal of the course is to allow students to continue to perform full Harolds. The instructor will use \"side-coaching,\" or feedback given during an improvised piece as it is happening, in order to facilitate success in the students\\\' improvised scenes. The instructor will also give notes after each performance in order to enhance and improve the quality of future performances.

This course meets for three hours a week for eight weeks. Students will perform in two class performances at the UCB Theatre – once halfway through the course and once at the end. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.

Admission to 501 after the completion of this course is not guaranteed. Students will be judged on their application of concepts that they have learned in previous levels.

No class August 13th.

Erik Tanouye

tanouye, erik
Erik Tanouye has been improvising and performing in New York since 2001. He has studied with Michael Delaney, Armando Diaz, Kevin Mullaney, Billy Merritt, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and many others. He has performed at Harold night for over six years as a member of Bastian, The Scam, 1985, The Shoves, and Dillinger. He also performed in the shows Proceed With Honor, Red Christmas, and The Mosaic NYC. His directing credits include I Eat Pandas, T.J. Monkeys, and Maude Night, and he has taught workshops at colleges and high schools up and down the East Coast.

Before moving to New York, he improvised with the Dog Day Players at Dartmouth College, where he got a degree in English and creative writing. He also worked for the Telluride Film Festival and has written for and appeared in pilots for Comedy Central and HBO.

He is currently the Director of Student Affairs for the UCB Training Center in New York.

His website is: www.writeitlikedisaster.com

Student Feedback

"Erik was a terrific instructor who really fostered a comfortable and supportive environment and was really good with giving smart and articulate suggestions."

"Erik did a fantastic job pushing us to be stronger improvisers. His constructive ideas for improving my craft allowed me to become more confident on stage."

"Erik is an amazing teacher. He was great at giving notes and was devoted to our learning the material."

"Tanouye was a great teacher who gave attentive, focused-on-the-syllabus notes."