Improvisation and Storytelling Workshop

(14 – 18 yrs) all year

A half-day of acting fun in your classroom

WORKSHOP BY ALEX BAGGETT

“In improvisation, there are no mistakes.”
― Miles Davis

Stage and create something new with little preparation. The most important rule for improvisers is to “always say yes.” From there, performers work together to create something that has never been seen before. When the freedom of improvisation is combined with the structure of any story, you’d be surprised how far a group’s imagination can go.

Information

Meet your workshop leader

Alex is a professional actor from Colorado living full-time in Amsterdam. Alex began his theatre career as a teaching assistant at the Denver Center Theatre Academy. During his time in Chicago, Alex was an active part of the city’s vibrant storefront-theatre scene. Some of Alex’s most notable roles were Matt in Dog Sees God (Fearless Theatre Company), Touchstone in As You Like It (Citadel Theatre Company), and Berenger in Rhinoceros (Public House Theatre Company).

In 2017 Alex made to decision to move with his partner to Amsterdam. Since then, Alex has become a member of Orange Theatre Company’s ensemble and performed in three of their productions (Pillowman, B-Word, Noises Off). Alex has also partnered with STET with whom he has conducted over a dozen theatre workshops for children and teenagers across the Netherlands. In August of 2019, Alex launched his own theatre company, the Reckless Shakespeare Company. the company operates from a simple premise: serious actors, no director, and one rehearsal. Every two months, the RSC mounts a new Shakespeare production in venues throughout Holland. He is delighted to be actively involved in the theatre community in the Netherlands.

Workshop plan for the half-day activity

A sample of the activities is listed here to give you an idea what to expect on the day.

Lessons and Activities: the day will consist of a series of fun, engaging activities beginning with the “Yes” game where students learn the most important rule of improvisation, “always say yes.”
From there, elements of improvisation and of storytelling are introduced, such as pantomime and the concept of conflict. By the end of the first session, students should be able to improvise short scenes that establish settings, characters, relationships, and conflicts. In the second session of the workshop, students will learn how the elements of plot help to tell a story. The second series of exercises will challenge students to work together to create and resolve conflicts as a group.

Performance: the last part of the workshop will be spent with students improvising their own three-act plays (7-10 minutes in length). The performance is designed to be fun, and low pressure, but students will be encouraged to establish characters, relationships, and settings in the beginning; establish a conflict and obstacles in the middle; and resolve the conflict by the end of the play. The intention is to encourage students to experiment with what they have learned during the morning.

Goal: by allowing students time and individual support to develop their ideas in a safe space, the goal is to encourage them to use their new-found confidence in day-to-day life.

How could your students benefit?

• the workshop promotes working together towards a common goal
• it improves fast, on the spot decision-making
• it helps students bond in a fun way, engaging them in a playful and inclusive setting
• it builds confidence through understanding that there is no wrong choice in improvisation
• it increases creativity, encouraging students to make up their own stories
• it improves concentration skills
• it helps students better understand important elements of stories

Booking and information

E: education@theenglishtheatre.nl
T: +31 6 20431919