Classes are taught by OKC Improv Artistic Directors Buck Vrazel and Clint Vrazel.
Adult classes start Saturday, March 16, and run through Saturday, May 4 (no class on Saturday, March 30). Classes are held at Sauced on Paseo. Additionally, a dress rehearsal/orientation-to-the-stage class will be held on Sunday, April 21, at Reduxion's Broadway Theatre.
Level 1: Introduction to Improv - Fundamentals and Short-Form
Just beginning or want some more practice with the fundamentals? Want to be more creative and expressive or learn to generate ideas on the spot? This class is for you! Improv 101 introduces you to improv skills in an open, supportive class structure. With 14 years of improv experience on the local and national stage, Twinprov's Buck and Clint Vrazel will guide you through the basics, dissolve your nervousness, and help you see the joy and opportunity in every moment. You'll learn a mixture of exciting Whose Line Is It Anyway? short-form games, group games, and OKC Improv original games, as well as have the opportunity to participate in the graduation show on April 27! The class includes a dress rehearsal and a post-show coaching session.
ENROLL HERE!
Tuition is $90 per course.
When/Where: Saturdays, March 16 - May 4, 2013 (NO CLASS on March 30), noon to 2 p.m., at Sauced on Paseo.
Enrollment is limited to 12 students.
Level 2: Introduction to Long-form - The Harold, Part 1
If you want to go beyond short-form, you’ll need the long-form that started it all: the Harold. Developed by improv wizard Del Close, the Harold has become the signature form of IO Chicago, IO West (Los Angeles) and UCB, and is the backbone of long-form-style improv. Led by veteran improv directors Buck and Clint Vrazel, the class will teach you advanced storytelling technique in narratives, characters, themes and comedic patterns. You’ll master openings, group games, organic mutations and edits, then finish your shows with style. Mastering the Harold is the first step in designing your own shows, holding your own, and leaving your mark on the OKC Improv scene.
This is the first part of a two-class sequence. The first class will NOT have a student show at Reduxion, however, there will be an “in-progress” performance at the student orientation class, in front of the other OKC Improv students. The lack of public performance will promote a relaxed classroom atmosphere for experimentation and mastery.
Prerequisite: Must have completed Level 1, or by permission of the instructors.
ENROLL HERE!
Tuition is $90 per course.
When/Where: Saturdays, March 16 - May 4, 2013 (NO CLASS on March 30), 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at Sauced on Paseo.
Enrollment is limited to 12 students.
Level 3: The Improvised Musical, "Opening Night: The Musical"
This class picks up where Introduction to Musical Improv left off and hits the stage running. Clint and Buck Vrazel, joined by Kyle Gossett (Villain: The Musical, Off-Book: Musical Morsels, Ballpark Theatre Company, Night Rhymers), will help you take on the many different types of songs in classic and modern musicals, including solos, duos, trios, ensembles, non-plot romps, and show-stopping numbers. We’ll cover many different musical styles and transition from one-shot musical scenes to interconnected storytelling. Students will analyze scripted and improvised shows to grow their “director brain” while incorporating new musical elements such as the narrator song, harmonic layering, advanced choreography, singing in character (and acting while you sing!), and the reprise. You’ll be able to design and execute a complete musical from beginning to end. This class will culminate in a student show with post-performance feedback.
Prerequisite: Completion of Introduction to Musical Improv, or by permission of the instructors.
ENROLL HERE!
Tuition is $90 per course.
When/Where: Saturdays, March 16 - May 4, 2013 (NO CLASS on March 30), 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at Sauced on Paseo.
Enrollment is limited to 12 students.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What course should I enroll in?
If you’re unsure of what course is right for you, call or email Clint Vrazel: (405) 863-9562 or clintvrazel@gmail.com.
When are the student performances?
Class graduation performances are the evening of April 27. You must attend five of the first six classes or make arrangements with the instructors to be eligible for the class performance. Please plan to stick around after your class show to bask in the warm, ethereal glow of post-performance euphoria. Buck and Clint will be giving show notes for each performance during the wrap-up classes on Saturday, May 4.
Can I take the same class I've already completed?
Curriculum for each level changes each session, so classes can be retaken without fear of repetition. Higher-level students may sit in on earlier classes to brush up on fundamentals or just get some needed extra practice.
What do your students do with their improv knowledge?
Many of our graduates keep performing. In the upcoming run you can catch current and former OKC Improv students in Ballpark Theatre Company; One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State; YOU People; As We Know It; ZOOM!; TALE It Again!; Sour Puss; Mamma & Meema; and Night Rhymers! And many student troupes are taking to the road, performing in festivals in Kansas, Illinois, Colorado and Texas, to name a few.
I'm not sure I want to perform. Can I still take classes?
Of course! Improv fosters self-confidence, imagination and team-building skills among all age groups. Many students take our classes to gain skills that they take to their professional lives, where they see improvement in public speaking/presenting skills, communications skills and creative problem-solving skills. Still others are looking for an edge in their performing lives as actors, stand-ups and musicians. Whatever your goals, we can help you meet them, while having a great time!
What do other students say about your classes?
"One of my favorite things I have done! I'm hooked!"
"You will learn a lot and have a great time!"
"Buck and Clint are good at what they do - hilarious and supportive of EVERY effort you make."
"I really loved it! The Vrazels are talented, great teachers, fun and enthusiastic. And that made class fun to be a part of."
"Buck and Clint are great teachers and run an exciting, interactive class."
"They bring lots of energy. Be prepared for intense learning!"
"Buck and Clint are awesome teachers! A good way to get out of your comfort zone!"
"The quality of teaching is excellent!"
"DO IT!!!!!!"
CUSTOM WORKSHOPS AND TRAINING
OKC Improv also offers a variety of specialty workshops that can be tailored to suit a particular group or venue. If you're an existing improv troupe looking to sharpen your skills, an acting class looking to take an adventure, or a corporation or community organization looking to do team-building, we have the workshop for you. For more information call 405.456.9858 or email okcimprov@gmail.com.
Instructors Clint and Buck Vrazel (left) with some Level 1 Improv Students before their first public performance.
ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTORS
Buck and Clint Vrazel are twin brothers and Artistic Directors of OKC Improv. The Vrazels are nationally recognized improvisers and have been performing and teaching improv for 11 years. Buck and Clint are well versed in numerous improv disciplines, forms and techniques and have trained with some of the finest improv instructors from around the country including: Amanda Austin (Dallas Comedy House), Jill Bernard (HUGE Theater, Minneapolis), Joe Bill, Susan Messing, & Mark Sutton (Annoyance Theatre, Chicago), Craig Cackowski & Rich Talarico (iO West, Los Angeles), Frank Caeti (Mad TV, Second City), Andy Carey, TJ Jagodowski, & Dave Pasquesi (iO, Chicago), Shaun Landry (Oui Be Negroes), Tami Nelson & Chris Trew (New Movement Theater, Austin), James (Niigonwedom) Sinclair (Canadian Improv Games, Winnipeg), David Razowsky (Second City, Chicago), Todd Stashwick (Hothouse Theatre Company, Los Angeles), and Zach Ward (DSI Theater, Carrboro). The Vrazels are a driving force in the local improv scene where they are currently members of several different troupes including Fortune's Fools (improvised Shakespeare), The Ones Your Mother Warned You About (original relationship comedy), Sketchers in the Wry (original sketch comedy), Villain: The Musical (improvised musical), and their nationally recognized duo act, Twinprov, that specializes in creating reality-altering improv, sketch, and musical comedy. More info: www.twinprov.com.
Buck and Clint Vrazel are twin brothers and Artistic Directors of OKC Improv. The Vrazels are nationally recognized improvisers and have been performing and teaching improv for 11 years. Buck and Clint are well versed in numerous improv disciplines, forms and techniques and have trained with some of the finest improv instructors from around the country including: Amanda Austin (Dallas Comedy House), Jill Bernard (HUGE Theater, Minneapolis), Joe Bill, Susan Messing, & Mark Sutton (Annoyance Theatre, Chicago), Craig Cackowski & Rich Talarico (iO West, Los Angeles), Frank Caeti (Mad TV, Second City), Andy Carey, TJ Jagodowski, & Dave Pasquesi (iO, Chicago), Shaun Landry (Oui Be Negroes), Tami Nelson & Chris Trew (New Movement Theater, Austin), James (Niigonwedom) Sinclair (Canadian Improv Games, Winnipeg), David Razowsky (Second City, Chicago), Todd Stashwick (Hothouse Theatre Company, Los Angeles), and Zach Ward (DSI Theater, Carrboro). The Vrazels are a driving force in the local improv scene where they are currently members of several different troupes including Fortune's Fools (improvised Shakespeare), The Ones Your Mother Warned You About (original relationship comedy), Sketchers in the Wry (original sketch comedy), Villain: The Musical (improvised musical), and their nationally recognized duo act, Twinprov, that specializes in creating reality-altering improv, sketch, and musical comedy. More info: www.twinprov.com.
Bryan and Alyssa Buckley have been performing improv together since 2005. They are current members of comedy duo Red Letters, one of Oklahoma’s premiere improv acts and co-founded and coach college improv group Homemade Fireworks at Northeastern State University where Bryan teaches Economics and Alyssa works is a recruiter for their International Programs. Bryan has been coaching improvisation since 2001, and Alyssa was invited to join the DSI Comedy Theatre teaching faculty in 2008. Together, they've taken over 100 hours of comedy workshops from top tier instructors like TJ Jagodowski (iO, Sonic Commercials), Susan Messing (Annoyance Theatre), Zach Ward (DSI Comedy, Improv Boston), Anthony LeBlanc (Second City) and Charlie Todd (Improv Everywhere).
Jonathan Shane McClure has worked as actor, director, designer, stage combat choreographer, and in various other capacities for theatres in Oklahoma City and the surrounding region. He’s worked as an artist-in-residence for over 20 years teaching Shakespeare and spent 6 years as an adjunct teacher at UCO teaching improv and stage combat. Since 1989, Shane has staged combat in over 40 productions for over a dozen different theaters and performance groups. He has studied under and worked for fight choreographers in Houston, Omaha and Las Vegas, including Claude Caux, Terry Doughman, Randy Kovitz, and SAFD Fight Masters: Dale Girard, David Woolley, J.Allen Suddeth, and Brian Brynes. Since graduating from OU in 1978, Shane has acted in many productions, including over 30 roles in productions for Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park. Other companies he's worked for include Street Players, Stone Soup, Carpenter Square, The Pollard, Reduxion, Oklahoma Children's Theatre, 2X4 Productions, Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Tulsa Shakespeare, The Alley Theatre and the Comedy Workshop in Houston. He is a founding member of the improv comedy troupe Everybody and Their Dog that has been performing for 18 years and is a principal creator of the Shakespearean style improv troupe Fortune's Fools. 
Sue Ellen Reiman has been performing and teaching improv since 1994 when she was a founding member of Everybody and their Dog, a group that continues today. She has been teaching improv and acting for the past 16 years at the University of Central Oklahoma and has also taught improv for Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, the Oklahoma City Parks and Recreation Department and OKC Improv as well as conducted workshops throughout the state. She currently performs with Everybody and their Dog, The MiDolls and Fortune’s Fools improv troupes. She has trained with many excellent instructors including Jill Bernard (HUGE Theater, Minneapolis), Joe Bill, Susan Messing and Mick Napier (Annoyance Theatre, Chicago), Zach Ward (DSI Theater, Carrboro), Frank Caeti (Mad TV, Second City), Noah Gregoropoulos, Liz Allen and Jimmy Carrame (iO Chicago), Katherine Gotsick (ComedySportz Chicago) and Brian Posen (Second City).
Raychel Winstead has been performing and teaching improv in Oklahoma since 2004. She was a member and manager of Obviously Unrehearsed Improv!, the University of Oklahoma's improv troupe, for many years before moving on to perform and, briefly, artistically manage Red Dirt Improv in 2009. Since late 2009, she has been performing with many groups on the OKC Improv line-up, including The Ones Your Mother Warned You About, Two's Company, Villain: the Musical, The MiDolls, Sketchers in the Wry, The Closers, and Me Talk Sexy. Raychel has performed at improv festivals and traveling shows in Chicago, Austin, Dallas, Colorado Springs, Quartz Mountain, and Oklahoma City. Some of those places even let her come back. In addition to this, Raychel has been teaching improv all over the state since 2006. She's been found at OKC Improv, Spotlight Acting Academy, Sooner Theatre Studio, Moore-Norman Technology Center, and many other places. She currently subs in at OKC Improv's regular classes.