Universal Language

THE WORKSHOP

IN THIS WORKSHOP, YOU’LL EXPLORE HOW TO PLAY SCENES USING MULTIPLE LANGUAGES, EVEN IF YOU ONLY SPEAK ONE. WE’LL DIVE INTO TOOLS THAT HELP IMPROVISERS COMMUNICATE BEYOND WORDS: BODY LANGUAGE, RHYTHM, SILENCE, MUSIC, AND EMOTIONAL TRUTH. YOU’LL DISCOVER HOW TO CREATE AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS WITH YOUR SCENE PARTNERS, EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN, AND UNLOCK NEW WAYS TO TELL STORIES.

THIS CLASS IS DESIGNED FOR IMPROVISERS OF ALL BACKGROUNDS WHO WANT TO EXPAND THEIR RANGE AND STRENGTHEN THEIR ADAPTABILITY ON STAGE. BY THE END, YOU’LL HAVE A TOOLKIT TO THRIVE IN MULTILINGUAL OR CROSS-CULTURAL CONTEXTS, AND A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR IMPROV AS A BRIDGE ACROSS DIFFERENCES.

THIS IS THE WORKSHOP THAT PRECEDED THE CREATION OF COMEDY WORLD LEAGUE, A MULTILINGUAL IMPRO-MATCH SHOW THAT HAS ENJOYED GREAT SUCCESS ACROSS NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA.

NOTE: PARTICIPANTS MAY BE CAST FROM THIS WORKSHOP TO PERFORM IN THE LIVIN’ LA IMPRO LOCA SHOW DURING THE FESTIVAL. CASTING IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE TEACHER.

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE:

INTERMEDIATE – ITS LEVEL 3 OR EQUIVALENT

THE TEACHERS

MATÍAS AVACA, AN ARGENTINIAN IMPROVISER BASED IN NEW ZEALAND SINCE 2016, IS THE CO-FOUNDER OF MABEL IMPRO AND THE AUCKLAND IMPROV FESTIVAL. HIS STYLE EMPHASISES THE UNIVERSALITY OF IMPROV, TRANSCENDING LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL BOUNDARIES.

MATÍAS IS ALSO A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND LAENYE PRODUCTIONS, A PERFORMING ARTS PRODUCTION COMPANY BASED IN AUCKLAND, DEDICATED TO PROMOTING SPANISH-SPEAKING ARTISTS AND FOSTERING APPRECIATION FOR SPANISH AND LATIN AMERICAN CULTURE, ART, AND LANGUAGES.

MATÍAS’S INFLUENCE EXTENDS GLOBALLY, COACHING THEATRE ENSEMBLES AND SHAPING IMPROV THEATRE FORMATS ACROSS OVER 15 COUNTRIES, FURTHER SOLIDIFYING HIS IMPACT ON THE INTERNATIONAL IMPROV COMMUNITY.

Find them on Instagram, @avaca.matias

FRIDAY 14th November, 2:00Pm – 5:00pm At Improv TheAtre Sydney.

This workshop is part of the ITS Comedy Festival 2025. Check out the full program here!