Beginning Improv Workshop with Otis James Gates
 

This beginning level improv workshop teaches the groundwork for becoming a great improviser.  Improv boosts creativity, confidence, flexibility and spontaneity. It promotes teamwork, helps with communication and active listening. Improv helps you to get out of your head and trust your instincts.  Not only does this help with your acting and auditions, but it is also a great tool for business, other art mediums, and even as a way to better communicate with others in any aspect of your life. Improv is also very commonly used in commercial auditions and is one of the primary classes that agents and casting directors look for on an actor’s resume.  This workshop will use the same “Yes, And” rule as our other improv classes with an emphasis on movement, space work, and improv games.

Beginning students will learn the basics of Stage Performance and Presentation Theater, including stage directions, how to perform for a live audience, and how to react and interact with audiences. Beginning students will also gain new tools for creating and developing characters. 

​

This workshop is open to brave, adventurous actors (and non-actors!) who want to break free of their comfort zone, which is where the real amazing work begins.  And the best part is that you’ll have a blast doing it in the most safe and supportive environment.  No experience is necessary. *Upon completion of this workshop, students are eligible to continue in the Intermediate/Advanced Improv Workshop.

 

This workshop will cover:

​

• “Yes, And” theory and function

• The other suggestions (not rules) for beginning and improv actors

• Movement, space work (pantomime) and stage directions in improv

• Practicing the art of reaction

• Theater and Improv games

• How to work in teams forming a singular idea without forethought, but instead using trust, action and non-verbal communication

• Accepting created circumstances and problems and solving them as a group

• The art and hilarity of being “obvious” - making choices because we feel them in the moment versus planning in advance or reacting in a way that we think we are “supposed” to react

​

Our Beginning Improv workshop will meet on TUESDAY, JUNE 10TH FROM 6:30PM TO 9:30PM AND SATURDAY, JUNE 14TH FROM 10:30AM TO 1:30PM.

 

Tuition for our Beginning Improv Workshop is $200. We do not require an interview for acceptance into our beginning improv classes.

 

 

​​​
​​

Intermediate/Advanced Improv Workshop with Otis James Gates

​

This intermediate/advanced level improv workshop progresses students into more advanced improv and character development. Students will learn and practice more advanced theater games and deepen their practice of the six fundamentals of improv theater, while focusing on "gifts" - tools improvisers use to give scene partners something fun to play. This workshop will have a strong focus on reacting to scene partners and new information, while also adding new information to scenes and increasing the stakes. Students will also learn and practice more advanced character development.

​

This workshop is open to anyone who has previously taken an Improv Class at Empowerhouse with Otis or has formal improv training from any school/studio. Students who complete the Beginning Improv Workshop may immediately move into the Intermediate/Advanced Improv Workshop. Advanced students are welcome! Otis will customize this workshop for each participant, depending on their experience and skill level.  

 

This workshop will cover:

​

• “Yes, And” theory and function

• The other suggestions (not rules) for beginning and improv actors and how/when to break them

• Applying improv tools and "Yes, And" theory in show preparations and life

• Advanced theater and Improv games

• How to progress a scene along (moving closer to long form improv)

• Character development - creating mannerisms, speech and behavior for the purpose of playing multiple characters in long form improv

• Introductory long form improv and beat improv

• CROW or W work - Concentration of Character, Relationship, Objectives/Obstacles and Where or the Who, What, Where, with Whom, with What, Wow Work!

​

Our Intermediate/Advanced Improv workshop will meet on TUESDAY, JUNE 17TH FROM 6:30PM TO 9:30PM AND SATURDAY, JUNE 21st FROM 10:30AM TO 1:30PM.

 

Tuition for our Intermediate/Advanced Improv Workshop is $200.

​​

​

​

​

​

​

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

 

Otis James Gates is an entertainer. He started in Melodrama and Vaudeville in his teens in Campbell, CA (although his mother would say he started melodrama well before that). He performed with Festival Theater Ensemble, traveling to far off places like Humboldt, CA and Sunnyvale, CA, to perform in Shakespearean and contemporary outdoor theater. When he was in his 20’s Otis traveled to Oregon to join the Upside Sketch Comedy troupe and traveled the college and university circuit performing sketch comedy. 

 

Later Otis moved to LA and worked on various TV pilots and shows and also began studying at Groundlings. Otis took a break from acting to pursue a 10 year career at Sony Electronics, where he did some of the best acting and comedy of his life. He was finally let go in 2011 after 10 years, when it was discovered that someone had hired a Comedian with no MBA to work as a National Sales Trainer for an Artificial Intelligence Robotic Animal.

 

After leaving Sony, Otis co-founded the Heart On Comedy Group, a show that lasted for 5 years and had a revolving door of great talent. Otis’ day job at this same time was teaching children K-8 Theater and Theater Tech at Starting Arts, bringing after school theater to kids at a time when schools were cutting funding for performing arts programs.

 

Currently Otis is the adult and youth Improv instructor at Empowerhouse Acting Studio in Berkeley. He is a member of several acting groups, including Grand Artique, a group of artisans that create unique installations at festivals and then create live entertainment and interactive performances throughout the festivals and shows they attend. 

​

​