FAD Workshops 2025
Workshops taught by veteran guest improvisers like Chris Gethard, Tim Martin, iO’s Gretchen Eng & James Dugan, Jonald Reyes & BCC instructors!
If a class is sold out, sign-up for the wait list.
WED, JULY 9th
Specifically Selfish
Maria Randazzo
Wednesday, July 9th
7:00PM-9:30PM
This workshop will teach you how to be selfish in a way that serves your scene and scene partner! You'll learn how to trust yourself and your instincts, make strong initiations, create specific characters, and deepen the relationship with your scene partner. We'll explore how to enrich your scenes by bringing more of yourself to them -- let's get selfish and see what happens!
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #1 (137 Montrose Ave)
Intro to Clown
Tallie medel
Wednesday, July 9th
7:00PM - 9:30PM
Clown is 1. The greatest training a performer can undertake 2. Punk 3. Dumb as hell 4. For the sweeties 5. Fun as hell 6. Fun and dumb as hell
What happens in a clown workshop?
-A physical warmup to get us embodied
-Exercises that draw us toward curiosity and away from cleverness
-Time onstage that proves our most embarrassing attributes are what make us the beloved performers we are
Where: BCC DogHouse, Studio #2 (137 Montrose Ave)
Shut Up & Emote!
Tim Martin
Wednesday, July 9th
7:00pm-9:30pm
Let's see the passion! The blood and guts! The angels and demons! No more endless talking our way through scenes. This workshop is about meaning what we say and doing what we mean.
Don't just say you're heartbroken. Drag yourself across the floor, scream into the abyss, and set your ex's clothes on fire. Before they can take them off.
Learn to act on your feelings! Find your characters through fun, physical choices! Play around with big emotion!
No more chit-chat. Time to detonate.
Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)
Friday, JULY 11th
Game But Also Easy
Chris Gethard
4:30PM-7:00PM
Chris Gethard firmly believes that UCB style game is a great starting approach for any improv scene. That being said, he also firmly believes that game should be free of pressure and that comedy should never feel like math. In this workshop we'll examine game as a tool that can make your life easier, and discuss how when improv is really cooking, it should look and feel easy despite how hard it is to pull off. Let's be honest though - most of why you are signing up for this workshop is because this guy was a great teacher twenty years ago, barely ever teaches anymore, and this is sort of like learning about World War II by sitting down with someone who served on a ship in the Pacific. (Also if you sign up for this workshop just to roll your eyes at the idea of game and are too cool for it, please just don't sign up. I really don't have anymore time left in life for people with enough disposable income to sign up for improv workshops just to raise their hand every thirty seconds to argue like that one kid from elementary school).
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #2(137 Montrose Ave)
Intro to BCC Improv
Philip Markle
5:00PM-7:00PM
This Intro class teaches you what the BCC’s approach to improv is all about - how to say both FUCK IT and LOVE IT while performing. FUCK IT means you don’t worry about the outcome or result of your efforts. You are not judging whether you perform things correctly or whether you make mistakes. You are simply committed to doing what you are doing without worrying whether it is good or not. LOVE IT means you celebrate the whimsy, joy, and delight inherent in making shit up onstage. You remember why you fell in love with improv, one of the most wonderful feelings in the world. Learn to hold both of these ideas in your head at the same time and create fearless, fun, and dumb improv.
If you are new to improv, this workshop will set you up for a fearless way to begin learning. If you are an experienced improviser, this workshop will introduce you to a new philosophy of improv that is different than other improv schools in NYC. Either way you will be challenged and motivated!
This class is designed for students new to BCC’s approach to improv.
Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)
Saturday, July 12th
Just the Two of Us
Julian Hernandez
11:30AM - 2:00PM
In this workshop we will practice skills to take your two-person improv to the next level. Through grounded scene work and radical listening you’ll find ways to engage the audience when it’s just the two of us. We’ll discuss techniques and tricks to feel comfortable and confident with your partner on stage. Sign-up solo, sign-up with your 2prov team. Let’s get to it.
Where: BCC DogHouse, Studio #1 (137 Montrose Ave)
Find Your Bounce
Carly Ciarrocchi
11:30AM - 2:00PM
Whether you’re new to clown or simply want to augment your training with a veteran instructor in the art of joy, this workshop is for you.
Before the scene or the story comes the clown state: the raw space of authentic presence, possibility, and wonder. Through group games, physical play, and solo/partner work, we’ll explore and fail and feel and dance and play and laugh and cry and question. Then, we’ll head back into our sandbox of choice - improv, acting, teaching, creating, or just LIVING - with a little more availability, a little more courage, a little more willingness to share, and a little more joy. FYB is a great intro for brand new beginners on their way to the wider world of BCC clowning, or a chance for folks who already love this work to tune up/tune in. It's a truly all-levels playground, the only class prerequisite is your humanity! Carly's approach to clown synthesizes over a decade of clown training with master teachers including 500 Clown, Paola Coletto, Philippe Gaulier, Avner Eisenberg, Jean Taylor and more. More than any other modality, she's found clown to be the most important in helping her to be a better host, actor, writer, creator, and human. Red noses will be provided!
Carly's approach to clown synthesizes over a decade of clown training with master teachers including 500 Clown, Paola Coletto, Philippe Gaulier, Avner Eisenberg, Jean Taylor and more. More than any other modality, she's found clown to be the most important in helping her to be a better host, actor, writer, creator, and human.
Red noses will be provided!
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #2 (137 Montrose Ave)
Muscle Memory
Gretchen Eng
11:30AM-2:00PM
This workshop focuses on the eagle-eye view of a longform set - namely, tips, tricks, and practices to enhance group memory (as well as your own). Learn to listen actively and make million-dollar callbacks, serve your show by serving each other, and find the dreamlike echoes across your show. This workshop is for anyone who aspires to long form improv that connects on more than a scene to scene basis; all levels of experience welcome.
Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (137 Montrose Ave)
Creating a Character Through Improv
Nick Mestad
2:15PM-4:45PM
Here we’ll explore how powerful your body can be in comedy. Silent scenes, dancing, we’ll do it all! We’ll also work on clearing your mind, learning how breath work and meditation can sharpen your mind and your comedic abilities.
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #1(137 Montrose Ave)
Gimme That Queer Sh!t
Lou Gonzalez Jr.
2:15PM - 4:45PM
Hey Queerdo! Let's do an improv workshop and make it gay as all hell! Come meet some queers, do some exercises and become the best improviser in the world in the process! If we can't make you the best we will definitely make you delusional enough to believe you are the best. Get into it!
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #2 (137 Montrose Ave)
Pirates, Robots & Ninjas
Taylor Gonzalez
2:15PM - 4:45PM
This innovative workshop delves into a unique perspective that categorizes improvisers into three distinct archetypes: pirates, robots, or ninjas. While this theory sparks debate in the improv community, Taylor is a staunch believer and thinks it offers valuable insights into understanding your natural style and strengthening your performance. Learn how to embrace your inherent archetype while developing strategies to enhance areas where you might not be as strong. Drawing from extensive experience with this approach, your instructor Taylor, will guide you through understanding and applying these concepts to elevate your improv game.
Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)
Start with Nothing, Leave with Something!
Natasha Vaynblat
5:00PM - 7:30PM
Do you love standup but have a hard time sitting down and putting pen to paper? This workshop is for you! Do you have a stand up set but are having a hard time extending it? This workshop is for you! Through a series of exercises students will learn how to generate standup material through improvisation. This class is a hybrid of writing and performing-- we will jump back and forth from being up on our feet to sitting down in front of the page. Beginners welcome!
Prep: Come with jokes or come with nothing, just bring yourself and a willingness to get messy (metaphorically speaking).
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #1 (137 Montrose Ave)
Improv to Sketch
Devin Bockrath
5:00PM - 7:30PM
In this Improv-to-Sketch/Character workshop, students will be given a crash-course in the fundamentals of developing a sketch or solo character through the process of improvisation. From ideating a premise to improvising that premise to honing and editing that premise based on feedback and instinct, students can expect to leave with a firm understanding of the joys of developing an idea through the lens of improvisation.
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #2 (137 Montrose Ave)
The Hardest Shortform Game On Earth
Taylor Gonzalez
5:00pm - 7:30pm
While often underestimated, short-form games are both challenging and rewarding, helping improvisers develop skills that enhance their overall performance. The workshop culminates in mastering "Chain Murder” which Taylor considered the ultimate shortform challenge. Through focused practice on pantomime, timing, and creative storytelling, you'll learn to tackle this exhilarating game while building fundamental skills that will elevate your entire improv toolkit.
Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)
SUNDAY, JULY 13th
Set B*tch Free!
Devin Bockrath
12:00 PM - 2:30 PM
“Set B*tch Free'' is a workshop and tribal event for improvisers of any experience level hosted by Devin Bockrath. With a focus on technique, character development, risk taking, and the power of support, this class aims to shake vulnerabilities loose and test personal limits. This workshop enthusiastically welcomes all non-male performers looking to explore their inner bitchness.
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #1 (137 Montrose Ave)
Intro to Musical Improv
Katy Berry
12:00PM - 2:30PM
Do you sing in the shower? Do you irritate your pets and loved ones with silly lil songs? If you said yes, then this is the workshop for you! During this 2.5 hour crash course, musical improv veteran Katy Berry (Baby Wants Candy) will teach you to nail song structure, choreograph effective stage pictures, and apply improv fundamentals like yes-anding, game recognition and pattern building to MUSIC. Students will leave with the ability to improvise fully realized musical numbers and take center stage with unhinged New York CONFIDENCE, baby! Class is delivered in a high-energy, zero-pressure environment where all levels are welcome and no musical experience is required.
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #2 (137 Montrose Ave)
Chicago Style Scene Work
James Dugan
12:00PM - 2:30PM
Just because it's real doesn't mean it has to be boring. In this workshop we'll explore how to bring depth, truth, and emotional honesty to your improv scenes without sacrificing playfulness or energy.
You will practice how to listen harder, how to react more truthfully, and how to build scenes that matter to not only the characters in them, but the audience as well. You'll see how the scene truly thrives on strong character choices and deep relationships between the characters. We won't lean on wacky premises here, but will strive to find the comedy in what is true and relatable.
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)
Characters & Commitment
Jonald Reyes
3:00PM - 5:30PM
In this workshop, Performers will initially discover & develop new characters to add to their repertoire. Through various exercises and complex scenework, participants will understand how to commit characters in grounded, relationship situations. Each performer will be provided personal notes to further utilize these characters in sketches & other relatable artistic outlets.
For the improv nerds, this will be a mix of things you learn from iO, Annoyance, and Second City in Chicago.
BCC DogHouse, Studio #1 (137 Montrose Ave)
Make Yourself Laugh
Ladies Who Ranch
3:00PM - 5:30PM
Believe it or not, laughter is medicine, perhaps even the best. A surefire way to make your audience laugh (and in doing so heal their wounds) is to make yourself and your teammates laugh! Improv should be fun, and in this workshop we’ll explore pushing fun to its fullest potential. You will learn how to invest in your own sense of humor, hone in on specifics and idiosyncrasies, and how to approach improv as a form of play. Be ready to go silly mode, and cure the common cold.
Where: BCC Doghouse, Studio #2 (137 Montrose Ave)
Narrative Improv: Improvising a Play
Andy Junk
3:00PM - 5:30PM
In this workshop, we'll focus on the fundamentals of narrative improvisation. By emphasizing strong emotional wants, we can discover how to tell a coherent story with a satisfying conclusion through group work. We'll also touch on various narrative styles with which we can pull from to inform our choices.
Where: BCC Pig Pen, Studio B (130 Graham Ave)