Bill's Info
Teaching since 1978, International Thespian Convention with the Chicago City Limits. Workshop instructor with CCL in New York City, 1980-1982, Independent workshops in New York City 1983-1995, taught for The First Amendment Improv Company, '84-'88. Director of Improvisational studies for the Manhattan Comedy School, 1996-2001. Bucks County Community College, Newtown Pa, 2004-2014, Bucks County Playhouse, 2013, guest instructor at Philly Improv, Philadelphia Pa, Gotham City Improv, NYC, The Nursery, London UK (between 2005 and present). Directed student productions at Folk City, NYC and Carolines on Broadway, NYC, and Bucks County Community College, Newtown Pa."One of the things that I loved about Bill’s workshop was that he quickly created a sense of ease and trust among the group. He was modest about his incredible improv achievements, and created a space in which we could all work thoughtfully and openly together. The sense of working with someone who had such a wealth of experience and play but was so calm and open to our ways of working was ace. Another great thing about the workshop was the combination of interesting exercises together with getting back to the basics of your play. Bill really encouraged us all to be able to take our time, to explore the characters that we were endowed with and dig deeper in the same ditch, rather than trying to force a scene and make things happen. Bill taught me to remember the joy and space that you can bring to a scene, and encouraged us all to focus on our scene partner to find the truth of the situation. Bill infused the whole workshop with a sense of fun, and I left feeling inspired and confident. I would recommend his teaching to improvisers of all levels." - Lauren Shearing, London UK, Prison Break Improv Duo
"About a year ago I took a workshop with Bill called 'Letting the Character Do the Work'. Though it was a one-off, many of the scenes we did in that short time remain etched on my brain today. I had amazing fun and learned a lot about the power of patience in improv. Bill will show you that funny, fascinating scenes can emerge naturally, through characters having different perspectives on the same events. I learned from him that the soul of entertaining improv is interesting, authentically portrayed, idiosyncratic people. As a teacher, Bill exudes unhurried calm and implicitly trusts his students. He is clearly dedicated to great improv through strong character work - and fosters a really productive, encouraging environment for this. Unsurprisingly, he's also just a great guy. If you need a reason to slow down and smell the roses in scenes, Bill will remind you why you don't need to rush, as well as just how rich a world you can create by simply listening and building from each other's characters." - Trilochon Chatterjee, Nursery Theatre, London UK
"With over thirty years of experience as a working actor and an impressive resume, I couldn’t believe that someone like Bill McLaughlin was available to a bunch of college kids like myself. I had the great pleasure to have Bill as one of my acting teachers in 2004. I took improv with Bill at my community college and although I had prior acting experiences I had never done improv. I was terrified. What if I messed up? What if I couldn’t think quick enough? What if I wasn’t funny? What I quickly learned is that Bill was a master at his craft and learning from someone with his skill level made the class a breeze. Don’t get me wrong. Bill will absolutely push you, but at the same time he’s able to ease your fears and ignite your creativity. At the end of our semester together I was even able to get up in front of a room of people and perform improv three nights in a row. For the actor, improv is such an important part of your studies. It teaches you to think outside of the norm, get outside of your comfort zone, lose your fear of failing and the importance of working with your fellow actors to make a great show. The things I’ve learned in Bill’s improv class has most certainly helped my acting and helped me in business. Two years after my class with Bill I landed a job as an improv teacher at a short term summer children’s theatre camp. Later that year I auditioned for, and won, a lead role on a national reality based television show. Why was improv important for this role? There’s no script. Although, I’m not acting I’m not afraid to be myself and say what’s on my mind when cameras are rolling. Improv class gives you confidence, which absolutely shines through when you’re meeting with producers, managers and auditioning for a part. Even though it’s been seven years since I took his class I still keep in touch with Bill as I now have the honor of calling him a friend. I’ll often hit him up for advice on the entertainment business as I’m still a young buck in this field and Bill is always happy to lend help. If you’re having reservations about taking his class, don’t. I learned so much from him and his teaching style will absolutely push you to a new level." - Katrina Weideman, Co-host for Paranormal Lockdown, Destination America TV
