CAKE IMPROV

Afterschool programing that lets you be funny, weird, wacky, tacky, goofy, tell long stories, learn...

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 17:10:00 -0400

Afterschool programing that lets you be funny, weird, wacky, tacky, goofy, tell long stories, learn prat falls, play characters, laugh with your friends - and generally, be yourself!

Contact

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:55:00 -0400

To schedule a demo or for any other questions, please contact Jill Donnelly:

Email: cakeimprov@gmail.com

Phone: (917) 838-9369

Instructors

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 15:05:00 -0400

Jill Donnelly is an actress and improviser in New York City. Her recent theatre credits include: 365 Days/365 Plays (The Public Theatre), News in Revue (Coconut Grove Playhouse), How the Other Half Loves (Cortland Rep), and Crazy For You (National Tour). She began improvising at Oberlin College, and she has continued her studies in NYC with Shannon O’Neill, Charlie Todd, Lennon Parham, Will Hines, Billy Merritt, Kevin Mullaney, and many others. Currently, she performs at UCB Theatre on a Harold team (RAGNARÖCK), a Maude team (27 KIDNEYS) and around town with the independent improv team, WILDER.

She has taught improv and drama classes at the MAD Factory in Cleveland, OH and Philadelphia Improv Festival. Jill has designed and taught several adult workshops on Fearless Improv, Character Development/Improv for Actors, and Musical Improv. She currently coaches many improv teams around New York City.

Amy Flanagan’s recent film and television credits include: The Last Film Festival, Sex and the City, The Movie, and Law and Order: Criminal Intent. Amy’s recent theatre credits include: Every Girl Gets Her Man at Soho Playhouse, and I Was Tom Cruise at the Connelly Theatre. She has been performing with the longform improv team, Wilder, for the last three years and co-created and acted in the improvised play, Sidework. Amy loves the arts and is excited for the opportunity to teach improv with Cake Improv. She believes that improvisation fosters creative challenge, humor, artistic expression, and stronger communication skills. Amy majored in Theatre at Oberlin College.

After-school Classes

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:01:00 -0400

After-school classes for children and teens ages 4-18

These classes are great for everyone - from the shy to the gregarious. Sessions generally last for 8-12 weeks, and culminate with a final performance for family and friends.

We are currently offering after-school classes in:

Fort Building and Dress-Up Adventures - (Ages 4-7)
Everyone loves to pretend. In Fort Building and Dress-Up Adventures, students get to rummage through the “trunk of imagination” filled with dress-up clothes - including capes, fireman hats, and silly glasses - and other materials to create forts, hiding places, and time machines. With the help of their instructor, students will create an original story each week. Dragons, mysteries, talking cars - the possibilities are limitless.

“Look Mom, I’m On T.V.!” - (Ages 8-11)
There’s only one thing more fun than watching T.V. - being on T.V. In Cake Improv’s hour-long weekly extravaganza, students create their own original characters and episodes from American Idol, game shows, adventure cartoons, cook-offs, and even infomercials. It’s an afternoon of fun - without commercial breaks.

Who’s Line? - (Ages 9-13)
Have you ever watched “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” and wondered how they did it? Each week, students will be introduced to the hilarious world of improv games, playing such favorites as Party Quirks, Stand-Sit-Sleep, and World’s Worst. Think on your feet, work as a team, and make your friends laugh all afternoon.

Writer’s Workshop - (Ages 11-18)
Using improv, students write and develop their own sketches, stories, and plays. They generate ideas on stage, create unique characters, and ultimately produce their own shows complete with staging, sets, costumes, and brilliant performances!

Team Teen - (Ages 11-18)
So, you want to be on Saturday Night Live? Many of the greats started by doing “longform” or scene-based improv. Students focus on the building blocks of comedy including finding the specific comedic idea of each scene, building a group mind, agreement and commitment. They’ll create a spontaneous performance that no one will believe was made up.

Workshops

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:54:00 -0400

Cake Improv offers workshops for students, parents with kids, and professionals. These 1-3 hour interactive sessions will focus on communication, working as a team, and celebrating each other’s creativity.

Parent/Child Workshops

Discover the joy of improv with the ones you love most. These workshops are a great way for parents and kids to get goofy, learn a new craft, and spend some quality time together - laughing.

Student Workshops

Do your students need a break from King Lear? Or Dr. Seuss? Cake Improv offers one-time workshops that can be tailored to your students needs. We currently offer:

* Intro to Improv
* Fearlessness: How to take creative risks and trust yourself
* Empathy: Walking a mile in someone elses shoes

Workshops for Professionals

Playing isn’t just for kids anymore. Whether you work in an office or a classroom, our improv workshops can help you build teamwork skills, relieve stress, and laugh with each other. We currently offer:

* Intro to Longform Improv* Spontaneity in the Workplace
* Creativity and Teamwork
* Constructive Communication
* Magical Thinking: The benefits of pretend

Sample Syllabus

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:58:00 -0400

Eight Week Course for 5-8 year olds

(Designed for the Studio School in New York City, 2008)

Week 1
Physical / vocal warm-up: Imaginary object toss
Patterning warm-up: Herbie the worm
Name game: Superheroes game
Fearless game: Conducted monologues

Week 2
Physical / vocal warm-up: Zip Zap Zop with mirroring
Patterning warm-up: Patterns
Miming game: Pass the clay
Mirroring: Monster pass

Week 3
Physical / vocal warm-up: Big groovy
Patterning warm-up: Seven Things
Group Mind game: One word story
Fearless game: Expert

Week 4
Physical / vocal warm-up: Hotspot
Patterning warm-up: Herbie the worm
Special game: Group jump
Gibberish game

Week 5
Physical / vocal warm-up: Protector, defender
Patterning warm-up: Yes game
Short scenes with set up
Scenic short-form game: Party favors

Week 6
Physical / vocal warm-up: Group jump
Patterning warm-up: Patterns
Organic transformations: Zip Zap Zop organic
Scene-work

Week 7
Physical / vocal warm-up: Improvised hotspot
Patterning warm-up: One word story
Scenic games: Given characteristics
Editing

Week 8
Physical / vocal warm-up: Imaginary object toss
Patterning warm-up: Seven things
Scenes: Inspired by monologue
Favorite moments revisited

FAQ

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 21:22:00 -0400

What can longform improv do for my students?

Longform is great learning tool and lots of fun! There are no right or wrong answers, everyone’s an expert, and humor is the key.

Cake Improv focuses on many of the critical life skills taught every day in classes:

listening
memory
teamwork

Longform also teaches students how to: respond appropriately to each other, develop vivid characters, and capture the pulse of the audience.

What is longform improv?

Everyone knows “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” which is great example of shortform improv. Developed in Chicago by Del Close, longform is a little different, emphasizing relationships and scenes over games. It combines the scenic elements of dramatic theatre with the spontaneity and group-mindedness of jazz.

How does it work?

After receiving a suggestion from the audience, students perform improvised scenes inspired by the suggestion.

Where can I see it in New York?

Longform improv is a vibrant art in New York City. It be seen weekly in at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and The Magnet Theatre, and it is also performed all over the country at many other improv theatres.

How does improv work on listening skills?

“Yes/Anding” is a fundamental principle in longform improv that works on listening and responding appropriately. “Yessing” refers to the act of supporting an idea that someone else presents. “Anding” furthers the idea.

Can you give me an example?

Sure! For example….

If someone starts a scene by saying, “What beautiful gloves you’ve given me!”

A “yes” response might be, “I’m glad you like them!”

In this simple response, it’s clear that the scene partner has listened well.

Following the “yes,” an “and” moves the scene even further along: “I’m glad you like them, Mom. I knew you’d probably need something warm for your trip to Alaska.”

Now, the audience and the improvisers are all on the same page. Both players are listening and responding appropriately - this is teamwork at its best!

For Parents

Sun, 31 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400

We are offering classes in the Spring of 2010 at the following schools:

The Studio School
The Garden School
The Allen Stevenson School
Claremont Prep

For more information about bringing Cake Improv classes to your child’s school, please contact us at: cakeimprov@gmail.com.

Who We Are

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to Cake Improv! We’ve taken a fresh new look at after-school programming for kids ages 4-18. We offer weekly classes and one-time workshops that can be tailored to the needs of your students.

Learning to improvise is great fun, and also helps students develop listening, teamwork, memory, and public speaking skills. All of our instructors are improvisers at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre. These professional players guide students to follow what they find funny, to press the boundaries of their own imaginations, and above all, to make each other laugh. All you need to be an improvisor is your heart, your brain, and a healthy dose of goofy!

***We are currently registering students for Fall 2009 classes at The Studio School, I.S. 227, Claremont Prep, The Allen-Stevenson School, and The Garden School. For more information on classes, click here.

For Schools

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

For more information on our programing, please chose one of the following: