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IMPRO SUPREME - The Vision

Improvisation that is:

1 > VISUAL
The actors use their bodies and are aware of themselves in the space (dance).

2 > AURAL
The actors feel their voices as they speak their words (song).

3 > INTELLIGENT
The choices the actors make, moment to moment, are informed by their understanding of the piece they are creating (composition).

4 > INSPIRED
The actions and lines of dialogue making up the scenes come from the actors' own creative imagination (drama & comedy).

5 > EXTRAORDINARY
In fully integrated improvisational theatre the four above aspects are interrelated and constantly feeding into each other (integrity).

"IMPRO" or IMPROV" - The standard approach focuses almost entirely on the mental/intellectual aspect of improvisation. Students are likely to feel imaginative at first, but will quickly get stuck in a rut: the same ideas will be coming back again and again. They are neither given the time nor taught how to consciously use their body/voice and -above all- feeling. They might be having fun with free association of ideas, but are essentially acquiring a habit of responding somewhat automatically to actions or lines of dialogue, thus leaving themselves, their own feeling (or humanity), out of it.

IMPRO SUPREME is my approach to making improvised theatre a more satisfying and exciting experience, for the actors as well as for the audience - one doesn't go without the other. It's all about how to integrate the dance, the song, the drama and the comedy into the improvisation. The aim is to give the student a set of concrete tools -a method- to work himself so that he can produce "moments of theatre" at will, more often, and not by mere chance.

For this I have simply combined the best of what I have so far encountered on my way, most importantly: the Seidenstein Method and Keith Johnstone's theories of improvisation. Other teachers have also been valuable to my journey, some in person and some via books, including poets, novelists, philosophers and scientists (follow Impro Supreme on Facebook or on Twitter to get inspiring and thought provoking quotes about...)

'Impro Supreme' is a living approach. It will keep evolving as long as I do. . .

SUPPORT

"Caspar is going from strength to strength as a performer, teacher and artistic director. He is now facilitating real, and demonstrative new life into the world of improvisation with his Impro Supreme workshop and its vision to let go of what no longer is useful and to explore the deeper potential of improv. He is very experienced in the teachings of Keith Johnstone and has the freedom to adapt and use The Seidenstein Method in new ways that he is creating in particular in his Impro Supreme."
Ira Seidenstein, 30/08/2010

COMMENTS

"This kind of work is a beautiful testament to the breadth of human imagination, with so many unpredictable ideas leaping out of the simple shapes of human bodies."
Robin Davidson, 14/02/2011 (performance review)

FEEDBACK

"Caspar's IMPRO SUPREME workshop was great to do. He was effortlessly direct and nicely in control."
Peter More, Easylaughs, Amsterdam (Impro Supreme Essentials 2-day workshop - Amsterdam, 23-24 July 2011)

"It is important to train the body because it is one of our most important tools in improvisation, and our creative imaginations are incredibly diminished if we aren't also expressive physically. The Impro Supreme workshop was an incredible experience in this way because I now feel better connected to my physical self as I explore characters and relationships in improvisation. Caspar is a wonderfully intelligent and experienced teacher who is able to motivate while also making you laugh and feel comfortable exploring your own creativity."
John Mabey (Impro Supreme Essentials 2-day workshop - Amsterdam, 23-24 July 2011)

"I really had fun at Caspar's IMPRO SUPREME Workshop. I really appreciated the focus he had on starting a scene. It's too often true that beginning improvisers like me tend to get rid of that embarrassing first moments as much as possible. Caspar has therefore offered us new tools to tackle this initial moment, that's fantastic. On top of that, it was all good fun. Nobody got hurt!"
Guillaume Ballet (Impro Supreme Essentials 2-day workshop - Amsterdam, 23-24 July 2011)

"I feel this method changes your whole outlook on improvisation and the creative process. Improv at its
most exciting, fresh and deep level."
Koenraad Coel (1st Impro Supreme workshop - Paris, 22-25 July 2010)

"I tried Caspar's new workshop recipe: Impro Supreme.
Tender, free-range physicality served over a layer of sharp,
confident coaching, accompanied by a generous glass of
full-bodied vocalising. Delicious!"
Fergus O'Reilly (1st Impro Supreme workshop - Paris, 22-25 July 2010)

"The workshop did what it said on the label!
Improv can scare me shitless but this lets you build something authentic
and solid from the ground up, takes away the anxiety
and opens intriguing possibility....I recommend it."
"After the workshop we all felt that we had more choice
and less anxiety when playing scenes. It works in daily life too!"
Edward Hines (1st Impro Supreme workshop - Paris, 22-25 July 2010)

"I appreciated very much the many exercises that helped us break down to the essentials the performance, and then composing it bit by bit from the simplest to the more complex. I am very comfortable with your four levels of "impro supreme"; they reflect the reality and help structure the performer's work.
I can say that it has been most useful to me in terms of knowing new methods of work, acquiring new skills and mostly identifying my weak spots that need work and improvement. I can't see how we could have done more in four days!"
Corneliu Dragomirescu (1st Impro Supreme workshop - Paris, 22-25 July 2010)

"I'm a professional singer and singing teacher and I can truly recommend this workshop. The body exercices gives you the right energy and freedom to make a great stage performance! + Caspar is a very good teacher because he creates a good vibe in the group and it's clear he really knows what he's talking about."
Sofie Sörman (1st Impro Supreme workshop - Paris, 22-25 July 2010)