Workshops
Saturday OCTOBER 7, 2023
This is Personal: Making Characters with Your Identities
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Instructor: Becca Nix Tham
tickets $20.00
What does it take for your improvised character to stand out while being supportive? The answer is within you- with the identities that you have! Becca Nix Tham (Training from Annoyance Theatre and iO Theater) will have you bring up all the identities that you are and she will guide you in utilizing this endless improv resource in scenes. We will work on using your identities as a game of the scene, a grounded straight man choice, and more! You will walk away feeling empowered and full of joy!
From Chicago suburbia to Chicago city digs, Becca is a Asian-Jewish comedian, actor, and writer. She has been featured on stages at iO Theater, Annoyance Theatre, Second City, Zanies, Laugh Factory, and Lincoln Lodge. Her social media handle is @beccahasokhair because her hair is ok!
Bold Starts & Strong Moves
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Instructor: Bruce Phillips
tickets $20.00
Starting a scene is half the battle. In this high-energy and extremely active workshop, participants will learn a variety of skills and techniques to get out of their head and start making choices. Perfect for novice and experienced improvisers alike, this popular class features tailored individual notes and critique, focusing on initiating and reacting strongly while making truthful choices that come from a place of strength, not fear.
Bruce Phillips is an actor and improviser in Chicago where he can be seen in Hitch*Cocktails and Trigger Happy (The Annoyance Theatre), Clued-In (Second City Cabarets) and ComedySportz Chicago. Bruce originated the role of Wilbur in the Tony-Award Winning musical Hairspray for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines aboard the largest cruise ship in the world, The Oasis of the Seas, and currently directs for Royal Caribbean on ships around the world. He has toured with Second City Theatricals aboard The Norwegian Dawn, and occasionally performs with Mission Improvable’s RedCo and LOL Theater in Schaumburg, IL. Bruce is a Jeff Award winner for Artistic Specialization for his work designing the robots in Heddatron at the Steppenwolf Garage in 2011 for Sideshow Theatre Company, where he is also a former artistic associate. He was most recently seen as Agent Smith in The One – The Matrix Parody Musical and has understudied in Lifeline Theatre’s production of Anna Karenina and The Plagiarists’ production of Münsterspiel.