Play Like An Ally

Detailed workshop description:

This workshop will focus on practical steps you can take as a player, teacher, and director to make sure everybody feels welcome. Improv can stagnate without diversity because it becomes predictable; turn on your awareness and let this art form continue to surprise and delight you.

This workshop will focus on awareness of what players need, and what they’re offering. We’ll play through a balanced warmup designed to make sure everybody starts on the same page, and talk about how (and if) to modify for people who are differently-abled or neuro-diverse, or have English as their second language. We’ll work on supporting different types of initiations and offers, players with different styles, diverse points of view, stage time, and amplifying less heard voices.

Teacher bio:

Stephen Davidson is the Artistic Director of The Improvised Play, Improvable, QI: Queer Improv, Carmen: A gender-swapped Film Noir Fantasy, and of Zeal: The Pride Improv Festival. Stephen is the author of two books about improv, Play Like an Ally and Improvising Gender. Stephen teaches improv independently and through City Academy and Hoopla Improv. He has taught and performed all over the world, and regularly leads improv teacher training courses for theatres and schools. Stephen is also a founding member of Safe Play, a European group working to combat sexual harassment in improv, and a board member of the International Theatresports Institute.

Stephen loves improv and one of the world’s most cheerful people when playing or teaching. When coaching and directing improv he prides himself on creating a positive environment so that players can perform at their best. Stephen has studied improv through i/o Chicago, Annoyance, UCB, Hoopla, The Maydays, Music Box, Showstoppers, Imprology, and with many artists including Dave Razowsky, Bill Arnett, Kaci Beeler, Heather Anne Campbell, Deanna Fleysher, and more.

https://impromiscuous.com/