Philosophy

I am a relationship teacher. Everything in narrative emerges from our relationships onstage—our connection to each other, to the space, to the audience, and to ourselves. I view narrative improvisation as a set of processes: skills you can reliably bring into the immediacy of the moment. Content without relationship is just data; when we engage it with point of view and emotion, it becomes narrative.

“The improviser has to understand that their first skill lies in releasing their partner’s imagination.” — Keith Johnstone
“The preferred, most efficient, highest-order form of energy transfer…is for a beat to cause the next beat, especially if that next beat is felt as essential… A story is a frank, intimate conversation between equals.” — George Saunders

Workshop Requirements

All of my classes are adaptable to the experience of the students.

Workshop Descriptions

Improvisation for the Actor

Today’s acting landscape demands improvisation skills. From commercial auditions to on-camera readings, narrative improvisation expands your adaptability and helps you bring more clarity, presence, and bookability to the work.

Acting for the Improviser

Improvisers without acting training often limit their emotional and character range. This class introduces essential acting fundamentals—supporting character creation, emotional specificity, and dynamic storytelling.

The Long and the Short of Improv

Whether in short form or long form, story is your strongest asset. We’ll explore how to move a narrative forward with precision while still allowing space for discovery. We’ll clarify the difference between jokes and gags, and how to be funny without undercutting the story. Make the story work and the funny will follow.

Details

An exploration of how detailed stories emerge in real time. Using narrative tools from A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, we’ll break down story physics—engagement, causality, and structural flow—and apply them directly to improv. We’ll work from a broad literary canon to understand how narrative principles translate to unscripted work.

Beats

A workshop on moving a story forward with clarity, efficiency, and intention—whether dramatic or comedic. We’ll explore how to recognize what the narrative needs, how to provide it, and how to honor each moment without rushing or stalling.

Being Present

Listening is an active choice, not a passive position onstage. This class explores how to give genuine attention to your partner, let go of planning, and respond truthfully in the moment.

Causality

How do we create specific, detailed stories on our feet? Using George Saunders’ A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, we’ll examine his analysis of Chekhov and other Russian masters and apply those principles to unscripted performance.
Prerequisite: Reading A Swim in the Pond in the Rain.

Foundation

A strong start is the key to a sustainable scene. We’ll focus on simple, practical ways to build a platform that supports your partner, grounds the audience, and gives everyone permission to relax and play.

Trust and Silence

Silences are story. They reveal emotion, intention, and meaning—often more effectively than dialogue. This workshop explores how to trust your impulses, your partner, and the emotional life of the scene, even in highly comedic work.

Grace and Grounding

How do you show up? Not just in the scene but in the moments and hours before you improvise? We will work on eliminating anxiety and finding focus. From the beginning finding ways to relax your ensemble, orient the audience, and launch a compelling story. We’ll look at practical ways to start scenes with ease, clarity, and confidence, as well as techniques for “righting the ship” when a scene begins in uncertainty.

The Space Between: Acting in the Moment

The space between lines often reveals more than the lines themselves. When improvisers rush through silence to chase jokes or easy moves, the story suffers. This workshop focuses on trusting the moment, investing in the emotional life of the scene, and allowing the audience time to absorb and engage with what they’re seeing.

Alacrity: How to Say Less and Convey More

A class on precision, clarity, and efficient storytelling. Learn how to make bold, meaningful choices with fewer words, allowing character, relationship, and narrative to emerge through presence rather than explanation.

Dynamic Characters and Thrilling Relationships

How do vivid characters appear spontaneously? How do they connect and generate compelling stories? This class explores how to make specific, relevant choices, stay present, build authentic relationships, and discover a story rather than invent one.