The Black Box Improv Festival offers workshops taught by some of the country's best instructors on wide variety of techniques important to improvisational comedy. Below is the schedule for all BBIF 2008 workshops. Prices are $30 Sunday Workshop / $50 All Access Pass.

All Access Passes grant access to all BBIF 2008 shows, 1 Friday Workshop, and 3 Saturday Workshops. To use your pass to attend workshops, you must register online and pick up your pass at one of our orientations. Register for workshops early for best selection. If you'd like to use your All Access Pass to attend shows, it is recommended that you still reserve seat for the shows for the shows you'd like to see because they may sell out. For more details, visit our shows page.

FRI 9/26 1:00PM-4:00PM

WORKSHOP 1: IMPROV EVOLUTION INSTRUCTOR: Matthew Falkenberg Improv is a tool often used to enhance creativity, yet many improv groups all over the country are performing the same short form games and long form formats. Explore the inspiration of improv pinoneers such as Spolin, Johnstone and Close. Learn how to work within the basic guidelines of improv theory to develop new and exciting performance pieces that will appeal to a broad audience. Push the art form into its next evolutionary stage. WORKSHOP 2: RELATIONSHIP COMPONENTS INSTRUCTOR: Greg Tavares You hear it during every rehearsal. Improv scenes are "about the relationship." But what is a relationship? Greg breaks the relationship between characters into 4 components (emotional response, physicality, history & status). Exercises taught during the class help students make offers based on relationship components. WORKSHOP 3: AN IMPROV TEAM OF ONE INSTRUCTOR: Johnathan Wells Your team is everything to you when you are on stage however, it isn't a machine you can program to do your comedy bidding. Take care of yourself, and know that your team members can take care of themselves. This workshop focuses on great techniques to pull yourself out of "Team Management Mode" and back to what is most important for you as a TRUE team player. As a consequence, this workshop also focuses on acting skills. Sweet, a bonus focus!

SAT 9/27 10:00AM-12:00PM

WORKSHOP 1: UBER-AGREEMENT INSTRUCTOR: Jen Caldwell This technique is one that Jen has become know for teaching: it's also been coined "Jen-Zen". All about making your partner look great and vice-versa, this workshop pushes improvisers to explore character relationships on a deeper level. Steering away from arguing and immediate conflict, Jen shows players a fun and supportive way of thinking that will take your improv to a new level. This workshop is great for those starting out in long-form improv or for any improviser (long or short-form) looking to discover a new technique to put in their arsenal. WORKSHOP 2: BREAKING ROUTINES INSTRUCTOR: John Sexton You hate standing and talking while holding your improv cup as much as the audience hates watching it. But maybe you don't quite know how to break that habit. In this workshop, you will be pushed to move forward and break routines both within scenes and as an ensemble actor. When driven by action rather than by dialog, your scenes become fluid, exciting, and full of discovery. Put the cup down. It's time to improvise. WORKSHOP 3: THE PLAYWRIGHT'S APPROACH TO IMPROVISATION INSTRUCTOR: Jim Karwisch Take a trip through the foundations of a well written play and how those elements can and do apply to a well improvised scene. Moment by Moment play is combined with Playwrighting theory -- JaCKPie's approach to improvised scenework. WORKSHOP 4: MEISNER IN IMPROV INSTRUCTOR: Mandy Bultler Grounded relationships keep scenes interesting and focused. By engaging your partner, you will also engage your audience. In this workshop, you will employ the teachings of Sanford Meisner to help you connect with your scene partner by listening, responding, and making eye contact. We will also explore the power of touch, while playing with distance between actors onstage. Get ready to get close! WORKSHOP 5: HENRY LONGFORM INSTRUCTOR: Alyssa Mander Learn how to bring an entire town to life. The Henry Long Form focuses on one made-up town and the people in it. Connect different locations with real meaning, real relationships, and real juicy rumors!

SAT 9/27 1:30PM-3:30PM

WORKSHOP 1: GUESSING GAMES AND BRAINSTORMING THE CREATIVITY INSTRUCTOR: Tommy Futch Tommy Futch and Jamie Moore of Laughing Matters teaching verbal and nonverbal communication techniques for the clue giver and listening and narrowing of choices for corret conclusions. Plus, how to make your guessing game scenes interesting. WORKSHOP 2: GOOD Ol' FASHIONED SHORT FORM INSTRUCTOR: Amber Nash This Workshop will focus on the good, the bad and the ugly of short form improv. Games and scenes, things we hate and why, things we love and why, how to make the things we hate better and the things we love betterer. WORKSHOP 3: FAR OUT INSTRUCTOR: Robert Lowe How far do you think you are willing to extend the Improv envelope? Come to this workshop and find out for sure. WORKSHOP 4: IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT, GRIND IT INSTRUCTOR: Matt Stanton This is for kidses who have studied enough to understand basic improv philosophy of accepting offers and building on what is present. We will combine narrative structure with long-form exploration, some serious gear-shifting. WORKSHOP 5: GONE IN 60 SECONDS INSTRUCTOR: Cutris Smythe Yes. Curtis Smythe and Nicolas Cage are going to train you in the finer points of stealing cars while being chased by dirty cops and baby mommas, all this happening in one fun filled cracked rocked out night! Nah… seriously, this workshop will focus on effectively laying down the basic foundations of an improv scene including character development, relationship, environment, premise, want and desire in less than a mere sixty seconds. It will also focus on getting you to leave your "comfort level box" by exploring the vast possibilities opened up using different mannerisms, speech patterns, and body languages to create new characters. It will show how to take your improv abilities to a brand new level that you always knew was there, but haven’t quite been able pull out of the holster. It will be kool. It will be kosher. It will be kopasetic. Peace.

SAT 9/27 4:00PM-6:00PM

WORKSHOP 1: VAPAPO: CHARACTER TOOLKIT INSTRUCTOR: Jill Bernard Jill Bernard offers a character toolkit to give participants the ability to create strong, compelling characters that they can hang onto through the whole scene. This session will focus on using Voice, Attitude or Posture, and Animal, Prop or Obsession to build instant characters. Participants will use these tools to fearlessly initiate scenes, create relationships and find agreement. WORKSHOP 2: THE SPACE OBJECT INSTRUCTOR: Steven Kearin Space Object work is a gateway to deeper levels of character and story for the improviser. Develop an increased awareness of the world you inhabit onstage, and learn to ground yourself in the simplicity of the moment. WORKSHOP 3: RELATIONSHIPS INSTRUCTOR: Tim Orr Relationships between characters is a major part of what makes improv scenes sizzle! Explore how to establish, advance and deepen relationships on stage. Listen, feel, react -- fun stuff! WORKSHOP 4: PLAYING IN THE MOMENT INSTRUCTOR: Kevin Reome Let go of preconceptions, trust your improv instincts, focus on your partner and work that ability to be spontaneous and reactive rather than contrived. WORKSHOP 5: BREAK OPEN THE MONKEY BARREL INSTRUCTOR: Kit FitzSimons Remember how much fun we had as kids? Playing with action figures, searching for pirate gold, pretending the swing set was Dracula's spy car? Imagine if we'd known then what we know about improv now. Well... that's not possible, so how about the opposite: Know NOW what you knew about PLAYING then. Learn how to grab onto every exciting idea and catapult your scenes to new heights and new worlds. It's not What If; it's What When.

SUN 9/28 12:00PM-4:00PM

WORKSHOP 1: SOLO IMPROV INSTRUCTOR: Jill Bernard There are no "schools" of improv - we are each our own school, which means your solo piece is the ultimate expression of that school. Work with Jill Bernard to practice the skills that are universal to most solo pieces - character snapping, stage pictures, and aggressive choices - and also tease out what will make your solo piece unique. This class includes a performance by the students during the SUN 9/28 6PM Show. WORKSHOP 2: CONNECTING THROUGH VIEWPOINT ELEMENTS INSTRUCTOR: Dave Razowsky While teaching for Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre's school, Second City veteran David Razowsky was exposed to--and immediately taken with--the power of Anne Bogart and Tina Landau's Viewpoints training, and he immediately saw the power Viewpoints plays in improv theatre. Razowsky's master class will focus on how by using elements of Viewpoints actors can instantaneously connect to their playing environment, to their partners and, most importantly and most strongly, to themselves. Be prepared to see your craft in a new light, be prepared to see with new eyes, and be prepared to be rejuvenated.

Jill Bernard has been performing with ComedySportz-Twin Cities since 1993. Her solo improv, Drum Machine, has been featured at the Chicago Improv Festival, the Toronto Improv Jamboree, and the Philadelphia Improv Festival, among others. She has taught improv in over twenty states and two Canadian provinces, and on an episode of MTV "Made." She is the recipient of the 2005 Chicago Improv Festival Avery Schreiber Ambassador of Improv Award.



Mandy Butler is co-Founder, Artistic Director, and Youth Program Director of FuseBox Theatre. She also performs as a member of the FBX Ensemble. She holds a BA in Theatre Performance from Georgia College & State University and has studied Meisner with instructors from Atlanta, Nashville, New York, Great Britain, and Yugoslavia. Mandy has studied and performed improv at Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, Atlanta’s Whole World Theatre, and Improv Nashville.



Jen Caldwell is currently a member of the JaCKPie touring team Einstein meets Elvis and House Team Amerika and coaches JaCKPie's newest Harold team: Free Kittens. Previous Atlanta Improv and sketch credits include the Comedy Response Unit, Gorgeous Ladies of Comedy, and numerous shows with Dad's Garage. She has trained with the Comedy Response Unit, Improv Olympic, UCB, JaCKPie and now teaches Improv throughout the Southeast. Jen was recently appointed to the Executive Committee of the Southeastern Comedy Arts Alliance that will hold it's second annual Southeastern Comedy Arts Festival in September. Atlanta Theatre credits include Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical, The Computer Wore Flat-Soled Pumas, Kobe Bryant: The Totally Unauthorized Autobiography, Bad Habits: Rock, Paper, Scissors, Private Lives, Bedroom Farce and thousands of other shows. She can also be seen in Films and on TV, most recently on Tyler Perry's House of Payne as Kim Chin. She is the front (! wo) man, writer and guitar/bass player for the band Anna NicoleMiner's Daughter . She is now a rapper. That's right, a rapper. Check out her myspace for more on that. Jen holds a BFA degree in Theatre (with an emphasis in Television, Radio and Film) from Valdosta State University. In a former life, she was a Sports reporter and Radio DJ and subsists on a steady diet of coffee and comedy.



Matthew Falkenberg is the founder and executive producer of the Black Box Improv Festival. He started doing improv in 2001 and has worked with many improv groups in and out of the Atlanta area, including serving as Production Manager of Let's Try This! and Business Director of the Basement Theatre. He taught the Newbie Workshops for incoming freshman at GA Tech in the Fall of 2005 and 2006 and lead the Crawl Space workshops at the Basement Theatre in the Spring of 2007. He is a veteran of the Dirty South Improv Festival, Out of Bounds Improv Festival, and Miami Improv Festival. Matthew is currently involved with JaCKPie Theatre Workshop and Dad's Garage Theatre Company.



Kit was a member of Georgia Tech's improv team, Let's Try This! for 2 years before moving back to North Carolina and joining DSI Comedy Theater, where he currently works, performs and teaches classes. He is a member of the high-flying two-man group Banana Breakup, Harold team Proletariat Princess and is a member of the ComedySportz Carrboro ensemble.



Tommy Futch is the President of Laughing Matters, an interactive entertainment company. In addition to improvisational comedy, Laughing Matters’ repertoire includes team-building, murder mysteries, game shows, scavenger hunts and school performances. Tommy's life changed dramatically in 1971 when he was injured in a car collision near Adel, Georgia. Futch was paralyzed from the waist down. Everything he knew about life was altered or no longer applied. For the next 10 years, he dabbled in school, work and self-fulfillment. In 1985, Futch took a comedy course and discovered his passion—improv comedy. He and a dozen partners soon formed Laughing Matters, an improv comedy troupe. As years passed and partners moved on, Futch became President and expanded the company’s mission. Tommy has worked alongside and coached Mitch Rouse, a Laughing Matters member from 1987 to 1991, who helped write the comedy film Without a Paddle, Joe Kelly, who begins his first full season as a writer for Saturday Night Live. And Gary Anthony Williams who is part of the cast of Jeff Foxworthy's surprise summer hit Blue Collar TV. Laughing Matters owner and executive producer Tommy Futch says he feels like a proud papa: "I can't make you famous, but you can use me as a steppingstone." For Kelly, who worked with Laughing Matters from 1993 to 1998, the troupe taught him "clean" humor. "I learned to be funny, as opposed to shocking," he said. Kelly worked on three episodes at the end of last year's SNL and got three of his skits in: a tattoo removal commercial parody, a hilarious Harry Potter takeoff where Lindsay Lohan played a suddenly buxom Hermione and a rap scene with Snoop Dogg. On any given day, you can find Tommy selling, performing and producing at corporate events throughout the South.



Jim Karwisch (pronounced Carwish) is the Founder and Artistic Director of the JaCKPie Theatre Workshop which is Atlanta's only long-form training program. Jim is currently a member of improv teams Guttersmack, Canvas All Stars, Ninja and JaCK (duo puppet improv), his one man show Mix Tape and is the coach for Babies mit Bearden and Einstein meets Elvis. Jim also enjoys writing, reading, playing guitar, photography, drawing and graphic design.



Stephen Kearin was a founding member of both Improv Theatre and True Fiction Magazine and performed with BATS Improv for 14 years. Stephen is currently a member of Impro Theatre in Los Angeles and a founding member of 3ForAll. He has appeared in numerous stage productions, including the stilt-walking Iago in San Francisco Opera's Otello, as Sally-Sue Weber in A Weber Family Christmas and originated the role of Blaine Bustier in An Evening With Dirk & Blaine. Stephen is the co-creator of "Simlish" and is the principal male voice of The Sims. He is currently featured in the Dreamworks Animation films Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar2 and Monsters Vs. Aliens. Stephen is a visiting instructor at Stanford University and Cirque Du Soleil.



Robert Lowe is the author of Improvisation, Inc.: Harnessing Spontaneity to Engage People and Groups, (Jossey-Bass Pfeiffer, 2000). This book is the pioneering work in the use of Improvisational Theatre techniques for organizational development and business and professional communication. Robert is known as the Grandfather (sometimes the Godfather) of Improvisational Comedy in Atlanta having founded "The Lightside City Players" in 1983, "Comedy Atlanta" in 1985, and "The Next City Comedy Theatre" in 1988. In 1989 Robert had a significant influence in the founding of Georgia Tech's "Let's Try This" Improv Comedy movement. For nearly 20 years he has brought Improv technique, fun, and exploration to business and organizations of every size and form. His work is known in more than 20 countries, and it has been noted that either Robert, or his students, and now students of his students, have had an influence on almost every venue of Improv comedy in the Atlanta region. Mr. Lowe's public Improv Comedy Workshops have provided the inspiration and the formula for programs that have placed hundreds of non-performers on live Improv stages throughout the region.



Amber Nash has been improvising in Atlanta for over 10 years. She is seen on stage with The Doug Dank Project, Couch Party, Laughing Matters and Dad's Garage. She has traveled all over the U.S. and Canada learning and performing and is glad to be back at BBIF this year.



Alyssa Mander is an alumni of Clemson University's Mock Turtle Soup, a current performer with Red Letters and a performer with the DSi Comedy Theater in Chapel Hill. She's trained under Tj Jagodowski, Anthony LeBlanc, Jeff Griggs, Asaf Ronen, Zach Ward, Anthony King, Mark Sutton, Joe Bill and many others. This summer she was hired by the DSi Theater to teach improv and perform with ComedySportz. She loves improv and she loves meeting new improvisers.



Tim Orr has improvised since 1988, primarily with BATS Improv, Improv Theatre, and as a guest for True Fiction Magazine. He has appeared in numerous plays in the Bay Area, and received critical acclaim for his role as Dick Goodman in Brien Burroughs’ 1999 improvised film, Suckerfish. He stars in the new Brien Burroughs improvised film, Security. Tim originated the role of Dirk Manly in An Evening with Dirk & Blaine. He has taught improvisation at BATS Improv and at American Conservatory Theatre and elsewhere. He coaches the championship wheelchair sports team, the Bay Cruisers.



David Razowsky former Artistic Director of The Second City Training Center Los Angeles, was a cast member of the Second City revues where he created material with Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, and Jeff Garlin, among countless other performers. David has directed Second City Mainstage’s No, Seriously, We’re All Gonna Die, Second City LA’s, Encino Evil, The Second City Untitled Project, The Second City Detroit's acclaimed 19th Nervous Breakdown, and The Second City National Touring Company. David is a freelance consultant for Dreamworks PDI, an adjunct faculty member for California State University, has worked with Steppenwolf Theatre for the California State Summer Arts Festival, and has directed two of Amsterdam’s Boom Chicago theatre’s productions-- RockStars, and their critically acclaimed Live at the Leidseplein - Your Privacy is Our Business. He is a co-founder of Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, and was the voice of Albert Brooks’ parrot on the David Letterman Show, as well as the voice of Dixon, the world’s coolest adult on ABC’s The Weekenders.



Kevin Reome started classes in '93 at Second City and IO (Del Close and UCB). Founding member of Inside Vladimir. Taught improv at Univ. of Mich. Currently play with the Barstool Philosophers and have been teaching at Second City for past 3 years.



John is co-Founder, Executive Director, and Director of Education for FuseBox Theatre. He currently directs the FuseBox Ensemble. John has trained at Chicago's Annoyance Theater and Second City, and with members of the Upright Citizen's Brigade, iO, and Dad's Garage. John is also a co-founder of Improv Nashville, where he served as Director of Development, instructor, and performer in the Mainstage cast before leaving to form FuseBox Theatre.



Name: Curtis Smythe
Weight: 175
Height: 6'1
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Previous Improv Experience: Koalaty Productions, The Social Complex, Dads Garage, Let's Try This, The Basement Theatre, Relapse Theatre, In Harms Way.
Favorite Comedian: George W. Bush
Religion: Whatever One Gets Me To Heaven Quicker Without Spending Money
Political Affiliation: That Chick From Alaska Is Hot!
Hobbies: Helping Old Ladies Across The Street, Rescuing Kittens From Trees, Donating My Free Time At The Free Clinic, Curing Cancer
Favorite T.V. Show: Saturday Night Live
Favorite Movie: Fast Times At Ridgemont High
Favorite Music: Anything That I Can Shake My Butt To
Pet Peeves: Rudeness, Littering, Mass Murderers
Favorite Quote: ...Who's That Guy Over There On The Grassy Noll... By John F. Kennedy
Words To Live By: The Sun Has To Shine On Every Dogs Ass Once In A While




Matt Stanton is a co-founder and former Artistic Director of Dad's Garage in Atlanta. He has performed and studied at festivals all across North America, including Improvaganza in Edmonton, Tournament of Wonders in Toronto, Big Stinkin' Improv Fest in Austin, Fool Fest in Orlando. Matt took a couple workshops from Keith Johnstone, and a real dinger from Armando Diaz. His workshop's focus is on the playground around the corner from Keith and the hoop in Armando's driveway.



Greg Tavares is a co-founder of The Have Nots! improv company, Theatre 99, Piccolo Fringe & The Charleston Comedy Festival. He has created the training program at Theatre 99 and taught thousands of people in hundreds of classes. Greg lives in Charleston, SC where he performs improv with The Have Nots!, Moral Fixation and many other groups.



Jonathan began with LTT! here at Georgia Tech. He was elected leader of the group for his senior year. This year saw the first ever Black Box Improv Festival. He moved on to serve as improv director of The Basement Theatre in Atlanta until making the move to Chicago. In Chicago he studied for one year at the Second City Conservatory. He co-produced a show in Donny's Skybox at The Second City, and he's a founding member of Comedy Accident. He has trained under Norm Holly, Michael Gellman, Anne Libera, Tim O'Malley, Joe Bill, Zach Ward, and many, many others.