Stephen Davidson - Characters You Are Not Allowed To Play

About the Workshop
Part of the joy of improv is the freedom to play any character, but we sometimes shy away from characters who are very different from ourselves. For example, playing a character from a different cultural background, a different gender, or who has a disability can feel very uncomfortable for some people. We’re scared of causing offence, of getting it wrong, of misrepresenting a viewpoint or experience that is not our own. And let’s be honest, oftentimes these choices are made badly, without proper regard for those who do hold these identities.

If we never try, though, we miss out on a rich pool of characters, and we might never see some of these lives onstage. Worse, we let our fear dictate our art. This workshop focuses on strategies for playing any character in an honest and heartfelt way, on honouring everyone’s agency over their own identity, and on broadening our own knowledge of different human experiences.

Participant Experience
For experienced improvisers.

About Your Teacher
Stephen has been teaching improv since 2009, since completing his masters thesis on how people learn to improvise. He teaches independently, as well as through Hoopla Impro and City Academy in London, and teaches regularly around the world. Highlights include Impro Amsterdam, Impro Melbourne, BIG, Improvention, The Improv Company (Singapore), Improfest Karlsruhe, Fliegendfunken, Das Improv Festival, and many more. He also regularly leads teacher training for improv companies around the world, with a focus on inclusive pedagogy- He has also written two books about this, Play Like an Ally and Improvising Gender. His philosophy is entirely inclusion-centred, because he believes it's the best thing for this artform. He teaches all styles and have studied widely, but his heart home is grounded improvised theatre.

Details
Saturday 7th September 2024
10:00 - 13:00

This workshop venue is fully accessible and will take place at:
Squire Performing Arts Centre
Arboretum St
Nottingham
NG1 4JB