Futures School – Improvisation

Mar 2026 · 2nd Semester

“Improvisation is an acting skill that requires great amounts of intellectual courage, physical freedom, and an awareness of both past and current events” (Yale, School of Theatre). Improvisation is fundamental to acting training, and builds skill sets (extemporaneous speaking, physical control, language manipulation) applicable to success in the educational, and workplace, environments. Students will learn through a variety of skill building exercises, historical context (specifically Commedia d’elle Arte, the Italian street theatre genre), and work with professionals Classroom materials would include: Viewpoints by Anne Bogart, Improvisation for the Theatre by Viola Spolin, Unexpected Productions Handbook (Seattle Theatre). Course Fees $$ 10 – $ 15$ In this course students will be introduced to basic elements of music, such as music reading, chord structure, scales, and notation, culminating in a short composition project. Work is individualized and tailored to the needs of each student. Early in the course, students will be assessed to determine the amount of theory students already know, and progress will continue from that base. Most assigned work can be completed during class time. This course requires a strong individual work ethic, as students in the class will be at varying levels. Teacher permission. Students must play an instrument or sing, be able to read music and have a basic understanding of music theory. $$ 50 – $ 60$ fee for workbooks. Fee for AP examination approximately $$ 100$ . College credit may be available through end-of-year AP examination. This college-level theory class offers an in-depth study of music theory. Students who complete this course may be able to challenge the first year of music theory courses in college. Homework will be assigned.