Two Los Angeles Workshops Starting in January 2018!
“Through spontaneity we are re-formed into ourselves.”
Explore the improvisational acting method of Viola Spolin to enhance your training as an actor, improviser, educator, writer, or director. Named "one of the most prominent acting techniques" by Backstage, Viola Spolin's Theater Games release the intuition through focus, spontaneity, and play, opening up new avenues of expression and communication in your work and in your daily life.
COMING THIS JANUARY IN LOS ANGELES:
- 10-Week Alumni Workshop Starts January 16th
- Los Angeles Weekend Intensive January 20 & 21
Viola Spolin’s Theater Games launched the American improvisational
theater movement and changed the way acting is taught. Her work has influenced generations of actors and educators. In the workshops with sidecoach Aretha Sills, we'll explore the groundbreaking exercises and theatrical concepts found in her seminal book Improvisation for the Theater, with an emphasis on the philosophies of legendary improvisation innovators
Viola Spolin and Paul Sills, and on applying Spolin's meditative methods to your work in any artistic discipline.
Alumni Workshop in Los Angeles Starts January 16th
In the ten-week alumni workshop, open to returning players only, we'll delve deeper into "Improvisation for the Theater," playing some of the many wonderful theater games we don't always get to in an introductory workshop. The workshop culminates with a performance/demonstration and reception for an invited audience, allowing players to develop performance skills in a welcoming environment.
We'll meet: Tuesday nights for nine weeks, January 16 - March 13, 2018, 7:30 to 10pm. Please note: the workshop demonstration and party will be on Wednesday, March 21st, from 7:30 to 10pm.
Location: Subud Los Angeles, 5828 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036
Tuition: $365. (Includes a small fee for rental of reception space.)
A deposit of $150 is required to hold your space with the remainder due at the first class. I accept checks, Venmo, or PayPal, and am open to payment plans.
Early-bird pricing: $340 for payments made in full by Venmo or check only. Special pricing ends November 16.
Refund Policy: Tuition is refundable minus $50 if you cancel by December 16.
Registration: Email with questions or to register.
Los Angeles Weekend Intensive January 20 & 21
The weekend Spolin improvisation intensive is an accelerated version of a longer introductory workshop. Actors, educators, directors, and improvisers learn (through play) how to incorporate Viola Spolin's transformative techniques into their practice. Workshops are open to beginners and experienced players. The intensive will introduce players to the the key principles of Spolin's acting, directing, and teaching methods, and help you be more fully present onstage and off.
We'll meet: Saturday and Sunday, January 20th and 21st, 2018, from 11am to 5pm, with an hour lunch break at 2pm.
Location: The fanaticSalon Studio Space, 11306 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066Tuition: $250.
A deposit of $125 is required to hold your space, with the remainder due by the first class. I accept checks, Venmo, PayPal, and I am open to payment plans. A few sliding scale spaces are available.
Early-bird Pricing: $225 for payments in full made by Venmo or check only. Special pricing ends November 20th.
Refund Policy: Tuition is refundable minus $50 if you cancel by December 20.
Registration: Email with questions or to register.
Aretha Sills is the granddaughter of Viola Spolin. She studied theater games for many years with her father, director Paul Sills (creator/director of The Second City and Story Theater), and has conducted workshops at Paul Sills' Wisconsin Theater Game Center, Bard College, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, Stockholm International School, Art of Acting Studio, Sarah Lawrence College, and Northwestern University. She is the Associate Director of Sills/Spolin Theater Works and directs The Predicament Players. Aretha was nominated for an INNY Award for Best Improvisation Instructor and was the keynote speaker at the California Educational Theatre Association conference.
Quotes about the workshop:
"Aretha is dedicated to preserving the pureness of this technique, which from my point of view assists the actor to find the courage to find themself and then to fly. I believe she has, innately and amazingly, all the elements of the technique of both Viola Spolin and Viola's son, the extraordinary director, Paul Sills. I have studied with Aretha, and believe me, the thrill lives on." -Paul Sand, Tony-award winner for Paul Sills' Story Theater; original Second City cast member
"Aretha Sills, carrying on the work of Spolin and Sills, is an amazing, insightful side-coach and teacher. We were fortunate enough to take a workshop in L.A. with her and it helped us reconnect with theater game work on a deeper level. She knows her stuff. Can't wait to work with her again!" -Deb Lacusta & Dan Castellaneta, The Simpsons, writers/ actor
“As an educator and instructor of acting and directing, I was eager to learn about the American theater improvisation developed by Viola Spolin and expounded by Paul Sills. Aretha Sills provides an insight into the authentic roots of the system that has been utilized for years by theatre training programs. The workshop will provide you with an excellent opportunity to explore various games and exercises to enrich your view of performance and acting.” -Norma Saldivar, professor and chair, UNLV Department of Theatre, and executive director of the Nevada Conservatory Theatre
"Aretha is one of the century's best improvisation teachers. Like her grandmother before her, she understands people, theater, and improvisation in an intuitive and deep way. As someone who has studied with some of the top teachers in the country and has performed for over 15 years, I can honestly say Aretha's work opened my eyes. I understood improv on a deeper level. I was refreshed and returned to beginner’s mind." -David Alger, founder Pan Theater
To be notified of upcoming workshops, or to discuss workshops at your school or theater, please email: aretha@arethasills.com