SUNDAY JULY 5, 12-2 AND MONDAY JULY 6, 7-9, YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR ONE OR BOTH. PLEASE NOTE: ALL CLASSES ARE EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME
CS(I)MPROV with Lisa Merchant
A 2 hour dissection of improv scenes
This is 2 separate stand alone classes. You can sign up for both, or just one. Be sure to click the correct date you want above the tickets, if only taking one, and to switch to the second date if taking both. Content will be similar but different on each day, so you will be able to take just one or the other, or both. If you chose to take both, you will need to purchase a ticket for each date.
In this session we will be screening improv scenes online in order to review the tenets of improvisation. We will look at the forensics of an improv scene. Dissecting what works and why and what doesn't and why an opportunity to develop our critical improv eye. We will follow the clues to find the answers!
Lisa is a highly sought after improvisation instructor/facilitator/performer. She has been studying, performing and teaching the art of improvisation for 30+ years.
Currently she is a professor at Humber College in the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts.
A Senior Faculty member at The Second City Training Centre for 27 years and corporate facilitator with The Second City Works division, Bad Dog Theatre and privately. Presently she delivers workshops for Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development: Improv(ed) Legal Skills: Improvisation for Legal Professionals and Outside Looking In working with Indigenous Youth and Mentors.
For the past 5 years she has been guest faculty for the Osgoode Hall Law School Professional Development York University's Introduction to Dispute Resolution GS Law 6300P.
Lisa designed and taught Spontaneous Communication–The Art of Improvisation for business professionals through the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies - Strategic Communication Certificate, co-facilitated Organizational Learning-Developing Learning Styles and Strategies that Promote and Spread Knowledge with Brenda Barker Scott at Queen’s University IRC and Haliburton School of the Arts.
Lisa delivered workshops to some of the Canadian Olympic Team hopefuls for the London 2012 Summer Games as well as Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
She is a multiple nominee and winner of 4 Canadian Comedy Awards, 3 for Best Female Improvisor. Lisa was a cast member of the Gemini nominated Joe Blow Show. Some television credits include: Murdoch Mysteries, American Gods, Degrassi XV, Train 48...
In addition to performing numerous improv shows around Toronto and across Canada, she performs monthly in Monkey Toast, the live improvised talk show, now in its 18th year.
Recent credits:
Platinum Winner of The Toronto Star 2019 Reader's Choice Award - category of Best Theatre Instructor
https://www.thestar.com/readerschoice-toronto/categories/people-professionals/subcategories/theatre-instructor
Awarded the 2019 Frank McAnulty Faculty Award
With Marcel St. Pierre won the 2019 World's Biggest Improv Tournament surviving 126 teams
"...a week of unbridled improv - at which she's peerless." NOW Magazine
“Taking improv with Lisa Merchant was a game changer for me. It not only helped me be a better communicator, it made me a better person. I learned fundamental ideas that I still apply to this day. Over ten years after taking that original class, I invited Lisa to come and speak to the 2012 Canadian Olympic team to give them a competitive advantage. Such is the value of what she has to teach.”
Mark Tewksbury, Olympic Champion and 2012 Canadian Olympic Team Chef de mission
She is always in search of a better cinnamon bun.
www.lisamerchant.com