Workshop Description
Learning to weave spontaneous stories and characters together into a cohesive piece of theater is the goal of long-form improv. When creating long-form improv, the players must first dive into scenes in the moment without concern how the scenes relate. Next, the players must trust that they’ll discover the connections between scenes and characters. The heart of long-form improv is (1) create worlds via scenes, (2) expand worlds, and (3) collide worlds. Navigating long-form improv requires practicing scenework and practicing how to trust the overall outcome. In this workshop, we’ll cover the tenets of improv (along with quick tips from experience over the years) for weaving scenes and worlds into a believable, grounded and fun piece of long-form theater. Ages 16+.
 
Instructors' Bios
 
Liz Allen
For the past 3 decades, Liz has coached, directed and performed improv. In 1995, her improv troupe performed the first-ever improv show at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For 3 years, Liz was iO’s Training Center Director. She has coached many teams, including Valhalla, Judgement Free Tailor Shop, and Mission Improvable, founders of the Westside Comedy Theater in Los Angeles.
 
In 1999, 2000 & 2001 Liz won iO Theater’s Coach of the Year Award, renamed the Liz Allen Excellence in Teaching Award.
 
In 2004, Liz directed a main stage revue for The Second City at the Flamingo Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The Vegas Theater Hub awarded Liz as Guest Speaker of the Year and Best Workshop of the Year 2015.
 
Liz was honored to coach The Commune, the improv ensemble in Mike Birbiglia’s 2016 feature film Don’t Think Twice.
 
Before discovering improv, Liz worked for ten years as a consulting engineer. After receiving a BS Mechanical Engineering from NC State, Liz worked with United Engineers-Raytheon. In 1990, after moving to Chicago for a pharmaceutical construction project with Abbott Laboratories, Liz attended a show at The Second City, got bit by improv, eventually shifted careers.
 
Kevin Reome
Kevin Reome has been studying improv for over 30 years, starting first at The Second City Training Center in Chicago and then also at iO Chicago with Del Close. He is a founding member of the long-form improv team “Inside Vladimir” which performed as a house team at iO and The Playground Theater. Kevin starred in The Real, Real World with the Upright Citizens Brigade at the Del Close Theater in the 90’s.
 
Between facilitating improv students and corporate groups improv training has taken Reome to the University of Michigan, Detroit, Atlanta, Cincinnati, San Diego, Baltimore, Mexico City and many others including the Western Michigan University football team and the Detroit Tigers. The Chicago theater groups and corporate entities Kevin has trained are too numerous to mention. He currently teaches at the Second City Training Center in Chicago as a faculty member and has since 2005. In 2014 he taught in Osaka, Japan for The Second City. Kevin has a B.A. in English and a teaching degree from Western Michigan University.
 
Dee Ryan
Dee Ryan has a diverse work experience spanning several industries. Dee has worked as an instructor at The Second City since 2022. Prior to that, she was a producer, host, and writer for Louder Than a Mom, a theme-based storytelling show, starting in 2014. Dee also served as an adjunct professor at Northwestern University's Department of Radio, Television, and Film, where she created and implemented curriculum and taught improvisational skills from 2013 onwards. Dee has also worked as a freelance screenwriter, script consultant, and television writer since 1998 and 2012, respectively.
 
During her earlier years, Dee worked at The Second City as a teacher at large, teaching improvisation and writing from 2002 until 2010. Dee also wrote and performed their play "DeeConstruction" at various theaters across the United States, including IO, UCB, Pittsburgh Public Theater, Merrimack Repertory Theater, and Center Stage.
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