Workshops
Saturday OCTOBER 19, 2024
Two-Prov Bootcamp!
taught by headliner Jaymes Gretchky
11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. | tickets
A two-person show can be a daunting task for a performer. You have to remain onstage and engaged for the entirety of the piece. No strangers to this form, GRIF headlining troupe Jaymes Gretchky will guide you through what they have learned over years of performance and leave you feeling more confident next time you take the stage. Tickets are $20 per person and sold in pairs – so grab your partner and register today!
And don’t forget to see Jaymes Gretchky’s duo magic in person at GRIFs Friday 8PM show on October 18th!
James Dugan was born in Northern California but moved to Chicago to learn what this whole “winter” thing is. In his nearly 20 years of improv experience he has performed for The Second City, iO, The Annoyance, and any other stage in Chicago that will give him the chance. He currently can be seen with Clued In at Second City, Hitchcocktails at The Annoyance, The Armando and Whirled News Tonight at iO, and all over the country with his duo Jaymes Gretchky.
Putting Power Back in the Practice
with instructor Bobby Phillips
2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. | tickets
A slow-starting, deep-diving improvisation workshop aimed at harnessing your ability to cultivate a flow state in yourself and the actors around you. We will begin lying down with a visionary journey into the subconscious. Then we will move our bodies and explore physical space, waking up our imaginations. Finally, we will bring intention to our scene work.
What to bring:
Imaginative stamina
A pillow or blanket if you will need one during lying meditation
A written list of emotions which are difficult for you to express
At least one written sentence that you are putting off saying to someone in your life
Bobby Phillips cut his teeth performing and directing with Fictional Friends, a short form improv comedy showcase in a rowdy bar. After leading workshops in improvisation at an ayahuasca center in Ecuador, he became more interested in the healing modalities of the practice. He went on a journey to find the origins of modern improvisation, studying with David Webster of Whole World theater in Atlanta, and becoming an advocate for the original exercises of Viola Spolin. He has returned to Grand Rapids and hosts workshops regularly at The Division Avenue Arts Collective, and Planet Ant in Hamtramck.
Instructor Philosophy: Viola Spolin was not being hyperbolic when she said that her improvisation exercises could save the world. Their results were not measured in ticket sales but in the development of minds. I distribute workshops in that spirit and aim no lower. The goal of an individual session of practice is what Viola called, “The Explosion.” This is a moment of true inspiration, freedom, and flow. It can only be reached by setting ego and expectation aside. It is that which the mystic and the artist seek in common. The comedy club environment tends to be inoculated against it. My expertise is not in performing, but in cultivating an environment where that state can be reached by newcomers and veterans alike. It’s my hope that participants will learn this ability, and carry it into their other work. We can make ground for Viola. We can inspire creatives to pursue that magic beyond words which can transform worlds.