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About Pan Theater
Comedy Improv
Meet
our
Theater's
Directors
/
Meet the
Cast /
Register for
Audition
Pan Theater:
-
A place to become
part of an improv ensemble
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A community
improv theater
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An IMPROV Theater
dedicated to relationship based scene work
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A training ground
for new improv performers and ensembles
Pan Theater
is a San
Francisco, California Improv Theater that creates improv comedy and
improv drama shows in San Francisco. We perform at the Blue Bear Stage
in Fort Mason, Building D, in San Francisco. We also have a class and
rehearsal space in Oakland, California.
Pan
Theater is dedicated to exploring the art of improvisational theater (improv)
by providing shows for the San Francisco Bay Area. Pan Theater is a
place for performers to learn, study, practice and perform
improvisational theater. Pan Theater is committed to creating, fostering
and providing a home for improv ensembles.
Pan Theater
has two core performing troupes and three training ensembles.
Current troupe members have studied and trained at: ImprovAsylum, Improv
Boston, Second City, Improv Olympics, Bay Area Theater Sports (BATS), SF
Comedy College and of course Pan Theater. Our performers have also
studied at: American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Rep., the Bay Area
Acting Studio, UC Berkeley and San Francisco State University.
We focus on providing our performers the chance to perform and to learn by
doing. We focus on creating supportive and strong improv troupes. This
provides our performers the chance to find a performing home within the
Pan Theater community. New
troupe members will have performance opportunities within two to four
months depending on prior experience and talent.
We
believe performing skills are learned by both practicing and
performing!
We practice and perform both dramatic long form improv and comedic
short form improv. Our trademark show for 2008: the Beginning-
includes both short form and long from sets giving our audiences
moments of both drama and comedy.
Prior Shows
include:
Dramedy and
Comma
the Imagination
Unleashed
a Suggestion of
Horror and Fear
Mysteries Under
the Tree
Anything Can
Happen in Ten Minutes
Meet our Theater's Directors /
Meet the
Cast /
Register for
Audition
We believe Improv is both life-affirming and growth-promoting, whether
it’s used as an occasional pastime or as training for serious work in
theater or film. Our goal is to create work that is grounded in solid
acting technique. Our work strives for truthful performances that
stretch the limits of the performers.
Improv teaches
teamwork, support, leadership and followership, risk taking and
acceptance of failure (and hence resilience). We push ourselves to find,
accept and play the truth of the moment.
Our work includes training in the Johnstone, Spolin, and Close schools
of improv, among others. We also study traditional theater
exercises developed by Meisner, Stanislavski, and Chekhov, as well as
vocal and physical theater techniques. Our work is most heavily
influenced by Meisner Technique, Spolin Technique and the long form
itechnique and work of Del Close and Charna Halpern.
Join our email list to
receive Pan Theater class, show and audition updates. List
members also get free intro to improv classes, and free
articles on improv theater, and free and discounted show
ticket offers.
Our History
Pan Theater was founded in February of 2002. Depending on who you
ask, “Pan” refers to either "Pick a Name Theater" or Pan, the Greek god
of goatherds and shepherds. Pan Theater slowly evolved to a core group
of improvisers. We began our rehearsals and shows at the 21 Grand
Performance Space and Art Gallery in downtown Oakland.
During 2003 we leased a fulltime rehearsal space and began plans for
adding additional performing troupes. 2004 brought the addition of a
second performing troupe and regular performances at the Blue Bear
Theater in San Francisco and at the EGYPT performance space in Oakland.
During 2007 we moved to our new rehearsal space and our East Bay
performance space.
.GIF)
Our Future:
Pan Theater's
immediate plans include development of our own Black Box Theater,
planning and work on our class offering and bringing national theater
and improv teachers to the East Bay for day long and weekend long
seminars and classes.
As always- we will
continue to provide a home for improv actors to perform, study and
practice improvisational theater that focuses on the moment and the
truth it brings. We avoid and strive to fight against comedy that arises
from actor anxiety or attempts to be the star performer.
Pan Theater's Directors:
David Alger
(Pan Theater Producer/Director )
David Alger was
one of original founding members of Pan Theater in the 21 Grand days. He
has performed with the Greater Public Theater of Fort Lauderdale and has
also performed with Too Tall Stories and the Flying Apples Improv
Troupe.
His improv
training includes classes with LifePlays, Comedy Sportz, BATS, classes
at U.C. Berkeley Extension, IO West and private instruction with Doug
Kassel- a direct student of Viola Spolin.
David's teaching and
directing style is heavily influenced by by
Spolin and
Meisner
techniques. David
studied Meisner Technique with Christy Butchers of the
Bay Area Acting Studio.
Christy was one of Sanford Meisner's last direct students. His
education includes an BA in Theater from Florida Atlantic University and
an M.B.A. from the University of Rhode Island.
David teaches Pan
Theater's Improv Basics classes on a regular basis. For reviews of
David's teaching style and methods visit this link:
testimonials.
Theresa Allocco
(Director/Teacher for Pan Theater )
Theresa has
been playing and performing with Pan Theater since November of 2005.
She has also trained at Chicago's renowned
Second City Theater where she
completed their basic improv training program in October of 2003.
Theresa has had
over four years of voice training in Chicago and at The Peabody School
of Music in Baltimore, Maryland. By day Theresa is a mental health
therapist at an alternative high school in Oakland where she says improv
skills come in hella handy.
Ralph Thomas
(Director/Teacher for Pan
Theater
)
Ralph has been
playing and performing with Pan Theater since 2004. He has done
additional training at BATS in SF
in both short form and long form improv. Ralph has also studied Meisner
Technique with Christy Butchers of Bay Area Acting Studio.
Ralph brings over 20 years of experience in both teaching and coaching
to his work with improv students and troupes to ensure players have a
rich environment to take risks and grow as improvisers. Ralph works days
doing Life Coaching where he
incorporates many of the skills of improv into his work with clients.
Improv
Articles:
Pan Theater
Supporter:
Pan Theater is supported in part by
the Thumbtack Bugle:
the
Thumbtack Bugle
provides
street level marketing for local shows, classes, businesses and events. We
offer flyer distribution, postcard drop stack distribution and related
services for both San Francisco and the East Bay. We do the walking so
you don't have to. Be sure to ask for our Pan Theater special rate on
new orders.
Show and Troupe Pictures
Join our email list to
receive Pan Theater class, show and audition updates. List
members also get free intro to improv classes, and free
articles on improv theater, and free and discounted show
ticket offers.
Note: We are always
looking for volunteers to help with our shows, marketing and related
needs. During 2005 we will be looking for members for our board of
directors as we move toward formalizing our nonprofit status.
Email-
pantheater@comcast.net
: Phone- (415) 261-1641
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