Pure Play and Heat in Theatresports - A Workshop with PGraph

Please note: To help us bring brilliant guest teachers to Brighton, we're unable to offer concession or scholarship places on guest workshops. If a concession code is used when booking, we'll simply get in touch to arrange payment of the remaining balance before your place is confirmed.

Pure Play and Heat in Theatresports - A Workshop with PGraph

Even though Keith Johnstone's Theatresports is played around the world, that doesn't mean there is only one way to perform it. On the surface, Theatresports seems to have many rules and regulations, but the true spirit of the form lies in breaking those rules and playing with the conventions for maximum audience and improviser enjoyment.

Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges. Developed by drama director Keith Johnstone in Calgary, Alberta in 1977, the concept of Theatresports originated in Johnstone's observations of techniques used in professional wrestling to generate “heat”, or audience reaction. Yes, this work brings audiences in and pulls dynamic performances out of improvisers. Everyone wins! And we’ll show you how to make this popular format accessible, vibrant, and playful.

About The Instructors

Parallelogramophonograph (Kareem Badr, Kaci Beeler, Roy Janik, and Valerie Ward) has been performing together for over 20 years and 1500 shows (and counting!). Fiercely dedicated to the craft and art of improvised theatre, PGraph has held a weekly show in Austin since 2006. Intrigued by the challenge of telling fantastic, fully-improvised stories together as an ensemble, PGraph spent years developing original formats and studying scripted theatre, improv, and storytelling. They've toured the country and the world performing and teaching their unique brand of improv with ensemble appearances in over 65 cities in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, and the UK.

Renowned for their theatricality, playfulness, and hive-mind-like ensemble, their goal with every show is to push both themselves and the art of improvisation to new and dizzying heights while taking the audience along for a joyous ride.

PGraph regularly performs at The Hideout Theatre in Austin, Texas. Their book on narrative improv, "Do It Now", is for sale on their website (http://www.pgraph.com) as well as digitally on Amazon.

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Website: http://www.pgraph.com

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