Arcade Academy
What students are saying:
“Creative approaches to the zoom performance window, and prepared practical tips in a few different categories.”
“I left the workshop feeling in a much better mood than when I came in, and I had a lot of fun and laughs during it as well.”
“I enjoyed [learning about] a different element to improv that we haven’t had to think about on our own before. I also enjoyed speaking about how space, movement and shape can impact the scene and your character in the format of Zoom.”
Online Comedy Workshops
Try new ways of performing comedy with interactive, online comedy workshops in improv and writing!
Playing Bold
Tuesday, Sept 22, 6-8PM ET
If you’ve ever lingered on the back line, hesitated before making a move because you worried you couldn’t pull it off, let an entering character take over a scene, or simply felt mired in self-doubt while improvising, this is the workshop for you. Mindy McHale will lead you through exercises to help break your mental barriers and lose the limits you’ve consciously or subconsciously set for yourself; and guide a supportive and judgment-free discussion of what those limits are and where they come from. Skills practiced will include following your gut, comfort being alone on stage, active silence, and handling freeze-ups.
Taught by Mindy McHale
$25 per person
The Zoomus
Saturday, Sept 26, 3-5PM ET
We’ve all had to learn together how to navigate improvising over the internet. In this workshop, Fred Frances will explore one approach to these new challenges: embracing virtual communication as the reality of improvised scenes. Fred and Matty Frances have developed “The Zoomus” a longform specifically designed to be performed over Zoom, for their hit livestreamed show Dial-Up: Improvised Zoom Calls with the Frances Brothers. In this workshop, Fred will teach you the basics of the Zoomus, with tips on how to make the most of the medium in livestreamed improv. You’ll come out of this workshop being able to practice your own Zoomus, and you can use the theory and best practices you learn to develop your own online-only improv forms!
Taught by Fred Frances
$25 per person
Short Form Zoom Gauntlet
Saturday, October 3, 1-3PM ET
Prepare and perform an online short form improv show all in one day with this workshop from Arcade Comedy Theater’s student team coach Beth Geatches. This workshop provides a crash course in the mechanics of some of the most popular Zoom short form games that will be the basis for a set in a livestreamed show that evening for the workshop participants to perform in. Learn how games like Oscar Winning Moment, New Choice, Shift Left, Freeze, The Onion, and line games translate to online performances, and how improvisors can adjust their play in these games to optimize the online format. Let Beth’s experience coaching Arcade’s short form student team Select Start to pandemic-prov glory set you on the path to your own short form success online, and reap the benefits only hours later!
Workshop is 1-3pm (also check out our 4-6pm longform workshop!), performance is at 9pm with an online call time of 8pm.
Taught by Beth Geatches
$25 per person
Long Form Zoom Gauntlet
Saturday, October 3, 4-6PM ET
Prepare and perform an online longform improv show all in one day with this workshop from Arcade Comedy Theater’s student team coach Jocelyn Hillen. This workshop provides a crash course in the mechanics and best practices for a modified La Ronde specialized for improvising over the internet, all in preparation for a livestreamed show that very evening you will perform in! Refine your Zoomprov techniques, refresh your scenework skills, and get a performance fix all in one lovely Saturday!
Workshop is 4-6pm (also check out our 1-3pm short form workshop!), performance is at 9pm with an online call time of 8pm.
Taught by Jocelyn Hillen
$25 per person
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: Participants will need access to a computer with a stable internet connection. The workshop will be conducted over Zoom, which requires creating a free account.
Workshops
Arcade Comedy Theater offers workshops for beginner and advanced improvisers on a variety of subjects, inspiring performers to continue their education and approach the art of improv from different directions. Workshops have been taught by nationally-known improvisers and instructors, including Kevin McDonald, Laura Hall, Rick Hall, Jimmy Carrane, Paul Grondy, Maribeth Monroe, Jaime Moyer, Rob Belushi, Tim Stoltenberg, Susan Messing, Rachel Mason and more.
