Unconventional Improv

On Saturday March 18, Strut The Stage presented a creative first—an Unconventional Improv Show, at The Rose Den. Enchantress Shane Kulman directed five actors using the improv method she was trained in from The Open Door Acting company, which she attributes for her life being saved over 15 years ago. 

Most of the members of this Troupe live and thrive in Rockaway. Rockaway Russel Siegel, Caryn Isaacs, Mindi Dovberg, John Diblosi, and Susan Michele Coronel took the stage, only having participated in two workshops to prepare, and even then, only knowing their partner and the relationship to their stage partner, the rest was improv. This style of improv is based on the unconventionality of saying NO.  It’s a dramatic improv with about five characters that all reside in the fictitious “enchant-a-way.” 

“You helped make the people happy,” Salvatore Lopizzo, founder of YANA, was overheard saying to Shane. “Rockaway needs more of this.” The house was packed, all seats were filled and the bar was quiet with the exception of the actors in the area which represented the stage. “They were amazing, we were sucked in to all the drama!” said Dan Guarino. “We loved how it was a whole story, and not separate skits! This flowed like a whole story… that really was a nice touch,” said a participant that traveled in from Westchester. 

Shane Kulman said she feels “elated to have the opportunity to continue to teach the work that changed and saved her life so many years ago… we focus on what works, and this is what translates the most in the actors’ lives…”