SUMMIT, NJ — Vivid Stage, formerly Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Ave. in Summit, is offering summer improv master classes for adults and teens age 17 and older. The classes, taught by improviser and director Dave Maulbeck, will be on Sundays in July from 10 a.m. to 3p.m., starting July 10 and ending July 31. All students will be asked to show proof of vaccination upon registration.
These classes are a chance for improvisers to immerse themselves in a deeper understanding of the skills that make an improviser great. The classes can be taken individually or as a series at a discount.
On Sunday, July 10, the focus is on how to create more complex and varied relationships between characters in an improv game. Sunday, July 17, delves into character and point of view, and how to create stories based on specificity. On Sunday, July 24, it’s a long-form crash course, breaking down how to sustain the thread of a theme using multiple characters, callbacks and resolution. And on Sunday, July 31, students will learn how to build an improv show of their own, using a variety of games to showcase performers and satisfy the audience.
These classes are for intermediate and advanced improvisers, professional actors and performers age 17 and older. Students must have taken at least one Improv for Teens and Adults session at Vivid Stage, or the equivalent. Each session will have a one-hour lunch break.
Maulbeck is a member of the Screen Actors Guild. He has appeared in commercials, television shows and feature films, and has trained and taught improv at the Magnet Theater, the Groundlings and elsewhere. He also works in animation, sound and film. He is the founder and director of the Flip Side, the house improv team for Vivid Stage.
Registration and class information can be found at vividstage.org/2021-2022-improv-classes. The theater at Oakes Center is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 908-514-9654.
Photo Courtesy of Laura Ekstrand