Dystopia - Improvise your own brave new world

A course for advanced improvisers

Teacher: Lester Isaac Simon

Dates: September 10th, 17th, 24th with a show on September 30th

Time: 19:00-22:00

Place: Mike’s Badhuistheater

Level: Advanced (tricky to quantify, ask Isaac about it)

Cost: €135

Description: 

Are you an improviser and also a fan of nightmare futures like Brave New World, 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, Mad Max: Fury Road, and Black Mirror? Ever wanted to make up your own and find the funny amidst prospective doom and gloom? 

In this advanced improv comedy/theater class, trained literary catastrophist Isaac teaches you how to improvise your very own apocalyptic farce, holding a goofy mirror up to our most fundamental fears, desires, and stories.

Over three weeks, we’ll cover stuff like:

• The elements of utopian and dystopian narratives
• Improvised science fiction worldbuilding 
• Grounded scenework in darkly fantastical environments
• Nuanced character archetypes like reluctant antiheroes and emotionally resonant villains
• Deeper emotional work (especially covering fear and hope)
• Finding joy and love in the darkness

This course is designed to make you a more committed player in all the improv you do, giving you more adaptability and technical prowess in the silliest or most dramatic moments. It’s also a chance to nerd out about a genre that’s devilishly tricky to improvise, but unbelievably rewarding as an improvised artistic experiment. 

No literary or genre improv experience required, though long-form improv experience is quite useful.