ColdTowne Theater

Prerequisite: Level 2 or higher in an established improv school.

Whether your goal is solid storytelling or pure chaos, the root of any good improv show is solid, two-person scene work. This 8-week intensive focuses on the fundamentals of creating believable, lived-in universes, giving players the tools to answer the audience’s burning question: “Why the fuck are we watching this?” Players will work on making active choices with a deep commitment to honesty and listening and will drill simple techniques to create interesting scene starts every single time, with a heavy focus on building powerful and emotionally dynamic relationships between the characters and creating fun, playable games. The intensive will also include plenty of individual feedback and diagnostics, tons of stage time, and in-depth homework assignments designed to chisel you into hardened improv steel.

MICHAEL JASTROCH is a comedic actor, writer, and improv instructor, formerly based out of Austin, TX, and presently living his “Van Life” dream of traveling the country and working out of Walmart Parking lots. 

As one of the founders of ColdTowne Theater and a member of the seminal improv groups ColdTowne and The Frank Mills, Michael has won several awards for his work, including “Best Comedy Group ” in the Austin Chronicle Reader’s poll and the B. Iden Payne award for “Outstanding Improv Ensemble.” His improv and sketch comedy podcast Victrola! was named one of Austin’s “Best Comedy Podcasts” and nominated by Austin Chronicle readers as one of the city’s best comedy groups.

Michael has taught improv comedy for the last seventeen years and has been nominated and won “Best Improv Teacher” and “Best Improv Coach” a whole bunch. He’s taught his improv workshops all over the country, including at the Magnet Theater in NYC, the Oberlin College Improv Festival, The Oklahoma Improv Festival, the Phoenix Improv Festival, The Dallas Comedy Fest, The Alaska State Improv Fest, and the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival in Chapel Hill.