WHAT: A Saturday Dose of Fun (improv games for grownups with Henry Balzarini)
WHEN: every second and fourth Saturdays, noon–2 p.m.; next one: Saturday, Apr. 13
WHERE: The LAVA Center, 324 Main St., Greenfield
CONTACT: info@thelavacenter.org or 413-376-8118
GREENFIELD, MA — The LAVA Center will host improv workshops for adults, led by local improv teacher and performer Henry Balzarini, every second and fourth Saturdays, noon–2 p.m.
Using improv games and exercises, we’ll learn and practice skills, inspire creativity, relieve stress, play together and have much fun in a low pressure environment. Every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month.
No experience necessary. If you do have improv experience, it can be a great workout and a way to “get your reps.” Either way, you’ll be part of a positive and supportive experience.
Free, but donations are appreciated ($5–10 suggested). Intended for adults. Limit of 15 please, so sign up now: email hbquit@hotmail.com.
This Saturday’s focus is ACCEPTANCE.
A core skill of improv (and life) is Acceptance. Learning to accept and build on the offers of others is key to moving forward. We’ll explore Offers and Blocks, Yes and…, Listening and Awareness, and Making the Other Person Look Good.
about your host:
I’m Henry Balzarini and a native of Boston. In the 1980’s I lived in New York City where I studied acting and tapped into Big Apple essence. Then back to Boston, where I acted in various scripted roles and then found improv, and haven’t been the same since. I performed in improv groups and productions in Boston and Brattleboro, and taught teen groups in Keene, NH and most recently, Zoomed improv during the pandemic.
Many of the surefire routes to joy, in my life, have been the times I’ve spent doing improv-based activities, whether it’s creating, playing, performing or just transforming a moment. To me it’s more a state of mind/being. When I watch the joy and transformation that comes about when people play improv games and work together as a group, I’m transformed as well. In a safe setting, participants, especially adults, can let loose and go places they never thought they could. It’s the act of letting go, of enjoying a perfect synthesis of minds. It’s all made me a better person. It’s time again to share that joy.
The LAVA Center is a community arts space in Greenfield, MA whose mission is to create opportunities and build inclusive community in and through the arts and humanities. We are focused on making The LAVA Center a space where all artists, including marginalized communities and individuals, can have their voices heard. The LAVA Center is located at 324 Main St., in downtown Greenfield, MA. https://thelavacenter.org