Dramatic Improv Classes
Come train at the only theater in Chicago dedicated to dramatic improvisation.
Classes are hosted at Studio Momentum (see our Studio Page for directions)
Dramatic improv is not just useful for dramatic improvisors. It is incredibly helpful for scripted actors, to find intense, immediate moments, to be able to respond to directions without judgment, and to stay focused in the moment. It will also help your comedic improv. Get deeper, more layered characters and 3-dimensional stories that feel like a play.
Dramatic Improv Weekend Intensive
If you've been looking for the next evolution in your theatre training, Theatre Momentum is it. Our dramatic improv intensive will give you skills to become the best improv actor you can be, with focused, simple tools, and a grounded approach.
Theatre Momentum steps away from traditional improv and toward something rich and complex that explores the entire spectrum of human emotion.
This 2-day in-person intensive covers 3 levels of the TM Dramatic Improv style and one show structure. This class will focus on 2-person scenework and dramatic improv from an outside-in, psychological/neurological approach. Our approach touches on the teachings of Meisner, Boal, Lecoq, Maslow, Ramachandran, Shiv, and others.
Instructor: Tony Rielage
9 AM-6 PM, Sat/Sun, June 8-9
In-person at Studio Momentum
$350/person
10-Week Courses + 2 Performances
EACH CLASS IS $250/PERSON.
SOME SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE.
THESE COURSES MAY BE TAKEN IN ANY ORDER.
A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF IMPROV PRINCIPLES OR
ACTING PRINCIPLES IS HELPFUL FOR THESE CLASSES.
Hosted at Studio Momentum
(1541 W Belmont- see our Studio Page for directions)
Performances are free to the public.
ENVIRONMENT, RELATIONSHIP, STAKES, RESOLUTION.
When approaching improv for the first time, these are the tenets many students learn as the elements of a scene. Our new 10-week courses are standalone workshops that explore each of these fundamentals, with each course culminating in a 2-evening performance for friends, family, and the public.
Everything’s Relative: Character & Relationship in Dramatic Improv
Rich, vulnerable, 3-dimensional characters can draw in an audience, offer strong support to a scene, and open up opportunities for discovery and organic storytelling. Good scene relationships arise from the complex dynamics between such characters.
Learn how to explore simple physical tools to develop characters and stay in character, without delving into caricature. Learn how to hear your scene partners fully and connect to them emotionally in an instant, creating scenes with depth, dimension, and history.
CURRENT SESSION:
Sundays, April 21-August 4 (no classes 5/12, 5/26, 6/9, 6/30, 7/7), 2:30-5 PM
Performance dates: Saturdays, August 10-17, 8 PM
NEXT SESSION:
Sundays, September 28-January 4, 2025 (no classes 10/26, 11/2, 11/30, 12/21, 12/28), 2:30-5 PM
Performance dates: Saturdays, January 11-18, 8 PM
Scriptless Scripted: Instant Writing in Dramatic Improv
Every line of dialogue in a scripted play is intentionally crafted to evoke emotion, explore character, and move plot forward. To create the same feeling in an improvised show requires an agile mind, careful listening, and emotional awareness.
In this class, students will focus on treating their improvised scenes like they were fully scripted. They will learn tools dealing with compelling language, storytelling, planting seeds, themes, and subtext, with the end goal of crafting a show that will appear seamless to an audience and leave them questioning whether it was actually fully improvised (a huge compliment!).
NEXT SESSION:
Saturdays, July 13-September 21 (no class 8/31) 2:30-5 PM
Performance dates: Saturdays, September 28-October 5, 8 PM
UPCOMING SESSION:
Saturdays, November 10-February 2, 2025 (no classes 12/1, 12/22, 12/29), 2:30-5 PM
Performance dates: Saturdays, February 8-15, 2025, 8 PM
A Product of the Environment: Object Work in Dramatic Improv
The environment is an extra character in any improv scene, who will always agree with you and always support you. Solid object work creates a 3-dimensional world to play in and enhances every scene.
Learn the hows and whys of strong object work and craft complex, fleshed-out environments for your scenes. Use those spaces to make discoveries, build character, express emotion and relationship history, get out of your head, and find comfort in silence.
Sundays, August 11-October 20 (no classes 9/1, 10/27, 11/3), 2:30-5 PM
Performance dates: Saturdays, November 9-16, 8 PM
Questions? Email us at info@theatremomentum.com