Charna Halpern, co-creator of long-form improvisation comedy, will share her wit and wisdom in an interactive program on Monday, Aug. 30, at Tusculum College.
Halpern, who has been teaching performers how to work together for more than 28 years, will come to the stage and “talk about talking” at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building on campus. The program is the first in Tusculum Arts Outreach’s Acts, Arts, Academia 2010-11 performance and lecture series.
Halpern’s world world-famous iO (formerly Improv Olympic) theaters in Chicago and Los Angeles are meccas of training in the art of improvisation, and they act as a “recruiting” stop for television shows like “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “MADtv,” supplying New York and Hollywood with writers and performers. Halpern and her Los Angeles theater, iO West, were featured in the 20th season of MTV’s “The Real World”, where she trained the roommates in improvisation.
An author, Halpern’s has written two books “Truth in Comedy” and “Art By Committee,” which act as a guide for theaters and improv groups around the world that teach and perform improvisation. Specializing in creating a “group mind” with hilarious end results, Halpern shares her secrets and skills in order to give businesses the creative edge they need to compete in the corporate world.
She also travels to universities around the world to teach long-form improvisation. The alumni whose talents she has honed include Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Chris Farley, Amy Poehler, and an entire generation of North America’s best and brightest comic minds.
Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors (60 and over). For more information, call Tusculum College Arts Outreach at (423) 798-1620 or visit http://arts.tusculum.edu.