Amalgam’s Level 1 Course serves to familiarize improvisers with being on stage, working as a team, and covering the basics of improv like physicality, emotions, characters, edits, and the montage form in a welcoming, fun environment. This course will focus on longform improv fundamentals, which focuses on improvised scene work instead of games. Longform improv is the style Ben Schwartz and Friends perform while another style, shortform improv, is the style Whose Line Is It Anyway performs.
Amalgam instructors will facilitate introductions, teaching of subjects, administrative/logistical subjects, debriefing, and provide immediate feedback using sidecoaching. Sidecoaching is a technique where the instructor may pause an improv scene to provide suggestions to the improvisers on stage. This can be intimidating, but it is a practice that allows for quick growth. Our sidecoaching will always be actionable and given for specific reasons to enhance a scene. We also will believe learning is experiential, so will focus on providing as many opportunities to practice improv while in class.
This course ends with a culmination experience- a show! Students are highly encouraged to perform in the show to experience performing in front of a live audience. The student show will be on November 5th at Muso and will start at 7:00pm.
Here is the weekly class breakdown of the Level 1 course:
Introductions, course overview, structure scenes.
Stage presence, base reality, montage.
Sweep edits and how to use a suggestion
Physicality basics
Using emotions basics
Creating characters basics
Points of view and group scenes
Course review, practice, and wrap-up.
Unsure? Come see a show to learn the vibes and culture of Amalgam Improv.
Dates, Times, & Locations
Saturdays from 11-1:30pm, September 12 - October 31 at StartingBlock (821 E Washington Ave). The course show is on November 5th at 7pm at Muso. The cost is $215 for 20 hours of instruction and a course show. This course is open to anyone above 18. No improv prerequisites needed. More logistical details about StartingBlock and the course will be sent prior to the start of the first week of the course. This course is capped at 14 students. Before you sign-up, ensure you are committed to our course and workshop agreements, which you can view here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQkfmAReQmnHVtYJJzekrRmd7QWaxPa92S5UOOdH1Ug/edit?usp=sharing
Instructor details
Ben Rush is the founder of Amalgam Improv. He has taken improv courses in Madison and Chicago and started before the madness in 2020. He quickly and continues to be obsessed with improv. Ben has taught improv courses at UW-Madison and improv workshops to university and industry groups since 2022. He is constantly thinking of new ways to practice and teach improv evidenced by new activities in Amalgam jams, coaching, and Level 0 courses. Ben’s philosophy of improv is that there is no right way to do improv. Relationship, game, character, dramatic- whatever style speaks to improvisers differently and can play to their strengths and weaknesses. By learning from each style, Ben offers supportive instruction and feedback unique to each student and situation.
Amalgam’s Level 1 Course serves to familiarize improvisers with being on stage, working as a team, and covering the basics of improv like physicality, emotions, characters, edits, and the montage form in a welcoming, fun environment. This course will focus on longform improv fundamentals, which focuses on improvised scene work instead of games. Longform improv is the style Ben Schwartz and Friends perform while another style, shortform improv, is the style Whose Line Is It Anyway performs.
Amalgam instructors will facilitate introductions, teaching of subjects, administrative/logistical subjects, debriefing, and provide immediate feedback using sidecoaching. Sidecoaching is a technique where the instructor may pause an improv scene to provide suggestions to the improvisers on stage. This can be intimidating, but it is a practice that allows for quick growth. Our sidecoaching will always be actionable and given for specific reasons to enhance a scene. We also will believe learning is experiential, so will focus on providing as many opportunities to practice improv while in class.
This course ends with a culmination experience- a show! Students are highly encouraged to perform in the show to experience performing in front of a live audience. The student show will be on November 5th at Muso and will start at 7:00pm.
Here is the weekly class breakdown of the Level 1 course:
Introductions, course overview, structure scenes.
Stage presence, base reality, montage.
Sweep edits and how to use a suggestion
Physicality basics
Using emotions basics
Creating characters basics
Points of view and group scenes
Course review, practice, and wrap-up.
Unsure? Come see a show to learn the vibes and culture of Amalgam Improv.
Dates, Times, & Locations
Saturdays from 11-1:30pm, September 12 - October 31 at StartingBlock (821 E Washington Ave). The course show is on November 5th at 7pm at Muso. The cost is $215 for 20 hours of instruction and a course show. This course is open to anyone above 18. No improv prerequisites needed. More logistical details about StartingBlock and the course will be sent prior to the start of the first week of the course. This course is capped at 14 students. Before you sign-up, ensure you are committed to our course and workshop agreements, which you can view here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQkfmAReQmnHVtYJJzekrRmd7QWaxPa92S5UOOdH1Ug/edit?usp=sharing
Instructor details
Ben Rush is the founder of Amalgam Improv. He has taken improv courses in Madison and Chicago and started before the madness in 2020. He quickly and continues to be obsessed with improv. Ben has taught improv courses at UW-Madison and improv workshops to university and industry groups since 2022. He is constantly thinking of new ways to practice and teach improv evidenced by new activities in Amalgam jams, coaching, and Level 0 courses. Ben’s philosophy of improv is that there is no right way to do improv. Relationship, game, character, dramatic- whatever style speaks to improvisers differently and can play to their strengths and weaknesses. By learning from each style, Ben offers supportive instruction and feedback unique to each student and situation.
