Saturday, December 1, 11am-3pm (4 meetings, see additional dates below)
Presented by GiRL CRUSH Improv (Sallie Merkel, Lauren White & Jenny Greer)
Max 16 participants (POC Priority)
$64 Members / $80 Regular

Member price accessed with discount code at checkout. Are you a member and don’t know your code? Email [email protected]! Not a member but interested in these perks? Join here!

Join the members of GiRL CRUSH to explore unscripted scene work and storytelling through improvisation! GiRL CRUSH seeks to center those that are marginalized by the mainstream improv comedy world. This workshop is open to all levels of experience, welcomes non-performers and performers alike and 50% of tickets will be reserved for people of color. GiRL CRUSH believes in improv that is non-hierarchical, consent-oriented and liberation-driven.

Saturday 12/1: 11am-3pm (workshop)
Saturday 12/8: 11am-3pm (workshop)
Thursday 12/13: 7pm-11pm (workshop)
Saturday 12/15: 11am-3pm (workshop)
Saturday 12/15: 5pm (performance)

Q: What do we mean by non-hierarchical?

A: We organize our classes in the style and tradition of Viola Spolin, who said “We learn through experience and experiencing, and no one teaches anyone anything.” While there is a leader who structures each class and leads each exercise, the teacher/student relationship in our learning structure is horizontal, not vertical.  We acknowledge that everyone in the room has their own unique expertise and experience, so the learning in our workshops comes out of discussion of our shared experiences of the exercises.

Q: What do we mean by consent-oriented?

A: GiRL CRUSH believes that the imperative of most improv schools (not to mention tech companies and start-ups) to say “Yes, and…” creates a culture of coercion under which the conditions of oppression are re-inscribed. This makes those spaces particularly unsafe for womxn, queer and gender non-conforming folx and people of color.  Our current answer to this is to borrow from the Intimacy Directors International organization and operate on the principle of “Yes, and…” OR “no, but…” In other words, you always have a choice of how to respond to offers in our exercises, and both options (“Yes, and…” or “No, but…”) are equally valid and creative.

Q: What do we mean by liberation-driven?

A: We aim to liberate each other from the need for approval from others (authority figures, audience, etc.). Spolin said, “True personal freedom and self-expression can flower only in an atmosphere where attitudes permit equality between student and teacher and the dependencies of teacher for student and student for teacher are done away with. The problems within the subject matter will teach both of them.”
Participants should commit to all four classes if possible so that we can build an intentional community of trust in the service of safe risk-taking.  At the end of these four weeks, workshop attendees will form a temporary improv team and perform a half-hour improv “set” to open for a GiRL CRUSH performance.

Oh, and it’s gonna be like, totally fun!

GiRL CRUSH is a girl gang of stone cold weirdos and cool kids who enjoy getting together and creating crush-worthy, story-focused, long-form improv.

Accessibility information for this event: WCCW has a 36” wide ramp at our front entrance and a stairway with 8 steps and a rail. There are 2 gender neutral restrooms. One restroom is wheelchair accessible, with a handrail. We provide scent free soaps and encourage guests to attend our events scent free. If you require ASL interpretation, CART, interpretation for a language other than English, supervised childcare, or have any other access needs or questions, please contact [email protected] at least two weeks in advance. It is our practice to do everything we can to create a safe and accessible space.

*All members get 20% off paid programming. A limited number of free spots are also available for Warrior & Goddess level members. Email [email protected] to inquire about free tickets.

Our program costs go directly towards compensation of the instructors and staffers who work the event. We want to make programming as accessible as possible to anyone who is interested, however, so we offer volunteer opportunities in exchange for membership, as well as free community tickets to each program (number varies depending on capacity of the class). Email [email protected] for more info or to find out more about these opportunities for a specific event.