Improv4Business – Weekend workshop for professionals with world famous NY improv troupe Chicago City Limits
Event on 2016-10-14 17:00:00
Team Building, Creativity, Presentation Skills & More! One weekend – 2 hrs Friday, 3 hrs Saturday, 3 hrs Sunday.
Class Contact Information
Greg Godbout
571 228-5936
greg@arlingtondrafthouse.com
Improv actors create entire shows on-the-spot. There are no scripts or preconceived scenarios, so improvisors must think quickly and decisively while working at the top of their intelligence. They hone their craft with techniques and exercises designed to enhance creativity, story telling, listening skills and building upon ideas.
Chicago City Limits' Improv4Business uses these tried and true improv tools of the trade to help people and companies unlock their creative potential, enhance presentation skills, and work more effectively as a team.
Improv4Business customizes its workshops to address each organization's specific needs. They are highly interactive. And lots of fun! No previous theater or improv experience is required.
Chicago City Limits is NYC's longest running improv comedy show! The group relocated to New York from the Windy City in 1980. Through the years, CCL has delighted audiences and critics alike with its Off Broadway show, and trained thousands of improvisers and actors. Its National Touring Company has performed at universities and regional theaters throughout the world. The group offers dynamic training programs for businesses and organizations.
Class Location:
Drafthouse Comedy Theater in DC
1100 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC
Class Size:
Max 10 Students
Class Schedule:
Friday 5pm to 7pm – Instruction (light finger food and drinks will be provided during the workshop)
Saturday 10am to 1pm – Instruction (social gathering from 1pm to 1:45pm – lunch and drinks served)
Sunday 10am to 1pm – Instruction (social gathering from 1pm to 1:45pm – lunch and drinks served)
Are there any prerequisite skills or experience required?
No previous improv experience is required. While improv theater techniques are used for training, participants do not need to have any prior theatrical experience or aptitude to participate. In fact, it’s an ideal experience for those who are hesitant or uncomfortable presenting to others.
What specific skills are taught?
The class introduces techniques used by professional improvisers to hone their craft. Listening, working intuitively, resisting the urge to “edit” oneself and others, building upon team members’ ideas (”Yes and…”) and out of the box thinking skills are at the core of the training. Customized curricula can place emphasis upon specific goals, such as team building, group dynamics, creativity, presentation skills and more.
Who should take the class?
The class is ideal for anyone in business who interacts with people. Whether it’s presenting to a group, working with a team, cold calling, sales visits, or ideation sessions, the class can enhance the skills of the individual and the productivity of the group. Classes are particularly popular with people in marketing, sales, law, advertising and finance.
Am I going to be put on the spot?
We understand. Nobody likes to be put on the spot. Classes are taught in a very positive and supportive atmosphere. We will help you expand your skill sets, but you will never be asked to do anything you are uncomfortable doing.
Who teaches the class?
Classes are taught by CCL’s highly experienced team of facilitators. Each instructor is a professional improviser who regularly applies his or her craft in NYC’s longest running comedy revue. Program Coordinator is Paul Zuckerman, PhD, Executive Producer of CCL, who has over 25 years of experience working with Fortune 500 companies as a trainer, consultant and focus group moderator.
Instructors
Paul Zuckerman, PhD combines his unique experiences as actor and director of Chicago City Limits with his extensive experience as a focus group moderator, business consultant and facilitator of team building and ideation sessions.
Linda Gelman is a founding member of Chicago City Limits. As Training Director for the company, she has extensive experience developing curricula for companies and organizations, and also teaches improv at SUNY Purchase.
Joe De Gise II is an award winning main stage performer with Chicago City Limits. He has taught improv for over 20 years, has hosted and performed at numerous corporate events, and led training sessions for hundreds of companies.
Malachi Nimmons has performed stand up comedy across the country, and regularly facilitates business training meetings and team building events. He is a main stage performer with CCL and teaches improv for the company.
Improv for Business News
- Why Top Companies And MBA Programs Are Teaching Improv (Fast Company)
- When The Art Of The Deal Includes Improv Training (NPR)
- Why Improv Training Is Great Business Training (Forbes)
- Getting to “Yes, And” (Slate)
- Why using improvisation to teach business skills is no joke (CNN)
- Learning to Listen, With the Help of Improv (The Atlantic)
- 4 Things That Comedy Improv Taught Me About … Entrepreneur (Huffington Post)
Clients
Unilever, GE, American Express, MasterCard, Heineken, Credit Suisse, Pepsi, Ernst & Young, P&G, E&J Gallo Winery, Merck, MediaVest, Undertone, New York Community Bank, MarquisJet
Testimonials
- "Aside from having a tremendous amount of fun, the improv workshop was perfect for team building!"
- "Every single one of the participants came up to me afterwards to say how much they enjoyed it. The way you weaved performance, humor and getting to know each other better was the key, and made it so helpful and enjoyable."
- "Utterly fantastic! The team hasn't stopped talking about improv all week."
- "Those exercises and improvisational games and discussions are great for business creativity, idea generation, presentation skills and, as one of my classmates said, "I feel like I'm going to be better with clients now, because I'm more confident in my ability to think on my feet."
- "I'm a confident presenter generally, but with complex ideas to explain, sometimes I tend to speed through explanations. Last week, with I4B fresh on my mind, I caught myself speeding up during an important presentation. So I imagined myself in front of the classroom, paused for a breath, and then proceeded calmly and confidently — and now the agency I was presenting to is a step closer to working with me."
at Drafthouse Comedy Theater
1100 13th Street NW
Washington, United States
