Improvisation Intensive with Susan Fogarty

We are offering 2 x 3 hour sessions in Term 4 
See details below.

About the course

Improvisation skills are vital if you want to be a successful actor on screen or stage. As a foundational building block of storytelling, improvisation allows actors to build trust between people, develop imagination, allow for creativity and spontaneity, flesh our characters so they’re more than just words on a page, and is responsible for some of the most iconic lines in cinema history, “you lookin’ at me?” from Taxi Driver or “we’re gonna need a bigger boat!” from Jaws.

Improvisation is an integral part of the creation process, keeping things fresh and an energy between the actors as they work together. Long format improvisation challenges actors to work hard to create a cohesive story that isn’t about the quick-fire laughs of Theatresports, but creates a deeper understanding of story telling and respect of your fellow performers.

However, improvisation is also a skill that needs to be learned, it involves being a generous actor, being able to listen and know when to enter a scene, when to talk and when to listen. With only three fundamental rules, improvisation might not be rocket science, but it is a science.

Timetable and Enrolment

About Susan Fogarty

Susan Fogarty

Susan Fogarty is a Wellington based drama teacher, writer and communications experts. Her background in improvisation enabled her to move into stand-up comedy. She appeared on TV3’s Pulp Comedy, along with gigs supporting Julian Clary, George Smilovich and Bob Downe. She has also performed at BATs and Centrepoint Theatre’s.

She has written for TV and once had the unusual job of ‘audience warm-up’ for Grundy Productions. Susan has an ATCL in Drama, (Trinity College, London) and a BA (Hons) from Canterbury University. 

Susan has a passion for teaching theatresports and improvisation and believes that no matter what level a person is at, they have the potential to reach higher and surprise themselves. Seeing pupils reach their own personal goals is a hugely rewarding part of the job.

As a founding member of the Court Jesters improvisation and theatresports arm of the Court Theatre, she worked extensively as both a performer and teacher of improvisation and theatresports. She also completed improvisation and theatresports training with the world-renowned Groundlings impov troupe in Los Angeles. She is a founding performer of New Zealand’s longest running comedy show, Scared Scriptless (Court Theatre, Christchurch) and has taught theatresports to primary and high school students. She also teachers improvisation to corporates as part of their communications professional development.