ESP Biography

Improvisation is often shortened to "improv", and is a form of performance that is essentially the art of making it up as you go along. It may apply to any of the performing arts; however, we will be looking into specifically improv in regards to theater. This is a very interactive class - we will be learning improv though a variety of improvisation games! There's no need for previous experience in any sort of acting or performing. Just come prepared to participate to the fullest of your ability!

When we think of teaching, we tend to envision a classroom setting with lots of desks and a teacher at the front. This is *a* form of teaching, but there are many other things that also use its skillset - running a summer camp, tutoring, and docenting are all examples of the many places you can apply teaching skills besides the classroom. The purpose of this class is to go over basic skills and knowledge to aid in learning how to teach effectively. It is a very interaction and discussion-based class, NOT lecture-based, so come prepared to participate and actively contribute to the class!

Creative writing is a broad category that spans many things: poetry, novels, essays, journalism, playwriting, short stories, and even personal record-keeping such as journals. Each of these things functions very differently and follows different rules, but there are nevertheless still some common elements that underlay all of them. We will be looking at both the "creative" aspects and "writing" aspects of creative writing, and how to use them to improve your writing. This is NOT a purely lecture-based class - we will very likely be up and moving, working on pieces, and actively discussing creative writing, so come prepared to participate!

In the theater world, improv (short for "Improvisaton") is the art of "making it up as you go along". It can vary from something as simple as making a funny joke on the spot to something as big as an entire hour-long performance! We'll learn how by playing a bunch of improvisation games, and by the end of the class we'll be improvising short scenes.

The best of creative writing is much like a painting; it has vivid imagery, strong personal style, a well-balanced framework, and is smooth enough that the only times we look at the piece and think "...what?" are when we're supposed to. Though mastering any these elements can take years of practice, the foundations for all of them are easy to pick up and apply to any writing you plan to be doing. The first half of this class will focus on learning general techniques for achieving this painterly way of writing; the second will focus on specific questions that you bring to class and want to work on.

Oftentimes, the brunt of the work in writing comes after the first draft - that is, during the "editing" stage. In its most basic form, this means hunting down rabid typos and wild punctuation errors; in its most intensive form, it can result in rewrites of entire chunks of text. Most often, the level of editing needed ranges between these two extremes. After a short lecture on editing different kinds of writing, we will break up into smaller groups and peer-edit each others' work. Bring a pencil!

This class is not specifically about *teaching*, per se, but rather about learning how to impart knowledge in a meaningful and lasting way - whether that way is via lecturing, demonstration, discussion, tutoring, etc. We will cover basic teaching techniques, student management, what constitutes a "good" teacher, and how to develop the skills you need to do what you do!

What is culture? What does it do? How does it develop? We’ll explore these questions and more in a group discussion about culture. We’ll also spend a little time on the basics and ethics of cultural anthropology.

LARP - Live Action Role Playing - is a place where theatric improvisation, imagination, and sports intersect. LARPers take on the persona of a character and act that personality out in an imaginary situation. We’ll be going over different styles of LARPing and then actually trying a few out. No previous role-playing or acting experience is needed; just be ready to be a little silly and to try something new!

Do you like to express yourself with the written word? Have you ever read a good book and wondered, "Wow! How does the author DO that?" Do you need a little help at giving your essays that extra "kick"? Then this class is for you! You can pick up some tips on how to write creative, engaging prose and poetry of all kinds in this class.

In the theater arts, improvisation is the art of making your performance up as you go along. Getting up and performing with no preparation might sound a little daunting, but it’s actually both really easy and a whole lot of fun! You’ll learn how to do it with some theater games, then you’ll improvise a short scene of your own with a small group.