Perpetual Motion Workshops
 

Theatre Momentum has gathered some of Chicago's best improv/theatre directors to teach a variety of workshops at the Theatre Momentum Studio on weekends. These are independent workshops in the Theatre Momentum style.

FREE WORKSHOP PASSES?

That's right. We're giving away free passes. Join TM for our Kinetic Jam for your chance to win a free pass to the workshop of your choice. Check out our workshops below to see if there is a free pass available for a class you're interested in. Free passes are limited, though, but the workshops are perpetual.

What about Interning?

Interns get free classes, too! Check out our Jobs/Internships page for more information. If you're looking for a free improv/theatre education in Chicago, there's no better place.

Can I sign up without a free pass?

Of course! These workshops are hosted by TM, but they are independently run. Each workshop has a link for you to sign-up directly with the director/coach of the specific workshop. If you have questions about the individual workshop, please email them. Questions about anything TM related, please drop us a line!

I went to the Kinetic Jam and won a free pass! How do I redeem it for a workshop?

Each workshop below has a "___ FREE PASS REMAINING" link. Click the link, or just email info@theatremomentum.com with the name of the workshop you're interested in, your name, and the confirmation number written on your free pass. Free passes are claimed on a first come, first served basis, and updated about every day, so sign up for your favorite workshop as soon as you see it!

Directors?

Interested in getting some free space for your workshops through the Perpetual Motion series? Click here.

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS:

The Woodshed

with Don Hall

Last Saturday of every month, , 12PM - 4PM

Cost- Pay What It's Worth

To Register, send an email to:

don4255@gmail.com

ONE FREE PASS REMAINING

Charlie Parker learned to play saxophone by practicing scales for hours and hours in his father's woodshed. Under the caustic guidance of veteran improviser and instructor Don Hall, students can come to the Woodshed and work on everything from basic fundamentals to advanced theatrical improvisation with unvarnished critical appraisal and individualized feedback. If you don't get anything out of it, it's free. If you do, pony up a couple of bucks. Every month will focus on new subjects, so come back again and again to tweak all your improv needs.

Don Hall
Don is the Events Coordinator for Chicago Public Radio and the Audience Services cat for NPR’s prolific game show "Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me!" For two and a half years, Don was the primary coach for Work(shop)-in-Progress. Don is a producer, director, and writer of Chicago Off-Loop Theater and the Founding Director of Chicago's prolific WNEP Theater. Every now and again, Don can be seen performing on a Chicago stage or teaching advanced improvisational technique.

Improvised Narrative

with Tyler Samples

June 19, 12-3 PM
$10, 15 people maximum

To Register, send an email to:

tjsamples@gmail.com

ONE FREE PASS REMAINING

Stories are incredibly satisfying and easy to create, if you use the right tools. We'll explore techniques for pattern recognition, strong reactions and sharp editing that will allow you to spontaneously construct narratives that grab an audience in any show. If time permits we'll also discuss how to build solid form structures for successful genre-based shows.

Tyler Samples

Tyler Samples has studied at the Brave New Workshop, Comedysportz, iO, the Second City Musical Improv program and the Second City Conservatory. He is a member of Playground ensemble Stranger for a Day, iO's Storytown, Honor Student Breakfast and the festival touring duo Rampleseed. Samples has directed Tarantino: The Improvised Show and Kidz Movie Club, as well as produces the weekly Playground show Extended Play and Vaudeville Vivat!

Your Power Improv Toolkit

with Joe Bill

June 20, 12-2 PM

$25

To Register, send an email to:

jbillscp@yahoo.com

TWO FREE PASSES REMAINING

The focus of this workshop will be bringing the power of depth and point of view to your improvised Characters and Scenes. We’ll work with understanding the vital differences in playing Short Form vs. Long Form Characters, and will include personal feedback with things to work on going forward. This workshop will perfectly augment ongoing study of Characters and Scene, Long Form Improvisation and Harold, as well as benefit the Improviser that is currently performing or aspiring to perform with a team or group. A minimum of 1 year of Improv Training is suggested, advanced Improvisers and actors welcome as well.

Joe Bill

Joe Bill is widely regarded as one of the best Teachers of Scenic and Comedic Improvisation in America today. He currently teaches, performs and does corporate training at iO Chicago, is an Artistic Associate for The Chicago Improv Festival, and acts as an Artistic Adviser for a number of Improvisation and Comedy Theaters all over the U.S. and Canada.
Joe and a number of very talented friends, under the Artistic Direction of Mick Napier, co-founded of The Annoyance Theater in Chicago in 1990. His passion for teaching Improvisation soon kicked into high gear as a unique approach to Improvised Scene and Character began to be articulated by a number of teachers at Annoyance, including Mick Napier, Mark Sutton, Joe, David Razowsky, Bob Fisher and Susan Messing that focused on Improvisers "Taking care of themselves, in order to take care of others in a scene"..

Intro to Art of Slow Comedy

with Jimmy Carrane

June 20, 1-4 PM

$45, 12 people maximum

To Register, send PayPal to:

jcarrane@aol.com

NO FREE PASSES REMAINING

Tired of doing the same old bits over and over again? Are you boring yourself with the choices you are making? Do you want to stop "trying to be funny", and trust that if you do you will be even funnier?

Improvisers, stop working so hard. Slow down. Shut up, and listen. Everything, everything you need to do great scene work is in your partner, not in your head! You just need to learn what to look for and how to listen. That is what The Intro to Art of Slow Comedy Workshop is all about:  slowing down, so you can find the whole scene quicker.
The relationship, the character, the game. Working this way you will start to surprise yourself, making stronger choices and awesome dialogue, your scenes will become more like good theater and less like bad stand up. You will come to life, because you will start tapping into your own life experiences, the vein of gold for any improviser in this personal art form. Your scene work will become satisfying, grounded and real. The humor will come from a place of recognition and those bits won't taste good any more.
And most importantly, you won't believe how easy and fun it is to work this way.

Note from the director: Jimmy usually charges double for this kind of workshop. He is offering it as a Theatre Momentum exclusive to support the work they do and the improv community it serves. He loves what they do.

Jimmy Carrane
Jimmy Carrane is the co-author of Improvising Better: A Guide to the Working Improviser. He is the host of Studio 312 on Chicago Public Radio. In addition to teaching The Art of Slow Comedy, he has taught at The Second City, IO-Chicago, The Annoyance and Victory Gardens. Jimmy was recently seen in the film “Public Enemies” with Johnny Depp. His other film and TV credits include “ER,” “Early Edition,” “The Untouchables,” “Stash” and “Tapioca.” He was an original member of The Annoyance Theater, Armando at The IO-Chicago, and was a member of Carl and The Passion, He curently performs with Burning Desires. He has performed in some of Chicago most innovative and ground breaking long-form improv shows, such as “Jazz Freddy” and “Naked” (a two-person one-hour improvised scene with MAD TV’s Stephanie Weir.) Other theater/improv credits include “Godshow,” “Every Old Man,” “Living in Dwarf’s House” and “Summer Rental” at The Second City etc.

Help, Something Is Wrong

with John Abbott

June 27, 12-4 PM

$20, 8 people maximum

To Register, email:

john@johnabbott.net

NO FREE PASSES REMAINING

This workshop focuses on individual feedback for the improviser. If you are suffering because you can't figure out what you're doing wrong, this intensive is for you. Performers will be put through a set of scenes that will reveal their struggles. Then John Abbott will run each person through a set of exercises custom created for them to help them work past it. Because this is an individual assessment, the numbers are kept small for this workshop.

John Abbott
John studied at SC, iO, and Annoyance, and organizes the Improviser's Studio @ The Playground. He has performed with Pork, Calcutta, Uncle Pecos, The Warehouse, Photo Booth, and currently plays with Wing Night and the duo Photo Shoot. He coaches on a free-lance basis.