master classes and workshops
“Acting for the Improviser” improv master class with Anděl Sudik
Join us for “Acting for the Improviser / Dynamic Tension,” an improv master class with instructor Anděl Sudik.
Using acting exercises, we’ll explore what improvisation can be when we drop our guards and allow ourselves to live on stage, see and be seen. What opportunities are we rushing through? How can we pull ourselves, our partners and our audience into presence?
WHERE: WJ Geery Theatre, 2130 L St, Sacramento, CA 95816
WHEN: Saturday, July 26th from 2-5 PM
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Anděl Sudik is a director, improviser, actor and writer based in L.A. and Chicago known for her explosive energy onstage and in the classroom as well as her experiential teaching style. She considers herself proactively pessimistic and infused all her work-no matter how abstract- with organic honesty and emotional grounding.
She was born in Chicago, raised in California and moved back to Chicago at the tender age of 17 to study comedy and improvisation. She is a faculty member of the Second City Training Center programs; A-E, Conservatory, Health and Wellness, Advanced and Teen and Youth program and has taught her workshops all over the states and the world(The Nest OH, The Improv Shop St. Louis, Monkey Business Institute Madison, OLLIE Northwestern, CLIP U of C, OKC, The Improv Retreat, WI, Improv Utopia East, Providence Fest, Red Rocks Fest, Gladstone Fest, The New Movement NOLA, Iceland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Ireland, N. Ireland, BIG IF, Neverending, Oslo Fest etc.) As an actor she is an alum of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the Second City Touring Company and performed in the Jeff Award award winning Second City ETC revue “We’re All in this Room Together.” She has also produced countless successful two-man shows as Arch&Anděl(The Public House, Annoyance, OoB Festival) and improvisational experiences(Obits a theatrical experience exploring the lives of those that have passed) as well as directed in Chicago at Second City, iO and the Annoyance.
Anděl’s deep well of performance experience and her hands-on, in depth work within the disciplines of long form improvisation, short form, sketch and theater make her a thoroughly well-rounded and open minded conduit for art, creation, polish and playfulness.
She values time efficiency, and recognizes that the most powerful thing we bring to the table is us. Whatever we are. She does not update her website enough. YesAndel.Com
an Improv Master Class with Patrick Rowland
Armando Form
ABOUT the ARMANDO:
The Armando is a form that originated in Chicago where improvisers create scenes based on personal monologues, but it goes deeper than that. In this workshop, Patrick will break down the Armando form and how you as a player can take your performance and monologues to another level. Patrick performed with the "Armando Diaz Experience Theatrical Movement and Hootenanny" for years at iO Chicago, where it originated.
PREREQUISITES:
This class is recommended for experienced improvisers.
ACCESSIBILITY and COMFORT:
Seats will be provided both onstage and off, and we are happy to accommodate any requests to sit or take additional breaks for those who need them. Please let us know if you'll be needing any other accommodations and we will work to accommodate you as best as possible! The bathroom is on the second floor with a wheelchair lift, for those who need it.
PARKING:
Metered parking and free 2 hour street parking is available near the venue.
Join us for an Armando form improv class with instructor Patrick Rowland, culminating in a class showcase! If you're looking for a long-form improv comedy master class in Sacramento, this is the class for you!
WHEN:
Saturday, August 9th, 2-5 PM. The class will culminate in a one hour showcase at 7 PM on the evening of August 9th at the Geery Theater.
WHERE:
WJ Geery Theater - 2130 L St, Sacramento, CA
an Improv class with Bernie Baktashian
Finding Your Improv Why
ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Bernie Baktashian (she/they) is a facilitator, improviser, and community builder who creates spaces where people feel safe to take risks, get curious, and be their whole selves. With over a decade of experience guiding groups through creative discovery and problem solving, Bernie designs environments where small actions and strong relationships can spark meaningful change.
Bernie has performed improv for over six years across Sacramento and is a member of Lies My Parents Told Me and Haus of Comedy teams Sharks Barksley, Guess What?, and Yes, Clef! They also tour regionally with the American Immersion Theater Company’s Northern California troupe. Whether in a rehearsal room, board retreat, or community event, Bernie uses improv tools and principles to help people connect more deeply to themselves, each other, and new ways of thinking.
In addition to improv workshops, Bernie has facilitated programs for all ages and sectors, ranging from corporate, public, and nonprofit training to K–12 classrooms, children’s innovation camps, and garden-based learning. They previously served as Board President and Artistic Community Director at Empire Arts Collective, where they designed and led the Collective Brilliance Experience, a multi-week workshop series that blends improv, reflective practice, and facilitation tools to help artists, organizers, and community members develop their individual and collective creative ideas. Website: www.berniebaktashian.com
Why improv? New or seasoned, this workshop is a space to reflect on your personal relationship with improv: what drew you in, what’s changed, and/or why you come back. Through reflection, storytelling and games we’ll explore questions like:
What does improv mean to me?
How do I want to show up in this community and art form?
Where do I light up?
It’s less “scene work” and more soul work. You'll leave with a clearer sense of your creative motivations, stronger connections with others, and renewed direction grounded in your unique strengths.
WHEN: Saturday, August 23, 2025, 2 PM - 5 PM PST
WHERE: WJ Geery Theater, 2130 L Street, Sacramento, CA 95816