Youth and Teen Improv Program!

Students will learn the art of improvisation in the Laughtrack Theater Company located on 1123 Bethel Street in Downtown, Honolulu. The theater is located directly across the street from the nostalgic Hawai`i Theatre. Students will be working in a safe, nonjudgemental and fun enviroment created by peers of their own age.

Co-owners Kim Potter and Shannon Winpenny, both originally from Hawaii, met up in Chicago in 2001. While Winpenny was studying at famed Chicago institutions such as the Second City and iO (Formerly Improv Olympic), and Potter at DePaul University for Communications and Marketing, they collaborated to bring an improv theater to Hawaii. They returned to their roots in Hawaii to share their passion for improvisational comedy. In February, they established Fundamentals of Improv with Shannon Winpenny (FISW), which has three levels of instruction: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Classes are taken by people of all ages, in all professions, who find the art of improvisation enormously helpful in business and social situations. It also helps improve confidence and aplomb for those who go to casting sessions for theater, television shows and film.

Long-form improv performances made their Hawaiian debut at Laughtrack Theater and Training Center Friday, September 5, 2008. The long-form format is seen rarely in Hawaii. Students of the training center (established in February 2008) learn to master the format, which is essentially a one-act play based on a suggestion from the audience. The audience has a once-in-a-lifetime experience every “show night”, when two or more such performances take place. No two performances are ever the same.

Improv has gained national recognition this past year appearing on shows like MTV’s The Real World, Bravo’s Top Chef, TLC’s What Not To Wear, and NBC’s Thank God You’re Here, to name a few.

All FISW classes and performances now take place at the Laughtrack Theater, in the heart of the Art District in Downtown Honolulu across from the Hawaii Theatre Center.

Improvisation is a great way that children and adults alike can learn important life skills and build on self improvment while having fun in a safe, nonjudgemental enviroment of support created by thier peers!

Through improvisational principles, games, exercises and warm-ups students will learn how to support teammates, build trust within others and themselves, show initiative, adapt to new situations, and cultivate self confidence! Students will also learn theater and acting basics like stage presence, taking notes and direction, and theater terminology!

Improvisation is a great way that children and adults alike can learn important life skills and build on self improvment while having fun in a safe, nonjudgemental enviroment of support created by thier peers!

Through improvisational principles, games, exercises and warm-ups students will learn how to support teammates, build trust within others and themselves, show initiative, adapt to new situations, and cultivate self confidence! Students will also learn theater and acting basics like stage presence, taking notes and direction, and theater terminology!
 

What people are saying:
"FISW's improv classes have been so wonderful for my daughter. Not only has it been lots of fun for her, but it has also brought up her self-esteem and made her more confident. FISW instructors have an incredible wand warm way in which they teach our kids about theater, working together, and having fun at the same time. I highly recommend FISW and Laughtrack Theater Company to any parent looking for a fun and educational experience for their child" --Rita Costa

Students ages 11-13 and 14-16 will meet twice a week on Tuesday and Thurday for 8 weeks from 3:30pm to 5:30pm and on the last day of class will perform a short form improvised showcase for their family and friends!

To register your child(ren) or for more information, please visit www.laughtracktheater.com or send an email to improvlove@gmail.com by Monday January 24th, 2011. Classes are filling up so reserve your spot today!