A Narrative Longform Workshop
Learn playful, intuitive strategies for creating improvised plays from Shana Merlin, Merlin Works founder and the author of the new book "Instant Alchemy: The Science and Magic of Narrative Longform Improv." We’ll focus on the hero’s emotional journey, character archetypes, raising the stakes and evoking themes. Class registration includes the purchase of the book Instant Alchemy.

(Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 201 at Merlin Works or 1 year of improv training elsewhere. 8 students minimum/16 students maximum.)

You're Grounded! Cultivating Authenticity in Scenework

In this four-week improv intensive centered on grounded scenework, students will benefit from advanced exercises to practice playing more intuitively (vs. rationally). You will be challenged to slow down the pace of scenes, to listen deeply, and to allow yourself to truly feel and authentically show your characters' feelings and motivations. We will experiment with cultivating richer connections between characters and developing weightier, sometimes dramatic scenes. Can we play patiently enough to allow content to come to us? Can we discover inspiration instead of inventing plot and dialogue?  Rather than focusing on how to stitch scenes into a cohesive story, we will run unrelated scenes that are more extended (and slower in pace) than you may have done in leveled classes. Participants should expect that scenes will be paused for real time coaching, redirection, and blocking/stage picture suggestions. 

(Pre-Requisite: Improv 301 or higher at Merlin Works or another improv institution. 8 students minimum/16 students maximum.)