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Lauren Stein lives in Toronto and runs improv workshops and parties. She is available for your centre or event. Bring her in to your place of work, church, synagogue, community centre, or social group, or host her at a house-warming, office party, or social gathering. She is also available for birthday parties and family reunions. (Testimonials and references available upon request.)
Lauren has received her BA in Drama from the University of Guelph; ATCL in Speech and Drama from Trinity Guildhall; Professional Certificate in Communication Skills from Trinity Guildhall; and taken the Summer Intensive Improv Program from Impatient Theatre Company in Toronto and the Master Improv Retreat and the Summer Improv Intensive from Artistic New Directions in the Catskills. She has been trained by Second City, Young People’s Theatre, Dragontrails Drama School, and more schools and plays than you can shake a stick at. Even a really big stick. She has made many organizations happy with her improv programs, including Nulogy Corporation, BBYO, JD Diamond school, Sterling Hall School, Community Living, Chai Tikvah, Pride of Israel Synagogue, Chess Institute of Canada, Spirit of Math Schools, and private birthday parties for kids and adults.
Sample workshop: It can be any length, from half an hour to 3 hours. Each workshop is customized, so it can be different games based on how many people are attending, their comfort level and experience level with improv, and which skills we want to focus on (confidence, team-building, spontaneity, listening, etc.) The general outline is warm-up for a few minutes, some starter games to get everyone comfortable, then building scenes. We end with a wrap-up of what we learned and what each person gained from it.
For more information, or to request Lauren’s services, e-mail LNAProductions@gmail.com
16 Responses to "Home"
January 31, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Hey there,
I’d like to hear more about how improv can help people improve their confidence.
Thanks!
February 5, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Hi Shlomit,
Thanks for your question.
An important ingredient in any improv environment is trust. We create a positive atmosphere based on support, acceptance, and respect. In this space, we all are fools; we all are geniuses; we all are encouraged to be whoever we want to be. When you see everybody acting silly, you feel comfortable to act silly, and it takes off the pressure to “perform” or “do something funny”. Instead, something miraculous often happens – you can just be yourself, and something funny will happen. You will soon discover that you are funny, and people like what you contribute to the group. The more you experience this environment, the more lasting the effect. This will make you more comfortable around strangers.
In short, improv brings out the best of you, and the positive feedback encourages you to continue to be the best you – and to see yourself in a better light.
Does that answer your question?
February 8, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Wow! I’d never thought about improv as a trust-building experience but of course it’s clear that it is. Anything that helps us to trust each other as human beings has got to be a very very good thing.
If you’re sort of shy about “acting” in front of others will this get in the way a lot?
February 10, 2010 at 2:02 am
Good question about the pressure to “act”.
People tend to get nervous when asked to perform for others. Especially in a play, we tend to put on this pretense – like an accent, or the way one holds one’s head – that is just so different from how a person would actually react in that situation.
The goal of improv (as with contemporary acting) is to get out of that mindset. In my workshops, I aim to “trick” people out of thinking that they are performing. We start by doing something simple – such as clapping at your neighbour, or throwing an imaginary ball around a circle. You know, just an ordinary Sunday afternoon. Later in the workshop, by the time you’re helping your friends construct a scene, you’re so used to reacting naturally to stimuli that you might just forget to put on that “mask” that capital-T Thespians wear. And we all realize… you don’t need it.
So for our purposes, no. Being shy about “acting” will not get in the way. Far from it. It will be nurtured and encouraged.
March 13, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Hey Lauren, if a jabberwakee’s head falls off of your palace wall, what should you do? and also, you are amazing!
i don’t think that’s a question, but i really hope to learn your improv skills!
love ya soul sista!
April 11, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Are you the NINA WISE of the North? Looking forward to meet you soon!
April 21, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Thanks for letting Mark and I stop in to the improv class – I would love to stop by another class in the near future!
April 23, 2010 at 11:26 am
Thanks for taking us up on our offer to come inside!
Deborah and Mark are heroes. They saw us through a storefront window, and let us lure them inside. Then they actually jumped in and played a few rounds of “Props”! We love you guys, and your mangoes!
May 1, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Hi!
It’s me again~
How was your concert!!!
I should have been there…
But my home is in scarborough station,
so I can’t stay too long in downtown..
I want to information about your activity in monday
If I can, I want to know about your concert schedule
(So someday I can go there~)
May 26, 2011 at 1:32 pm
You and Dave hosting Transcendental mirror tonight or next Thursday?
May 26, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Every Thursday!
He’s hosting alone tonight, but I’ll be back next Thursday.
January 28, 2010 at 12:11 pm
I want to see a photo of the Lauren!