October 3, 2018
The school year has started, but it’s not just full-time students who are finding their way around classes at this time, as many people, this author included, see the shorter days and longer nights of the fall and winter as the idea opportunity to avoid the blues by learning something new. In my case, it’s a yoga five times a week in order to avoid going to a café bar seven days a week, while some are taking language courses (see here). But others want something more creative, unpredictable, and for those there’s IGLU to consider, which is a theatre school where you can learn the art and skill of improvisation.
While perhaps most associated with the “yes, and…” approach to comedy, improvisation – the ability to live in the moment, react and work with others, engaged in a group process of what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi terms “flow” – is one that with a broad range of applications, from one’s personal to professional life, whether on stage, in a meeting, or in conversation with new acquaintances or old friends.
On seeing some promotion for IGLU’s upcoming “School of Theatre Improvisation” I thus had to learn more about this two part course, the first teaching people how to lose their fear of appearing in public without a script to follow, and the second working toward a fully improvised theatre production. Luckily Mr Vid Sonik, a familiar face on stage, screen and billboard, as available to answer some questions.
Mr Sodnik. Photo: Mark Fortuna. Processing: Lara Zupan
What is IGLU?
IGLU stands for Improvizacijsko gledališče Ljubljana, that means Improvisational Theatre of Ljubljana. It’s a theatre company from Ljubljana that does four shows a month in Ljubljana and performs regularly in different festivals in Europe and North and South America.
We are also the only Slovenian School of Theatre Improvisation, with about 90 students. Since we try to be internationally open we do one show a month in English and also teach courses in English.
Photo: Mark Fortuna
What can people learn at the course?
The course is suitable for those who want to become spontaneous in various facets of life, those who want to reduce their stage fright when appearing and performing in public, and for those who simply want to improvise on stage and create shows.
Under the guidance of an internationally experienced teacher, participants learn the basics of theatrical improvisation, and further their personal growth through amusing and useful exercises. The second semester will concludes with a fully improvised theatre production.
How is the course structured?
The course takes 11 weeks, almost 22 full hours of work. The participants meet once a week at one of IGLU classrooms at Celovška cesta 150 in Ljubljana, Šiška [see map at the end of this story].
Photo: Žan Majdič
What kind of activities do you do in the course?
Most of the work is thought through games and playful exercises that provide a safe and friendly space to learn and grow as a performer as well as a person. We work on topics like storytelling, spontaneity, status, relationship dynamics, work on emotions, building a character, stage space and presence.
How can people apply?
You can fill out a simple form on the English version of our website www.iglutheatre.com under topic “Workshops”. The next long course starts October 11, and runs until December 20, 2018.
Liza Močnik and Neža Mulej at Menza Pri Koritu. Photo: Mark Fortuna
When / where can people see you perform?
We do a show in English once a month on Saturdays at Menza pri koritu at Metelkova. We bring in the most talented performers from all around the world to do a show with us. All the dates are on our website or on our FB page.
Sara Šoukal. Photo: Katja Brezovar
