The below press release is posted on the i.o. Chicago homepage. So amazingly awesome news for North Carolina as it will open the door for many people who can't take the time away from work to take i.o. classes in Chicago or L.A. Check it out: www.iochicago.net
i.O. Chicago and ComedyWorx to Establish Improv Training Center in Raleigh
Raleigh, NC, November 14, 2005 – The i.O. Theater Chicago (formerly ImprovOlympic) and ComedyWorx of Raleigh have entered into a joint venture to establish an i.O. Training Center in Raleigh, N.C. The i.O. South Training Center, as it will be called, will hold i.O. classes at the ComedyWorx venue.
i.O. has conducted classes in improvisation for 25 years and operates training centers in Chicago and Los Angeles. ComedyWorx originated improvised theater in Raleigh 16 years ago and has trained hundreds of performers many of whom perform around the country and Europe.
This joint venture brings together a world-famous training program and a local improv tradition of providing quality shows. Founded in 1989, ComedyWorx was the region’s first permanent improvisational theater and it laid the foundation for the region’s improv community. Several hundred individuals, most with no prior experience performing, have been trained at ComedyWorx to be in their improvised stage show. ComedyWorx director Richard Gardner says “that after several years with ComedyWorx many of our most experienced performers would move on to Chicago to train in the i.O. Theater program.” With the establishment of the i.O. South Training Center we expect to keep performers in the Triangle as well as provide an impetus for regional performers to relocate to Raleigh.
“The training center will be an important boost to the cultural component of Raleigh’s downtown revitalization,” said Gardner. “After the i.O. established its training center in Chicago 25 years ago, the Chicago improv scene grew exponentially. There is a now a community of hundreds of performers and dozens of performing groups and venues. It is likely that the same thing will happen here.”
The center will be a force for providing the “vibrant” atmosphere that many have said is missing in downtown Raleigh. i.O. South will be a catalyst for the explosive growth in the number of small improv performance venues and performing groups at local nightspots. It will provide alternatives to the existing sports bars and music venues.
“This joint venture will provide i.O. courses to those individuals in the South that cannot move to Chicago or L.A. or take off work to experience the classes,” said Halpern. “It is my hope that this additional training center will provide an outlet for those in the South seeking to learn or improve their improv skills.”
The entire five-level instructional program offered at the i.O. South Training Center will be identical to those taught in Chicago and Los Angeles. All the instructors, including Charna Halpern, will travel from Chicago or L.A. to teach in Raleigh.
The Level I classes will be available on Mondays & Wednesdays (7 - 10 P.M.), and Saturdays & Sundays (1 - 4 P.M.) beginning February 25, 2006. Each class will last eight-weeks and will cost $295.
For information about ComedyWorx and the classes, please visit www.comedyworx.com or contact Richard Gardner by phone at 919-605-5233 or via e-mail at rgardner@comedyworx.com.
i.O. Chicago and ComedyWorx to Establish Improv Training Center in Raleigh
Raleigh, NC, November 14, 2005 – The i.O. Theater Chicago (formerly ImprovOlympic) and ComedyWorx of Raleigh have entered into a joint venture to establish an i.O. Training Center in Raleigh, N.C. The i.O. South Training Center, as it will be called, will hold i.O. classes at the ComedyWorx venue.
i.O. has conducted classes in improvisation for 25 years and operates training centers in Chicago and Los Angeles. ComedyWorx originated improvised theater in Raleigh 16 years ago and has trained hundreds of performers many of whom perform around the country and Europe.
This joint venture brings together a world-famous training program and a local improv tradition of providing quality shows. Founded in 1989, ComedyWorx was the region’s first permanent improvisational theater and it laid the foundation for the region’s improv community. Several hundred individuals, most with no prior experience performing, have been trained at ComedyWorx to be in their improvised stage show. ComedyWorx director Richard Gardner says “that after several years with ComedyWorx many of our most experienced performers would move on to Chicago to train in the i.O. Theater program.” With the establishment of the i.O. South Training Center we expect to keep performers in the Triangle as well as provide an impetus for regional performers to relocate to Raleigh.
“The training center will be an important boost to the cultural component of Raleigh’s downtown revitalization,” said Gardner. “After the i.O. established its training center in Chicago 25 years ago, the Chicago improv scene grew exponentially. There is a now a community of hundreds of performers and dozens of performing groups and venues. It is likely that the same thing will happen here.”
The center will be a force for providing the “vibrant” atmosphere that many have said is missing in downtown Raleigh. i.O. South will be a catalyst for the explosive growth in the number of small improv performance venues and performing groups at local nightspots. It will provide alternatives to the existing sports bars and music venues.
“This joint venture will provide i.O. courses to those individuals in the South that cannot move to Chicago or L.A. or take off work to experience the classes,” said Halpern. “It is my hope that this additional training center will provide an outlet for those in the South seeking to learn or improve their improv skills.”
The entire five-level instructional program offered at the i.O. South Training Center will be identical to those taught in Chicago and Los Angeles. All the instructors, including Charna Halpern, will travel from Chicago or L.A. to teach in Raleigh.
The Level I classes will be available on Mondays & Wednesdays (7 - 10 P.M.), and Saturdays & Sundays (1 - 4 P.M.) beginning February 25, 2006. Each class will last eight-weeks and will cost $295.
For information about ComedyWorx and the classes, please visit www.comedyworx.com or contact Richard Gardner by phone at 919-605-5233 or via e-mail at rgardner@comedyworx.com.
