Focus is meditation in action
—Viola Spolin

In this 8-week Spolin Alumni workshop with side-coach Mike Brunlieb, returning players will delve deeper into Spolin's groundbreaking scene games and communication exercises to help actors and improvisers on stage or in rehearsal, to give more tools to educators in the classroom, and to aid anyone wishing to bring more focus, play, and presence into their creative work or daily lives.

The class culminates with a workshop demonstration for an invited audience of friends and family, helping players gain performance experience as well.

The Spolin Alumni Workshop is open to returning players who have taken at least full-length workshop or weekend intensive with Mike Brunlieb or Aretha Sills. Email if you have any questions about your eligibility.

Side-coach Mike Brunlieb is a performing and teaching artist in Chicago. He improvises with the ensembles 'Sand', 'Real Angels', and '3 Actors Living in a Cave', most often performing at the wonderful Logan Square Improv theater (check them out!). Mike has received multiple awards during his fifteen years of performing and teaching improvisation, including being recognized three years in a row as one of Chicago's top improvisers by the iO theater. He studied at the Paul Sills Theater Game Center (and beyond) with Aretha Sills and Carol Sills, and at iO Chicago with TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi. He has performed and taught improvisation internationally in Europe, Asia, and Canada. Mike has also performed in a handful of TV and film projects, including "Southside" (HBO), "Joe Pera Talks with You" (Adult Swim), and "Trial of the Chicago Seven" (Netflix). The core of Mike's teaching and performance is rooted in the work of Viola Spolin. Spolin's philosophy and methodology has had a huge impact on Mike's perspective on education & approach to making art. He can't wait to dive into the games & play!

We'll meet: Sundays, March 23 - May 18, 2025, 11am - 1:30pm (please note, we will not meet on April 20). The final class will be a workshop demonstration for an invited audience.

Location: Logan Square Improv, 2825 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL 60647

Tuition: $350. A few sliding-scale spaces are available. Email for details. Tuition is non-refundable, but you can transfer your space to someone else with prior approval, or in the event someone on the waitlist can purchase your space.

Workshop email notifications: You’ll get a confirmation email and subsequent correspondence from workshops@violaspolin.org and aretha.sills@violaspolin.org. Please add these addresses to your contacts, and if you don’t hear back, check your spam folder for missing correspondence.