About the Class
Price: $305
When: Saturdays, July 11 - August 8 , 2 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Graduation Show: Saturday, August 15 at 3:15 p.m. in the DC Improv lounge
Prerequisite: Prior long-form improv training and experience or permission of the instructor.
Please Note: All classes are 18 and over. Once payment is made, there are no refunds, exchanges or cancellations.
Spotlight: The Shotgun is a dynamic, highly versatile long-form format built around one of improv's most powerful engines: a group of people who know each other, going somewhere together. The magic isn't the destination. It lives in the space between who these people are and where they're headed, and that's where the creative play begins. This class is designed for improvisers ready to add a powerful new format to their toolkit, structured enough to support big swings, loose enough to find the fun, sharp enough to hone your improv skills, and nimble enough to deploy on any stage from a five-minute set to a full 45-minute show. The Shotgun sharpens the skills that make your long-form improv pop. You'll build stronger ensemble relationships, develop distinct character points of view, and learn to weave backstory and theme into timelines that can be narrative or purely moment-driven while chasing what's ripe for play rather than what's plotty. All while listening, accepting, and supporting each other to find the fun in the group world. This class is built for improvisers with roughly a year of experience in long form, scene work, or ensemble play, and for advanced players looking for a new format. If you're ready to play with more intention and create shows built on genuine collaboration, this one's for you. It ends where all good rides do, on stage, in front of an audience, doing the thing. Get in. Let's go.
About the Instructor
Chris Ulrich (official website) teaches classes in beginning improv, advanced short-form improv and long-form improv. He has been performing since 2003. Currently, Chris performs regularly in a number of Improv troupes including Jive Turkey, Nox, and And Scene! He has studied improvisational comedy at the Uprights Citizens Brigade and The Magnet Theater in New York, Improv Olympic and Annoyance Theater in Chicago and Los Angeles, and at the Washington Improv Theater and DC Improv in Washington. Also, he has coached and led workshops for improv troupes in the DC area.
Chris was a cast member in the DC based comedy pilot "Capital Gym," which was entered in the 2009 NexTV Pilot Competition. He appeared on Food Network's "Dinner Impossible" with Chef Robert Irvine. He also served as a consultant to Edelman Public Relations as part of its creative content team, leading creative strategy sessions to encourage new ways of thinking for Edelman client accounts.
In addition to improv training, Chris is the founder of CU in the Moment LLC, a company with a multi-disciplined approach to educating clients about body language, personal confidence, and presentation skills. Bringing a unique blend of training and collaborative experience to his clients, Chris guides and hones clients' ability to push past their personal edge to discover greater connection and confidence in their authentic voice and message be it for speeches, presentations, sales meetings, or specialty projects. He is a media consultant who can frequently be seen on GMA, CNN, MSNBC, Fox Business, Headline News, and Washington’s USA Channel 9, where he educates viewers about non-verbal communication issues. Along with his work at CU in the Moment, Ulrich is a senior instructor at the Body Language Institute. He trains executives, salespeople, government staffers, lobbyists, and small business entrepreneurs to use new body language to transform their executive presence.