Improv in Practice with Synergy Theater

What is it about villains that we like so much? How do we overcome the instinct to deny our guilt and plead our case when being painted as a villain in a scene? What role does status play in the hero-villain relationship? These are the themes that Arastoo Darkashan, Reggie Harris, and I have fun discussing. Arastoo is a regular performer with Synergy Theater, and also pursues acting, writing, and music. Reggie uses what he learns in Synergy Theater classes in his professional voiceover work. Reggie's company, Better Together, offers coaching on how to use improv principles in on-the-job settings. The truth is, every good dramatic story needs a villain. Get in touch with your dark side, in service to the story, with Reggie and Arastoo! ...

Arlene Hutton and Heather Adams are playwrights, and so much more. Arlene may be best known for her award-winning Nibroc trilogy of plays - Last Train to Nibroc, See Rock City, and Gulf View Drive. Heather is the founder and director of AU Quills and Capes, a group dedicated to supporting young playwrights at American University. We talk about what it's like to take part in Synergy Theater's and Freestyle Rep's Write Away - event that combines writing, improv, and acting. And there's Winnie the Pooh, Sriracha, and Haiku! ...

Eileen Tumlin is a performer, show director, and teacher with Synergy Theater. Ed Schriger is a fellow student. We talk about their starts in improv, their challenges, and where they hope improv with Synergy Theater will take them in the future. We may have different ideas about creating believable characters, but we agree that we create the best characters when building on each others' ideas. And Synergy Theater has big news!  ...

Geraldine Carolan and Yafeng Wang are students of Synergy Theater's Master Class: How to Improvise a Full-Length Play. We talk about how they found Improv, what they find challenging, and the importance of inclusivity. ...

The Vukasin Theater inside the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, California is where Synergy Theater performed full-length improvised plays before the Lesher shut its doors, temporarily, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I talk with General Manager Scott Denison about the history of the Vukasin Theater, its possible future when the Lesher reopens, and Scott's own view in bringing us all back to in-person theater. ...

In this episode, we talk to Nikki Vilas and Karen Harrell. Nikki is a performer with Synergy Theater. Karen, like me, is a student. We talk about stagefright, self-doubt, bouncing back from mistakes, and the fun that keeps drawing us back to improv with Synergy Theater and director Kenn Adams. You must see Nikki in her many roles in Synergy Theater's free online shows. Just go to synergytheater.com and click on WATCH LIVE. ...