Important News:The Oberlin College Improv Conference is now offering a new package. For the low, low price of $10, you can attend all of our Friday events, including a student/faculty taught workshop, the professional stylings of Trainwreck and Bassprov, and the OCIC Party. If you're a little commitment-shy, this is the deal for you. Welcome to the official site of the The 4th Annual Oberlin College Improv Conference, also known as OCIC. This year's conference takes place on Friday, April 23 - Sunday, April 25, in Oberlin, Ohio. We think that after reading about what we have to offer, that you will want to join us for our 4th annual festival. We are really excited about this year's program, and we think it will be the best ever! Featuring performances and workshops with:Click here to reserve your tickets now!What is OCIC?The Oberlin College Improv Conference (OCIC) is an annual event that offers a supportive and safe environment where aspiring young artists are encouraged to explore the art of improvisational theater, dance, and music alongside professional improvisers from across the nation. This year promises to be particularly spectacular, with a host of professional improvisers from Chicago, New York and Orlando coming to perform and teach an assortment of workshops. We are expecting many of the college troupes that attended in the past to return, as well as a group of local high school students. Other important participants will include the three most prominent improv theater groups on campus (Primitive Streak, Sunshine Scouts, and Holy Virgin High), various improv dance and musical groups, Oberlin alumni, and individuals from the Northeast Ohio region. The conference events consist of one professional improv show, a myriad of workshops taught by professionals, students and faculty, an all-night improv show featuring local and visiting student troupes, panel discussions, and a special reunion of the Sunshine Scouts. Objectives:This conference encourages enthusiastic improvisers to work with professionals and other students to create a dynamic learning atmosphere, thus opening what can often be an isolated group to the community at large. In addition, it gives people who are not involved in improv an opportunity to contribute their unique ideas and experiences. This conference is crucial for the enhancement of the growing Oberlin improv scene. OCIC provides two full nights of performances for the entire Oberlin College community, as well as informational discussion panels and the opportunity to interact with professionals from the national improv community. We believe that colleges and universities are important centers for the advancement of the arts. This unique conference allows improvisers from all over the country to meet and share knowledge. The impact of this conference on the national improv community far surpasses the local boundaries of small town Oberlin. Workshops:The following Student and Faculty taught workshops are offered on Friday, April 23, 5:30pm to 7:30 pm. Intro to Improv - Danya Abt and Anne JohnsonHave you ever wanted to try improv, but felt too intimidated, nervous, or inexperienced to do it? Well then this workshop is made entirely for you. We will go through the improv basics and introduce the main concepts, terms, and skills needed to put together a scene, play some games, and think on your feet. No experience necessary, just an interest in the art form and a desire to learn. All ages accepted. Clowning Theatrics - Avery MonsenLearn how to create character in the physical world of the clown. We will explore heightened emotional states, timing, accidents, and clown interaction through wordless improvisation. Clowning as a theatrical style is a excellent tool to have and can breathe new life into your improv. All levels of experience with clowning or improv are welcome. Improvisation and Puppetry Workshop - Pete KoschnickThe Improvisation and Puppetry workshop is geared toward the rapid aquisition of character signals and the ability to transfer them to non-actor (inanimate) objects in such a way as to lend distinctive life to those objects. The workshop will be divided into three parts.
Improvising the Musical - Kevin McHugh and Jonah MitropoulosWith just a little bit of sass, a tinkle on the old ivories, and the grace of over 80 years of musical repertoire, we shall explore the ridiculous archetypes that make up what is often times accredited the most horrifying of performing arts. Stress out about your way-too ethnic parents or the girl you met at the ice cream stand who clearly you are making into something she isn't; then bring it home on a money-note. Accompanist included. Improvisational Dance - Bacilio Mendez and Nic TrovatoDance improvisation can be especially useful to people who normally just do theatrical improv, because it can help you to get out of your mind and into your body. Think about it: how often are you aware of your physical BODY in space when you are engaged in improvising- what most would consider a strictly intellectual task? Becoming more aware of how to use your body in the moment can only help your ability to use your mind and words in the moment. The following Professional workshops are offered on Saturday, April 24. Available time slots: 11am to 1pm, 2pm to 4pm, 4pm to 6pm. Physical Comedy - Stephen Chipps and Dan GriffithsThis physical comedy workshop will help students develop precision and clarity of movement in support of comic performance styles. Students will explore how to structure 'bits' and build to and deliver a physical punch line. Improvising with both sides of the brain - Dan Bakkedahl and Ed FurmanDon't say "No". Don't ask questions. Match your partner's energy. But stay loose and don't get in your head! How is an improviser supposed to have fun and be spontaneous if they have to remember all those rules? This unique two-instructor class taught by Dan Bakkedahl (Second City Mainstage, Improv Olympic) and Ed Furman (Second City Mainstage, Annoyance) approaches improv as both a craft and an art. Learn to balance structure and freedom for a fun and entertaining improv experience. Level: Intermediate to Advanced. Directing Improv - Asaf RonenHow do you get your artistic vision across while allowing the performers to freely create? Directing Improv will focus on how to get the most out of a cast whether in a class or a rehearsal. Techniques will be learned in regards to creating lesson plans, orchestrating rehearsals, giving notes and how to help other improvisers reach their maximum potential. Directors will learn to create a vocabulary with their group so that they may also get directed. Those who don't direct will learn how to get the most out of their directors and how to better guide their own growth. There will be hands-on work as well as a Q&A to address personal concerns of the attendees. Get to the Point - Mark SuttonHave you ever found yourself stuck in the middle of a scene? Have you ever made a great choice and then lost it? Have you ever lost touch with your character? Well...NO MORE! This class will help you increase your concentration, keep you focused on what you want in the scene and find levels in your character. You'll better recognize the "gifts and games" you give yourself and be more in the moment than ever before. Movie Analysis for Improv Templates - Jeff WirthThis workshop invites advanced improvisors to watch scenes from their favorite movies and then challenges them to discover the underlying structures that make the scene work. Players are taught how to distill favorite scenes and dialogue into structural templates and then put the templates to work in applied improvised scene work. Movie-form templates restock the improvisor's toolbox and teach the improvisor how to tap an under-utilized source of inspiration for improvised scene work. Power Scene and Longform - Joe BillThe focus of this workshop will be on playing characters and scenes with power from the moment they begin, eliminating hesitation and self-judgement in order to bring vital characters to the scene, playing scenes that serve the moment, and the longform or montage as well - using editing techniques that keep you on your toes and the audience on the edges of their seats. All of these will provide the focus for this workshop. Individual feedback featured throughout. Experience Level: Intermediate to Advanced. OCIC 2004 - Schedule of Events:Friday April 23rdSaturday April 24thSunday April 25thTicket Info:Each Friday only package includes:Each all-access conference package includes:The weekend also includes:Ticket costs:$55 All-access conference weekend package$10 Friday only package special Click here to reserve your tickets now!Professionals' Bios:Asaf Ronen is the Artistic Director of The Scene and has been involved in improv for 12 years, starting in college and eventually working with NY Theatersports, NY ComedySportz and directing his own longform improv troupe, Hiatus, where he helped create original longform formats. Currently he is directing the all-girl goga, performing with and directing Imp. as well as producing The Mock and The Sickest F***ing Stories I Ever Heard. This summer he directed a dramatic longform improv piece, Death in the City, at the Fringe Festival. Asaf has taught throughout NYC's public schools through LEAP and New Horizons and as part of Weist-Barron's ACTeen program as well as having made appearances nationally teaching improvisation at festivals and to regional theaters and troupes, helping them to hone their skills. Last year, he worked with Cirque du Soleil as a talent scout. In addition, he is Editor-in-Chief of YesAnd.com, Executive Producer of the NY Improv Festival, and is currently writing a book on directing improv.Mark Sutton is a founding member of The Annoyance Theater and has been performing, teaching, writing, and directing comedy in Chicago for the past 15 years. Mark has appeared in several independent films including Fatty Drives the Bus, Waiting For The Man, Watch, and a starring role in the upcoming comedy Penniless: One Man's Crusade. He has appeared in over 65 shows at The Annoyance Theater including "Co-Ed Prison Sluts", "Manson: The Musical", and "The Real Live Brady Bunch". Mark is a member of the faculty at both The Annoyance and The Second City. He is a former director of The Second City National Touring Company, and directed the Canadian premiere of "Co-Ed Prison Sluts" for Second City Toronto. Joe Bill is a founding member of The Annoyance Theater and a 25 years veteran of improvisation. Joe has appeared in the independent films Fatty Drives the Bus, Watch, and the short film Conspiracy Theory. In his 15 years at The Annoyance, Joe has performed in over 55 shows including "Co-Ed Prison Sluts", "Hot Monkey Pi", and "The Real Live Brady Bunch". Joe has also directed dozens of acclaimed improvisational shows at The Annoyance, Improv Olympic, and The Playground. Among those are "Georgia Pacific", "It's Not Me, It's Me", and the late-night Annoyance smash "Screw Puppies". He is a member of the faculty at both The Annoyance training center and The Second City, and has taught and performed improvisation and comedy across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Jeff Wirth, author of Interactive Acting, and founder/editor of the Interactive Improv Theatre News, is a nationally recognized spokesperson for improvisation and audience-participatory theatre. His twenty-five years in theatre include performing as actor, director, professional ballroom dancer, and Ringling Brothers circus clown; for seven years he toured his one-man, improvised, audience-participatory show, "With Wirth." He is one of a small fraternity of playwrights creating plot-driven audience-participatory plays. When he is not consulting or teaching improvisation, Jeff continues to write his original, full-length part-scripted and part-improvised plays in which the audience actively co-creates each performance. In addition to conducting workshops and production residencies at colleges and universities throughout the United States, Jeff has instructed for Walt Disney Entertainment, Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Clown College, Big Apple Circus, and has worked as Director of Interactive Performance for the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. He has served as Artistic Director for three production companies and has brought his playful approach to academia, currently serving on the faculty of the University of Central Florida, College of Arts and Sciences. This visionary director and charismatic instructor continues to devote his professional life to the development of spontaneous and interactive theatre. Dan Griffiths has been creating original work since 1998 and has performed in more than 45 states and 25 countries including Korea, Japan, Germany, Panama, Saudi Arabia, and islands throughout the Indian Ocean. Dan holds a B.A. in Drama from Saint Mary College in Kansas and has trained at the Goldston & Johnson School for Mimes with the Klown troupe Die Hanswurste and also with Marcel Marceau. At home in Chicago, Dan is the Artistic director of LID Productions and teaches Clown Theatre at the Actors Gymnasium. This summer Dan has been invited to teach Physical Comedy at the School for Mime Theatre in Gambier, Ohio. He recently appeared in a short film entitled, "The Soldier Addresses His Body" and is currently at work on a television pilot with the sketch comedy troupe Paper Monkeys, whose work was recently viewed at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Stephen Eric Chipps has taught as an Artist-in-Residence offering master classes and residencies for theaters, museums, community centers, and schools since 1985. In 1990 he received the OHIO Inc. Staff Achievement Award for his outstanding work with children; he also works with SBH, MRDD and LD special needs populations. Stephen has been a member of the Ohio Arts Council - Arts in Education program since 1992 and was accepted onto their Performing Arts on Tour roster in 1998. Stephen is also an accomplished visual artist. His masks and other visual works often appear in parades, theaters, and schools as part of performances and residencies. He has been an annual resident artist with the Cleveland Museum of Art's - "Parade the Circle" program since 1992. In 1993, he developed a partnership with Dan Griffiths, and has since created plays, sminars, and several touring shows including Kapoot, their latest endeavor. Stephen and Dan have appeared together throughout the US and abroad. Stephen currently resides in Lakewood, Ohio, and writes in his spare time. Dan Bakkedahl is excited to be returning to Oberlin College once again. He performed in a two man show called Zumpf a few years ago and has also visited with The Second City National Tourning Company. Dan is a graduate of Florida State University and has spent the last seven years improvising in Chicago. He is currently performing with The Second City Mainstage in their 90th Revue "Doors Open on the Right". But truly, there is no easier work for Dan than the work he does with Ed Furman in Trainwreck. Ed Furman is a native Chicagoan and a founder of Chicago's infamous Annoyance Theatre. At the Annoyance Ed helped to create almost 40 original productions including "Donkey Improv" and Chicago's longest running musical "Co-ed Prison Sluts." Ed has toured the country with Second City's touring company and was a member of their Mainstage cast for three shows. He appeared regularly on the cult T.V. show "Sports Bar" and his film credits include Troma's "Fatty Drives the Bus" and the soon to be released "Bad Meat." Currently Ed can be seen in the two-man real-time improv show "Trainwreck" with Dan Bakkedahl. He also makes a wicked gumbo. Student and Faculty Bios:Avery Monsen is a sophomore theater major from Berkeley, California. He was a founding member of Splash Circus, and teaches clowning and acrobatics every summer at Camp Winnarainbow and East Bay School of the Arts. Most people don't know that Avery was in the circus, because he is afraid they will judge him. You are judging him right now, aren't you? Admit it. You are. There is nothing sadder than the tears of a clown, I hope you know.Pete Koschnick has worked as a Theatrical Designer and Puppeteer since 1982. He is a founding member of the Cleveland puppet company Puppet Meets Theater, a puppeteer for the children’s video series Natural Bridges and performs his own Punch and Judy shows as Professor Peter Puppen. In addition, working with museums and schools throughout North East Ohio, Mr. Koschnick teaches numerous workshops in puppet history, construction, and manipulation. This is Mr. Koschnick’s fourth year as a Guest Instructor with Oberlin College, teaching the class An Introduction to Puppetry Through Construction and Characterization. Anne Johnson is a senior theater major from Madison, WI. She started improvising at the age of fifteen in the professional short-form troupe Rorshach Test. She is also a founding member of FreeLoveForum, an improvised sketch troupe, that made weekly episodes for Madison's public access station, WYOU from 1996-2000. After coming to Oberlin, Anne joined The Sunshine Scouts which she has been a member of for the past three years and is now currently directing. Nic Trovato is a crazy dancer from Hurricane, WV. Like the raging winds of the hurricane, she has blown strongly through many dance opportunities: including studies with Nicholas Leichter, Holly Handman, Vincent Mantsoe, Gabriel Masson, and all of her amazing teachers at Oberlin. She has studied dance improvisation with Elesa Rosasco and Patrik Widrig. Both classes changed her life. Nic has been a member of the Oberlin Dance Company for the past three semesters and looks forward to pursuing her goals in the big, bad world when she graduates in May. Bacilio Mendez II has over 200 friends on friendster. And he dances. If you have any questions, or need more info, contact Erin Shiba. |