BRIAN JAMES O’CONNELL - IMPROV WORKSHOPS

Brian James O’Connell is a working actor, writer, director, filmmaker and teacher in Los Angeles. BOC (as his friends call him) is part of the improv powerhouse & comedy collective Dr. God, who delivered their first feature film project BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS in 2015, starring Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Joel Murray, and Emma Fitzpatrick, which O’Connell directed as well as co-writing the script with Dr. God. The film was the Opening Night Premiere at Slamdance in 2015 and is available now on Amazon Prime after its 15 city theatrical run along with a two year run on Showtime. Brian travels the world teaching his expertise in The Deconstruction as part of his ALL IMPROV courses and as a founding board member of Camp Improv Utopia. A main stage performer, beloved bar manager, coach & teacher until the very end at iOWest (RIP), O’Connell is also proud to be a Co-Founder of The Pack Theater, LA Weekly’s BEST OF LA Pick for “Best

Theater Company” two years in a row, a founding board member of Camp Improv Utopia and recently celebrated his one year anniversary joining the board of Baltimore’s Highwire Improv.

POSITION PLAY: 6/20, 1-4pm

Brian James O'Connell teaches you the skills you need to find your "position" in the scene and then play it to the hilt. Position Play was invented by Miles Stroth (Del Close's "Warchief", Founder, Owner & Operator of The Pack Theater in Los Angeles) as a way to understand and execute the "scene dynamics" of the Four Basic Scene Types: Logical/Absurd, Character Driven, Alternate Reality and Realistic. If you are able to understand the few tools & techniques needed to play these individual scenes, every other choice you make on stage will be from a place of renewed confidence and successful fun! Topics include: "Thing. Concept. Idea.", "The Five Scenes Everyone Tells You NOT To Do But Darn It They Come Up On Stage Anyway", "Playing Archetypes", "Mapping Characters" and many, many more. This workshop is dedicated to giving the student “practical applications of improv” and providing replicable good habits/behavior on stage. The goal is to be able to take this workshop during the day and be able to execute the practice immediately on stage that night!

THE DECONSTRUCTION: 6/21, 1pm-4pm

Created by The Family, and under the direction of Del Close himself, The Deconstruction is the single most important long form ever created as it contains every single possible permutation of scene approach and thematic development. An understanding of The Deconstruction is essential for the artistic, intellectual and technical development of an improviser. Quite simply, an improviser’s understanding of the “work” will never be the same after being exposed to “Decon”; whether you perform short form, improvised Shakespeare or are merely a writer looking to improve your understanding of character and structure, learning these skills will radically improve your understanding of improvisation and raise your level of play. (NOTE: Miles Stroth is my mentor and taught me The Deconstruction personally.)

Free ticket to 9pm show with BOC and Rachel Ware 9pm, 6/20

Workshop Student Showcase 7:30pm, 6/21

(included with workshop purchase)