Trusting Your First Choice

Does making a choice in a scene feel difficult? Do you often find yourself regretting the choices you've made? Or do you end up in scenes that have lost the thread and started to meander? If you've been doing improv for a while, then you'll probably say yes to at least one of these questions. Improv scenes have infinite possibilities, so how do we determine the best choice forward? Oftentimes our minds want to overcomplicate a scene, but almost everything we need is established in the first few seconds (sometimes even before anyone has spoken).

In this workshop, you'll learn how to quickly appraise a scene to narrow the possibilities in the first few seconds, helping you and your scene partner get on the same page. You'll also learn how to identify patterns in scenes so you can relax and enjoy them instead of worrying where they will go next. And by the end of the class, you'll realize that many times your first choice is the best choice.

Jeffrey Thompson is an actor, writer, and magician from Los Angeles. He's a magician member of the Magic Castle and recently wrote for ABC's "The Goldbergs." He's also a co-artistic director of Impro Theatre and serves as Treasurer of the Board. In addition to his creative pursuits, he also runs a tax firm that serves over 400 clients in entertainment (actors, writers, and more). He often is booked as a speaker to talk about the unique tax situations that apply to creative professionals and has spoken for many organizations including: Cal Lawyers for the Arts, the San Francisco Public Library, and the City of Santa Clarita.

Special Visiting Teacher: Jeffrey Thompson - Trusting Your First Choice