We call ourselves the West Coast School of Improvisation to honor the amazing West Coast improv innovators who blazed the trail before us. Let us pass the torch to you.
Through our mentors and lived experience, we learned what is required to perform improvised narratives at the highest possible level. We can’t wait to work with you in our focused weekend intensives.
Weekend Improv Intensive w/Jo McGinley
This workshop is a deep dive into elements from the book Going Long:
Develop presence under pressure
Build the world of the play
Create characters we care about
Extend the life of your ensemble
Improvise an extended narrative that blows your audience away
Going Long: The Art of Long-Form Improvisation for Stage and Screen
Improvisational comedy has exploded over the last several decades. But the short, game-based version of improv—as seen on shows like Whose Line Is It Anyway?—is of little help when it comes to successfully pulling off long-form improvisation. Long-form provides exciting new challenges and opportunities for improvisational performers that go beyond comedy. It demands an expanded skill set, careful preparation, and genuine courage.
Drawing on author Jo McGinley’s more than thirty years of experience onstage and in the classroom, Going Long provides a clear and practical framework for both beginning and experienced improvisers. It includes mental exercises specifically developed for long-form work, best practices for rehearsals and collaboration, techniques for connecting with the audience, tips on crafting stories within specific genres, and principles for making in-the-moment decisions that support an overarching narrative.
