Skills Lab: Scene Partners and Strong Offers

This Lab will focus on agreement within a scene, listening and supporting your scene partner by staying focused on each other, defining the action of the scene, making specific, committed choices, allowing yourself to be affected by each other.

Skills Lab is a deep dive into a topic pulled directly from the PHIT curriculum.  Led by one of our instructors, participants start with a fun warm-up, engage in select exercises followed by open practice working on games or scenes with a specific focus around the topic of the Lab.

Part targeted workout, part practice group, Labs are open to anyone with some level 101 experience and above. It is strongly recommended for your own benefit that you have some familiarity with any Skills Lab topic as instructors provide targeted coaching and feedback around that topic to help you gain more mastery applying it in performance.

Skills Labs are *not intended* for people with ZERO improv experience.

Please check your schedule carefully before you register. All sales are final. There are no refunds, exchanges, or credits.

All students are required to show proof of vaccination before being allowed entry to the class space.

About the Instructor:

Francesca (she/her) Studied Theatre at Florida State University, where she fell in love with improv, sketch comedy, and comedy writing. Francesca has had two original shows produced, and has worked theaters around Philly and the country! Currently, she is helping lead the PHIT Queer Practice Group, teaching Improv 101, and performing with Teacher’s Lounge at PHIT. In Francesca’s class, you can expect energy, excitement, patience, and zero judgment.

What others say:

"Francesca immediately makes you feel at ease and comfortable to let loose and get silly, but also gives helpful and thoughtful feedback to help your growth as an improv artist."

Skills Lab:  Characters-  Emotional point of view and justification

This Lab will focus on helping you create more grounded and three dimensional characters by playing with an emotional point of view. You will practice justifying character traits, content and environments thru the emotional point of view of your characters.

"How you do, what you do, reveals who you are" ~ Joe Bill

Skills Lab is a deep dive into a topic pulled directly from the PHIT curriculum.  Led by one of our instructors, participants start with a fun warm-up, engage in select exercises followed by open practice working on games or scenes with a specific focus around the topic of the Lab.

Part targeted workout, part practice group, Labs are open to anyone with some level 101 experience and above. It is strongly recommended for your own benefit that you have some familiarity with any Skills Lab topic as instructors provide targeted coaching and feedback around that topic to help you gain more mastery applying it in performance.

Skills Labs are *not intended* for people with ZERO improv experience.

Please check your schedule carefully before you register. All sales are final. There are no refunds, exchanges, or credits.

All students are required to show proof of vaccination before being allowed entry to the class space.

About the Instructor:

Tara Gadomski (she/her) is an actor, filmmaker, improvisor, BBC radio producer and Sundance Knight Fellow.  She trained in London and worked with the Fluxx Impro company for many years, performing full-length improvised plays around Europe. Tara loves working with all ages of improvisers. She helped create the improv show The Quest which toured rural schools in Pennsylvania and is currently is a teaching artist with The Unscripted Project in Philadelphia public schools. Her favorite acting credits include Orange is the New Black (Netflix); The BLACKLIST (NBC); Recent Tragic Events (T.I.C. Theatre) and Lost Pirates (Edinburgh Fringe Festival.) Tara is also happy to improvise in Portuguese and Hungarian, if she can find anyone who will take her up on the offer.

What others Say:

Tara is a rockstar; I feel respected in Miss Tara's class; Tara is just, like, really cool.

Skills Lab:  Edits and Beats

This Lab will focus on editing scenes and the transition between first and second beats. You will practice how to edit scenes in a way that is both organic and effective. Participants will also practice how to identify and use first and second beats to create engaging scenes. Participants will leave with a stronger understanding of these fundamental aspects of long form improv and more confidence in their ability to create fun and engaging scenes.

Skills Lab is a deep dive into a topic pulled directly from the PHIT curriculum.  Led by one of our instructors, participants start with a fun warm-up, engage in select exercises followed by open practice working on games or scenes with a specific focus around the topic of the Lab.

Part targeted workout, part practice group, Labs are open to anyone with some level 101 experience and above. It is strongly recommended for your own benefit that you have some familiarity with any Skills Lab topic as instructors provide targeted coaching and feedback around that topic to help you gain more mastery applying it in performance.

Skills Labs are *not intended* for people with ZERO improv experience.

Please check your schedule carefully before you register. All sales are final. There are no refunds, exchanges, or credits.

All students are required to show proof of vaccination before being allowed entry to the class space.

About the Instructor:

Chris Esperance is a comedian, writer, improviser based in Philadelphia, PA. Chris co-hosted the Mad Ethnic Comedy festival which included a variety of improv, podcast and stand-up acts from the tri-state area. He has improvised on Harold, House teams including Metropolis and Dunk Tank and several Indie teams in his years as a performer. Chris was accepted to Magnet Theater’s REMIX sketch diversity showcase and wrote/performed in PIT’s NYC Sketchfest. He has trained at the Philadelphia Improv Theater (PHIT) and the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB-NY) and writes for the sketch comedy team Pagliacci (@pagliaccicomedy) with the Boogiemanja sketch comedy collective.

What others say:

"You set such a great tone for the class that made it easy to experiment and let our guards down and try new things. I had a fabulous time and can't wait to do it again."