Throughout the year, ComedySportz presents intensives in a variety of topics featuring well-known master teachers from across the United States. These workshops have limited seats, and are designed for those with five or more years of professional improv performance experience.

The 2011-2012 roster is still being developed, so check back to see which exciting classes have been added.

Jodi Lennon

Character Development Class with Jodi Lennon

Friday October 7 2011, 7:30-10:30 PM at the ComedySportz Theatre in Hollywood

$50

Some exercises and ideas to get you doing kick-ass characters in your improv. Just as sketch writers must perfect their writer's packets, sketch actors must perfect their character work. This class will focus on providing the skills needed to create rich characters and impersonations, and introduce strategies and tips for easily calling up the characters that you've created and applying them intelligently to live performances, videos and auditions.

JODI LENNON is an alum of Chicago's Second City, a member of the Annoyance Theatre, and a performer at iO. Jodi studied with Del Close, Mick Napier, Martin deMaat, David Pasquesi and others. As a member of the Annoyance, Lennon was a collaborator and performer in numerous plays and musicals, including Manson: The Musical, Co-ed Prison Sluts and Screw Puppies. She then moved to New York City as a writer/performer in the Comedy Central sketch show Exit 57. Lennon later created and wrote Tame Show for the Burly Bear Network. She originated roles in the Obie award-winning and Aspen Comedy Festival hit One Woman Shoe and the Lincoln Center Festival's Incident at Cobbler's Knob, both by Amy and David Sedaris. Jodi teaches at UCBNY and directs and coaches at the Pit and the Magnet theaters.

Improv for Television with Chris Tallman

No more sessions are scheduled this year. Stay tuned for info on our 2012 class schedule.

$125

Television and improv veteran Chris Tallman brings his wealth of experience to the classroom. Just as acting on camera is different than acting on stage, the same goes for improv. Learn how to make strong, immediate choices for characters and playable scenes that will help you get cast.

CHRIS TALLMAN has been improvising professionally since 1987. He's appeared in several shows at ComedySportz -currently with the Main Company, The High, U-sical and The Harold of Galactus- as well as at the Upright Citizens Brigade and IO West. You've seen him on TV in Thank God You're Here, Reno 911!, How I Met Your Mother, House, The Sarah Silverman Program and Chocolate News. He's a creator, too, the brains behind and star of the sci-fi comedy series TimeBelt, which can be seen at Channel101.com. Feature credits include Werner Herzog's Rescue Dawn and Reno 911!: Miami, in which he was attacked by an alligator.

Intro to Musical Improv with James Thomas Bailey

June 8 and 9 2011, 7-10 PM at the ComedySportz Theatre in Hollywood

$175

A truly unique two-day workshop that finds the fun in improv singing. Participants will learn tools for improvising songs, including song structure, rhyming, harmony and style. In addition, players will gain genuine confidence while discovering their own voices. Taught in a supportive atmosphere that nurtures both the beginner and the more experienced singer, this rarely offered intensive workshop will fill quickly.

james thomas bailey headshot JAMES THOMAS BAILEY is Artistic Director of the National Comedy Theatre and ComedySportz Los Angeles, the longest running show in Los Angeles. In addition to ComedySportz, he has produced more than fifty shows in Los Angeles, including Kitty Carlisle Hart in her one-woman show My Life on the Wicked Stage and the west coast premiere of Robert Fulghum's All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. Mr. Bailey has appeared on The Drew Carey Show and in Tuesdays with Morrie, a film starring Jack Lemmon, based on the best-selling novel. He was also a regular on the nationally syndicated television show Quick Witz and on World Cup Comedy on the PAX network. In addition, James has served as a creative consultant/ trainer for Universal Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation, ABC Television and Coca-Cola, among others. He has proudly served on the boards of the Los Angeles Stage Alliance (Theatre LA), the California Educational Theatre Association (CETA), West Coast Ensemble Theatre and the advocacy committee of the California Alliance for Arts Education (CAAE). James created the largest teen improv program in the United States (The High School League®) and is well known in theatre education. He recently received the Professional Artist Award from the California Educational Theatre Association and was inducted into the California Thespians Hall of Fame. He is the current president of the World Comedy League and president of the California Educational Theatre Association.

Advanced Musical Improv with James Thomas Bailey

Date to be announced.

Prerequisite: Intro class or consent of instructor.