Characters you're not allowed to play

Part of the joy of improv is the freedom to play any character, but we sometimes shy away from characters who are very different from ourselves. Choosing a character from a different cultural background, a different race, a different gender, or who has a disability can feel very uncomfortable for some people. We’re scared of causing offence, of getting it wrong, of misrepresenting a viewpoint or experience that is not our own. If we never try, though, we miss out on a rich pool of characters, and we might never see some of these lives onstage. Worse, we let our fear dictate our art. This workshop focuses on strategies for playing any character in an honest and heartfelt way, and on broadening our own knowledge of different human experiences.