By Marlon Deleon, Long Beach Acting Examiner
It may not sound like it, but coffee, avocado sandwiches, a furniture warehouse, and theatre have unifying characteristic: the musings of Long Beach’s homegrown improvisation group, Held2Gether. Darren Held is the local pied piper of Improv classes, and if you caught the inaugural Studio Nights at LB Playhouse, any of the Last Laugh Saturdays at Hot Java Coffee House (on Broadway and Junipero, they have a show this Saturday, 10/23) or their own feature show, Overexposed! at the EXPO Center in Bixby Knolls you can vouch for the group of grown men and women that still embrace (or decided to return to) the craft of acting. Short and long form scenes, dramatic and comedic monologues, the members of Held2Gether bare their spontaneous souls for our enjoyment.
"Actors need to make the most of their scripted materials," Held says. "Improv helps actors think on their feet, which translates into better cold reading for auditions. Other skills learned in improv include listening and give-and-take, skills that give performers a solid background for working well with their scene partners and staying really present so that scenes feel natural rather than 'acted.'"
In the spirit of “the more the merrier” Darren Held has opened up his doors and announced an array of upcoming Improv Classes, in part through the Long Beach Department of Parks and Rec, through the end of the calendar year!
The remaining 2010 class schedule is as follows:
Intro to Improv Comedy
Tuesdays, November 2, 2010 – December 6, 2010
7:15 – 9:15 p.m.
El Dorado Park West Social Hall
Ages 18 and up
$100 for 6-week workshop
Improv Comedy Level 2
(Must have some improv experience)
Thursdays, November 4, 2010 – December 16, 2010 (no class November 25)
8:15 – 10:15 p.m.
Recreation Park Community Center
Ages 18 and up
$100 for 6-week workshop
Improv Meets the Script
Wednesdays, November 17, 2010 – December 15, 2010
112 Loyola Plaza, Seal Beach
8:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Ages 18 and up
$100 for 4-week workshop
For more information on any of these classes and more, call (562) 537-8558, visit the website, or email to reserve a space.
