Phoenix Comedy | Mother’s Day Weekend
Phoenix Comedy
All of the Jester’Z have mothers and want to celebrate!
Why just celebrate Mother’s Day on Sunday? The weekend of May 7th and 8th is Mother’s Day Weekend, that is why we are celebrating all weekend at Jester’z Improv. So if you are looking for something special to give to your mom or maybe you are a mom that doesn’t want to leave your celebration in the hands of someone else, look no further then Jester’z Improv Comedy.
The best part is that we have some fantastic deals mother’s day weekend.
Half price tickets for all mom’s all weekend.
If mom is accompanied by one of more of her children, mom gets in FREE!
The deal runs for all shows on May 7th & 8th. Reservations are required: 480-423-0120. You must mention the deal at the box office in order to get the discount. AND let me stress again to make reservations early!
Jester’z Improv Comedy is the home of the best comedy in the phoenix.
Phoenix Comedy | Musical Improv – JesterZ Improv
Jester’Z Improv brings music to Phoenix!
Improv is both challenging and rewarding. Players and audience members alike have favorites and not so favorites when it comes to games being played. One of the newest facets of Jesterz improv is the addition of musical improv, which has been met with a great deal of popularity with our fans. As an improviser musical improv can be an intimidating challenge. Not only do you have to think quickly on your feet, but you have to do it to a specific rhythm and you have to sing on top of it all. Musical improv can be very intimidating, even among those that do not shy away from singing.
One big thing to keep in mind with musical improv: YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A GOOD SINGER. That’s right, you heard it here first! Singing is simply a format; it does not require you to be the next Whitney Houston (back when she wasn’t washed-up). It is no different than standard improv. You establish the same relationships, you listen to your teammates, and you make strong solid choices (speaking with purpose). In fact, some of the funniest moments in our musical improv experience have come from those that claim to “not be singers.” The key to musical improv is to always be mindful of the beat. It can be considered a form of improvisational poetry. When you are faced with the challenge of musical improv here are a few tips from the pros…
- Singing does not mean you have to rhyme every time.
- You don’t have to start singing the moment the music plays. Play around with some of the musical stereotypes: humming before the song begins, snapping, saying something seemingly profound (but ultimately cheesy).
- Trust your musician (they want you to look good as much as you do!).
- Remember you are simply talking. The words just take longer to get out.
Remember, improv is only as difficult as you make it. The next time you get an opportunity try some musical improv and see how you feel. In the meantime, come check out the musical improv games at the Jesterz shows. You won’t regret it!
Phoenix Comedy Character Development | Jester’Z Improv
Phoenix Comedy Classes
It has been discussed in the past that good comedy follows a set of rules. But, the rules themselves can be turned into brilliant performances when they are channeled through a good character. A strong character with a distinct point of view can be a powerful tool in performing, both comedically and dramatically. Developing a character can add value to a scene, it can bring life to a topic that would otherwise be very bland to watch, and it can give the performer a way to get more involved in a scene.
A character can go from over-the-top to mundane and uninteresting. Any character in the spectrum can be used, but there it is important to choose a character wisely. The audience might love seeing the living embodiment of a flesh eating virus with lactose intolerance, but as the scene drags on, there is no connection to reality with that character.
Can it be related to an audience? Sure it can. But, it is difficult to do. When you bring a multi-level marketer with an abundance of positive sales-pitches, then you have someone people can relate to. So when developing a character, keep a few things in mind:
- Define a strong position for your character. What does your character love? What does your character hate?
- What does your character do when met with a conflict? Is your character a strong leader or a lower status that follows another leader?
- What does your character do for a living? How do they feel about their job?
- Is your character relatable to an audience?
Free Popcorn | 9 years of Phoenix Comedy
Jester'Z Improv Comedy
It is interesting that I am actually writing this on the official 9 year anniversary of Jester’Z Improv Comedy. It is hard to believe that we burst onto the Phoenix comedy scene 9 years ago. And although this is our official anniversary date we are officially celebrating this weekend (March 19th & 20th). And we are celebrating by giving free popcorn to every one that comes to Jester’Z Improv Comedy this weekend! Not only have we given free entrance into Jester’Z Improv for all March birthdays, but we are now giving free popcorn this weekend!
BUT I have to warn everyone because we want to be fair… you have to make reservations early! Gone are the days of making reservations the day of. Most of our 8pm shows are sold out the day before or the morning of the show. Particularly this month when we have given free admission to all the March birthdays in Phoenix! So make your reservations ASAP! | 480-423-0120
SEE YOU THERE!
Emotion #2 | Phoenix Comedy Classes
Phoenix Comedy | Jester'Z Improv Comedy
I have said this before but it is once again important to talk again and again about characters emotions. If the exposition of a scene is the foundation, then the emotion is the meat.
In our beginning class we work a lot on emotion because it is a hard principle to apply to scene work, particularly when you start improvising. When initially studying improv we are told to have characters, so we either create characters that are shallow, with vague point of views and undefined emotion or we input ourselves into scenes and situation that we have no point of view about and/or no connection with. The problem with both of these scenarios is that with out a point of view or emotional substance there is no way scene partners can find the relationship within the scene. Instead we rely on our own wit or “the joke”, instead of relying on relationship, emotion and connection.
Here are a couple of ideas that can help you focus on emotion:
1. Have a Point of View – If you have a point of view you can have an emotional response to scenarios with in scenes.
2. Respond Emotionally – So often players are given gifts in scenes that are listened to but denied because we do not respond emotionally.
3. Silence – I think Alanis Morissette said it best, “Why are you so petrified of silence?” Silence can be an improvisers most precious tool… Silence can such the audience into your scene like nothing else can.
3.5. Shut Up – This is a .5 to silence because when someone is trying to build silence it is just as important that his/her scene partner to puts a period on their statement.
4. Be Real – Give real honest responses to situations! In a scene it is so easy to deny a player emotionally by not responding honestly. True responses are what make improv funny.
One of the best scenes I have ever seen came this last week in our beginning class. It was a break up scene, the women in the scene didn’t feel understood. The guy was shocked because he loved her but realizing that what he was doing in the relationship wasn’t enough and asked what he could do. The women said it was too late… And the emotion in that scene was so real that the guy couldn’t even respond and a lingering silence grew until the entire class was laughing hysterically. What made it funny was the realization that we had all been in that situation before and had felt that same way… Nothing in this scene wad funny, but everyone still laughed because of the truth of the scene.
Don’t Panic | Jester’Z Improv
Douglas Adam’s said that the one of the reasons why the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy was such a huge hit was because it had, Don’t Panic, writing in friendly letters on the front cover. He was of course referring to his fictional guide to space exploration. However, we can take a great deal from those two words, Don’t Panic.
Particularly when you are first starting out in improv but also after you have been performing for years, we sometimes have a tendency to panic on stage… this happens even more when you are in front of an audience. This, panic, is cause by several things… unconnected scene work, lackluster audience response, denial on stage. Whatever the cause may be it is important that you not panic.
Here a couple of things to do when you feel a panic come along in an improv scene:
- remember to listen – one of the most fundemental principles in improv and often the first to go out the door when you start to panic.
- relationships – probably the reason you are starting to panic is because you scene have no relationship. nothing to connect with the audience.
- forget the audience – okay, so don’t for get the audience all together, but start playing for yourself, put the fun back in improv.
- be patient – the opposite of panic is patient. Trust the scene and the players you are working with. Trust the art of improv and remember the fundamentals.
9 years of Phoenix Comedy | Jester’Z Improv
Happy Birthday March Birthdays, it’s our Birthday too!
9 Years of Awesomeness
This March marks the 9 year anniversary of Jester’Z Improv Comedy
Founded in March of 2001, Jester’Z Improv is the longest running improv comedy troupe in the Phoenix area. The look of the theater has changed a lot in the last 9 years… we have seen some cast members come and go, and some stay… but the shows have not changed! 4 awesomely hilarious improv comedy shows every weekend!
One of the best parts about being in business for 9 years and really the only reason we have been able to stay in business for 9 years are the fans! We love our fans, and would do just about anything to make them happy. Truth be told Phoenix has some of the best improv comedy fans on earth!
That is why this March we are trying to give back a little…
If you have a Birthday any time in March, you can get free admission to see the Jester’Z any time in March! Call it Jester’Z March Madness!
This is how it works:
- Plan you birthday party on a weekend between March 5th & March 27th
- Call and make reservations for your birthday party
- Make sure birthday girl/boy bring some form of ID, or at least enough people to verify a March birthday
- Come and laugh until you wet your pants
- Hope that other people wet their pants too, so you aren’t the only one…
It is that easy!
Make those reservations far enough in advance that we aren’t sold out! | 480-423-0120
A Benefit for Alan & Jen | Jester’Z Improv
Our dear friend and talented actor Alan Schuler experienced a tremendous tragedy when his condo went up in flames early Tuesday morning. He and his girlfriend crawled on the ground to safety but not after suffering injuries, and losing everything they owned to the fire. Alan has performed on the Jesterz stage for several years and has brought many smiles and laughs to many people. We are putting on this performance to do our part to help him and his girlfriend re-coop from this tremendous loss.
Please join us for this benefit performance and help support Alan and Jen during this time of great difficulty. It will be a great night of wonderful entertainment, and a great cause to help a good hearted individual, who we have grown to love both as fellow troup members, as well as the many audiences whom Alan has entertained over the years. Please call and reserve at 480-423-0120 as seating will definitely be limited. If you are unable to make it to the show but would still like to contribute to this cause Any Wells Fargo location will accept donations to the “Alan Schuler Fire Recovery Fund.” To make a donation you will need the account #7529308400 or they can search under “Michael Kriley.” All proceeds will go to Alan and his girlfriend Jen to help them get back on their feet.
Hopefully with our help Alan will be back on stage doing his impression of a T-rex!!
Here is a link to a news report about the fire.
Go to out our special page on the site dedicated to Alan.
6 Week Beginning Improv Class | Jester’Z Improv
This last 12 week beginning improv class was so overwhelmed with students that we have decided to do a 6 week course starting Saturday February 27th at 9am – 12 noon. Hopefully the Saturday and early morning will accommodate students schedules a little better.
The class will cover the basics of improv including, but not limited to: agreement, listening, emotion, team work, characters and basic scene work. A 6 week course is very intense but does offer some great advantages that the 12 week course does not offer. For example, a 12 week course is sometimes a larger commitment then most people want to make. It also forces the student to focus on fundamental improv principals on a week to week bases with out the interruption of ancillary principles.
The class will be taught by Preston Smith who has been teaching, directing and performing improv comedy with Jester’Z Improv for 3 years.
Class enrollment is $200 and includes 6 weeks of classes and a graduation showcase on April 3rd at 6:00pm (yes, there will be a class on April 3rd in the morning.)
For more information or to register for this class please contact Dalane at 480-423-0120
Why do we create characters on stage? | JesterZ Improv
This is round two in character development blog posts
I am relativity sure that I am not beating a dead horse by going on and on about character development. Tonight in our character development class I posed the question: Why do we create characters on stage? There were a number of great answers that were all correct; to add emotion, variety, point of view and so on… However, there was one answer that I really want to talk about and it is this: To give the audience something they can relate to.
As much as I love a flesh eating zombie on stage with a mild case of narcolepsy, it is really hard to relate to that person… not impossible, but hard. Now create a sales person character who has a huge smile and straight teeth with an overly intrusive personality and you have someone that I can relate to… not only me but other improvisers and audience members.
When the audience can relate to our characters it sucks them more into the scene and makes them believe the idea of the scene better. If an audience member is more involved in the scene, the more they will like it. A great group that I think does this really well is Ratliff & Jackson out of Austin… 19 minute scene between a father and his daughter… as relate-able as it comes! Check out the video here.
Here are a couple of great exercises to help build better relate-able characters:
Interview Exercise
3 or 4 students walk around in the room, the teacher points out the way the student is walking, what they are leading with and so on. The teacher then tells the student to change their walk a little bit, lead with something else. The teacher repeats the process with all students walking around the room. He then invites the students to sit in chairs in front of him where he conducts on interviews of each character, asking them questions while the student stays in character. Once the teacher has interviewed all the characters, the characters are then invited to do some scenes together.
Character Mimic
4 or 5 students sit in chairs on stage. One student just starts talking in character about what ever the character has on its mind. After 30 seconds of so, another students starts talking as a different character, this patter repeats itself until everyone has introduced themselves as a character. Now is where it gets a little crazy… Students can now take turns talking in character, if a students likes another students character they can go and stand behind the student chair and talk as the other students character at the same time the first student is talking as their character… and so on, even to the point that ll 5 students are talking as the same character.
Please visit our Contact Us portion of the website for more detailed contact information.
Making Reservations
Call: 480-423-0120
Corporate Contact
Call Jef and Shurlin Rawls at: 480-962-9262
Email
info@jesterzimprov.com
