PHASE ONE (2022-23)

J.T.S. BROWN with JOHN BOAZ (FALL 2022)

The JTS Brown is one of the most unique and freeing forms in all of improv. Also known as the “Form-less Form,” or, “more a philosophy than form,” it is fluid and uses dream logic and physical transitions to make each show one-of-a-kind! Learning this form will teach you to be more supportive on stage, follow the fun of a scene and show, and ultimately look at improv scenes in a whole new way!

John Boaz is a founding member of Finest City Improv’s JTS Brown team, Willis, and has been practicing the JTS for all six years of Willis’ existence. He learned the JTS Brown from longtime Willis coach Brandon Hensgens, and also took a JTS Brown intensive with Craig Cackowski himself, the creator of the form.

SLACKER with MATT SHEELEN (WINTER 2023)

The Slacker is a fast paced form with no edits, strong characters, and endless tag runs. If you like playing fast or want to learn how to do so better, this workshop is for you! This form originated with the legendary LA improv team “Beer Shark Mice” and has since been performed all over the country. Urban legend says the form was loosely inspired by Richard Linklater’s movie Slackers where the camera follows a character at a time from room to room. Learning this form will teach you to heighten like crazy, improve your tag runs, follow the fun, and get out of your head while playing fast and loose!

Matt Sheelen has been studying, teaching, and performing improv regularly since 2002. He is the co-founder of Cornerstone Improv. Matt graduated from IO West’s Training program in Los Angeles and has studied and performed at many theaters over the years including UCB, Annoyance Theater, Improv Asylum, Unscripted Improv, IO West, Finest City Improv, National Comedy Theatre, Old Town Improv, and Cornerstone. He currently plays on indie horror team “Dead Serious” and highly recommends the synthwave band the Midnight.

Matt can’t get enough of the slacker helping to start three slacker teams in San Diego: Slackers, Slack to the Future, and Return of the Slack as well as the LA slacker team: Trans Fat Orchestra (who once won an IO West Slacker Tournament*). He co-taught the Slacker form school with fellow Cornerstone founder Ryan Suffridge for Cornerstone in 2019 and currently coaches San Diego slacker indie team the Dungaroos. He also uses Slack for work so let's just say he knows what's up.

*This actually existed! RIP IO West.

TRUE FICTION MAGAZINE with DIANE RACHEL (SPRING 2023)

Diane was a founding member of the internationally renowned improv theater group, True Fiction Magazine. The title is inspired by the Pulp driven story styles of the 1950s described as, “a genre of racy, action-based stories published in cheaply printed magazines from around 1900 to the 1950s” This class will cover genre work, transitions and edits, playing safely with intimacy and stage combat, a variety of acting styles and wrap up with a performance in the TFM style, that weaves it all together. Participants should dress comfortably and be ready for anything.

Diane has been a professional Improviser for over 30 years, teaching, facilitating and performing; continually striving to improve her skills while helping others to do the same.  She hails from the San Francisco Bay Area, where she was a company member of BATS Improv, on the teaching staff of the renowned Berkeley Rep School of Theatre and founding member of True Fiction Magazine.  Diane has been invited to perform and teach internationally and most recently returned from Beijing where she was invited by the Ministry of Arts to train a special program promoted by the China International Culture Association.

Diane is most known for teaching in the areas of: Acting for Improvisers, Intimacy on stage, Stage combat, Straight man/Clown work, Genre long form, Transitions and generally anything anyone tells her isn’t possible to do in Improvisation.  She has a theatrical background and believes that Improvisation may carry the same weight and have as much integrity as professional theatre and film.