Speak when you need to (but it's more than the words)
Pōneke Improv Roundup 19 April 2023
It’s a busy week for me, with two workshops and two shows. The title above is a key takeaway for me from Andel Sudik’s workshop last night, which was so joyful - I loved meeting new people from around the improv scene! I’ve always known most of the improvisors in Wellington and it’s quite exciting realising there are new waves of people coming through I don’t know yet. If you haven’t met me, and you see me out and about (and I don’t look harried) I’d love to say hi and put faces to names and names to the scene.
snippets
Had a whirlwind tour of Auckland Improv Festival last week, and performed on stage at the Covert Theatre for the first time. A lovely space to play in! What luxury it is to have a space dedicated to improvisation! Shoutout to the Pōneke representatives at the fest including WIT, Best on Tap, The History Boy, and probably more that I can’t remember right now but were delightful.
Funding boost from CNZ towards Arts Grants and especially Festivals.
Yet another banger from Chris Mead: what you can learn from doing a 48 hour improv show.
A lovely write up of the work Nicola Pauling is doing with Voice Arts Trust and applied improvisation with older Wellingtonians.
coming up…
shows
Caboose: Get Loose (Locomotive). Friday 21 and Friday 28 April, 6:30pm at Te Auaha, tix $15-20. Locomotive’s longform improv ensemble! It’s listed as Summer Improv but we’re undergoing a rebrand, it’s just taking time to filter through, so the link still says Summer Improv.
Tiny Dog (Tiny Dog). Friday 21 April, 9pm at Cavern Club, tix $15. The same great improv in a new venue!
Late Night Knife Fight (Locomotive). Saturday 22 April, 8:30pm at BATS, tix from $16. It’s LNKF #49, with headliners MADLIB (Jennifer O’Sullivan and guest Christine Brooks).
workshops
Taking Care of the "Now" with Jonathan Pitts. Sunday 23 April, 10am - 5pm at Toi Pōneke, registration from $180. Limited spaces left.
Fundamentals of Improv (Improv Connection). Tuesdays from 18 April, 6-9pm at St Paul's Lutheran Church, registration from $339.
Improv Theatre 101: Learn the Tools (Locomotive). Mondays from 1 May, 7pm at Thistle Hall, registration from $160. Earlybird prices available til 1 April. class led by Jennifer O’Sullivan (that’s me). Tell your improv curious friends!
WIT Tuesdays (Wellington Improv Troupe). 6-8pm, Te Auaha, various teachers. Drop in, koha. Check the most recent newsletter (at the link) for info on this week’s session. Next Tuesday features guest tutor: me!
Improv Movement Class (Java Dance). 9-10.30am Tuesdays, I think the venue has changed - join the FB group to stay in the loop.
Help me collate all the upcoming improv and improv-adjacent events and useful news - tell me about yours…
ka kite anō
That’s all for this week; let me know what I missed in the comments, and stay safe and well xx