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Precipice Offers
Six Different Kinds of Improv Class Experiences
Free Sample Improv Classes Every Sunday at 4:00 pm and
every
Monday at 7:30 pm most of the year
at the Precipice Rehearsal Space,
5520
Oakmont Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20817
For reservations and further
info
call 202-258-6888
or use the form at the bottom
You are invited to attend for free
one of Precipice's ongoing improv classes − taught on Sunday afternoons at 4:00 p.m. and Monday nights at 7:30
p.m. In the class you will participate in simple, but fun theater games and exercises that stimulate your imagination
and exercise your creativity in a supportive atmosphere.The classes are located two miles from downtown Bethesda at
the Precipice Rehearsal Space, 5520 Oakmont Ave, Bethesda, MD 20817. You can simply observe or actually participate.
But audit space is limited, so you must reserve a place via telephone or the form at the bottom of this page.
Improv-For-Everyone Workshop
8-week semester 8 Sunday afternoons at 4 p.m.
and 8 Monday nights at 7:30 p.m., starting every
Monday night in June, July, and August $240
at the Precipice Rehearsal Space, 5520 Oakmont Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20817
For reservations and info all 202-258-6888
or use the form at the page bottom
"Class was a great release. I think my inner comic genius started to eek out!
Overall it was a blast!" Lauren K
For those who have never done improv, this class is for you. Open to everyone,
regardless of experience, this class is designed to gently and playfully bring out your creativity in a completely supportive
environment. Students take this workshop to:
- have fun
in a playful atmosphere - get in touch with the artist within - learn communication/presentation skills useful in work situations - experience personal growth - develop acting skills - co-create extended scenes and one-act plays
Principles of Improvising Great Scenes and Plays
Ongoing Thursday nights from 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. start at any time
$240 for 8 weeks
at the Precipice Rehearsal Space,
5520 Oakmont Ave.
Bethesda, MD 20817
For reservations and info all 202-258-6888
or use the form at the page bottom
"We
were blown away by what was accomplished in just a few hours! Gary's
direction was incredibly helpful; he was able to immediately pinpoint
our troupe's struggles and steer us in an emotionally honest direction.
We can't wait to have him back". Leeann Dearing founding member
of Chaos Comedy in Phoenix, AZ Designed for both the novice and the experienced improviser, this class teaches improvisers to perform consistently exciting and rich scene work that
combines the excitement of short-form improv with the richness and power of great scripted work. In addition, it is designed to permanently shift the improviser's perceptions on stage. Once this shift occurs,
the improviser will always know whether a scene is working, and how
to make it soar if it isn't.
Advanced Workshop: Principles of Improvising Entire Plays including Sophisticated Scene Work, Character Work, and Narrative Techniques
Ongoing All Year Thursdays
at 7:30 p.m. and at the Precipice Rehearsal Space,
5520 Oakmont Ave. Bethesda, MD 20817
$240 for 8 weeks
For further info and to obtain an interview
to
determine class eligibility call 202-258-6888
or use the form at the page bottom
For those with improv experience, this class gives you the chance to work at more challenging
levels of creativity, improvising 20-60 minute plays. This workshop − designed from 20 years of research and using
the same methods that trained the Precipice performing company − uses exercises that are both fun and rigorous,
stretching your creative muscles in an exciting and supportive environment. You will learn principles for creating compelling
and believable characters, riveting scenes, and exciting plays that are as good as the best scripted work being written today.
This class meets on Thursdays each week during the year.
at the Precipice Rehearsal Space, Play-Improvising and Performance Workshop: Ongoing All Year Meets
all year, at
mutually agreed-upon days and times,
5520 Oakmont Ave. Bethesda, MD
20817
$240 for 8 weeks
For further info and to obtain an interview
to
determine class eligibility call 202-258-6888
or use the form at the page bottom Students who complete the Improv-For-Everyone and Advanced Workshops are eligible
to apply for enrollment in Precipice's play-improvising and performance workshop. This workshop meets once a week at mutually-agreed upon days and times and provides students with the opportunity
to participate in 8-12 performances a year in a 150 seat theater. Students receive intensive and personalized improvisation
training that encompasses playwriting, directing, character work, and advanced scene work.
Improv And the Writer Workshop
Taught Once a Year at The Writer's Center 4508 Walsh Street Bethesda, MD 20814
www.writer.org $200 call
301-654-8664 to put your name on a list to be notified of the next class Designed for both writers and actors, this workshop helps you gain
greater access to your imagination. While writers find it helpful in stimulating their creative impulses, you needn't
be a writer to benefit from the expansion in your creativity. Call 202-258-6888 to find out when this workshop is being
offered. Here's the course description: James Joyce said that writing is "the most ingenious torture ever devised".
But, what if it doesn't have to be? Some writers report that when writing they enter another world, where words and
ideas flow easily and writing problems evaporate. This course reproduces that experience using improv exercises to teach
you to fully engage your material on an emotional level, while bypassing the roadblocks of your internal critical, and accessing
your wellspring of creativity.
About the Teacher Gary Jacobs has been teaching, producing, and directing improv
for 31 years. He now teaches internationally, as well as on both the East and West Coasts. Students routinely give Gary rave reviews, citing his passion for teaching, commitment
to excellence, pin-point, honest feedback, and depth of knowledge.
In April of 2009, Gary taught sold-out workshops in Auckland, New Zealand at the Covert Theater and in Christchurch, New Zealand
at the Court Theater. His last eight workshops in Bethesda, Little Washington, Virginia, and Santa Barbara, Santa Monica,
and Ventura, California were sold out.
What do students say about Precipice's
classes?
“In the past six months in Gary’s
class, I have portrayed a father, son, grandson, husband, and lover, a massage therapy student, a burglar and a deli worker.
I’ve been in a submarine, on the moon, in a cemetery, at the beach, at a campsite, on a fishing pier, at a wedding,
in the aforementioned jail, at a fortune teller, at an island resort, at a bowling alley and at the prom. This is just a tiny
sample of characters and settings that one can expect to experience in Gary’s class.
I so look forward to every class. They are, of course, fun; but, they are also challenging, thought-provoking,
insightful, sometimes frustrating, but always entertaining. The camaraderie is incredible. The support from my classmates
makes it possible for me to take risks and succeed (more often as time goes on) or look like an idiot (more often than I’d
like, but I’m getting used to it). Gary’s approach to improv is what makes this possible. His encouragement
and mantra (anyone can improvise) and his coaching are so supportive, providing an atmosphere conducive to learning how to
improvise a play and, as Gary says, to “make great art.” Does it work? Absolutely. In the short time I’ve been in Gary’s
class, I’ve noticed that the quality of our work has dramatically improved. It’s not easy. There’s
much more to trying to improvise an entire play than one might think. The feeling of accomplishment experienced after
a particularly satisfying class is well worth the time and effort.” - Mark Bleich
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"I was always jealous of my friends who had an 'artistic outlet' - a way to express themselves outside
of work and family. I can barely draw a stick figure and I leave musical instruments to people who can play them. Stepping
into Gary’s beginning improv acting class opened that creative door for me. Anyone can do it. Blissfully, “talent”
or being funny isn’t required. All I needed was the desire to have fun. Gary takes care of the rest. Going to improv
class is a highlight of my week, and no, I’m not a recluse! As a bonus, the class has given me the confidence to speak
in front of others when the need arises. Think wedding toasts and presentations. I’m so glad I found this class!"
- Julie S
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"I
discovered that Gary Jacobs' Precipice Improv Theater was holding classes in Bethesda. I had been looking for a new creative
outlet and just wanted to have more fun, so I signed up. My first impression of Gary's Improv class was that it was like an adult summer camp. The warm
up exercises are a hoot - fun things that I wouldn't get to do in everyday life. The classes give me a chance to forget about
my responsibilities and to focus solely on what is right in front of me. What a luxury! Gary is a "boost your ego" type of a person. He is
encouraging, challenging, and very adept at finding the next level where his students can express themselves in a safe environment. After eight months in Gary's class, I can appreciate how the
experience has helped move me out of my 'comfort zone.' Working with Gary and the other Improv students has made me much more
spontaneous in my work, in which I interact with the public doing marketing and training. It has helped me to be much more
present to my customers' needs and questions. As a result, I feel more engaged in my work and even a bit more light-hearted.
Who would have
guessed that Improv would have such a positive influence on the rest of my life and on my ability to enter new situations
with greater confidence? The benefits have been invaluable and surprising.
I have learned so much about
being 'in the moment', supporting my partner, getting out of my head, and letting go of my own ideas in order to be completely
present to what is. Very Zen! What a lesson for life." - Renee Panagos
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