IMPRO MELBOURNE - Key Persons
Joined Impro Melbourne 2018
Performance Background: Adam performed in plays and musicals throughout high school, university, and in community theatre afterward. Before moving to Melbourne, Adam learned to improvise with the National Comedy Theatre in Phoenix, AZ. In Melbourne he has trained with The Improv Conspiracy, where he also performed on Harold team 'Endless Cash'. In 2015, Adam co-founded Soothplayers, producers of Completely Improvised Shakespeare and Completely Improvised Potter. He continues to work as a producer and player for the company.
Teaching Experience: Adam has taught introductory improvisation classes with The Improv Conspiracy. He also runs Improvised Shakespeare workshops in schools with Soothplayers, and regularly coaches indie improv troupes in Melbourne. By day Adam is a PhD student in English at the University of Melbourne, and has been teaching literature and writing in some form since 2010.
Brenna is an improvisational actor and director who has performed all over Australia and abroad. She is the Director of the improvised musical Smells Like a Song, an Ensemble player at Impro Melbourne and Artistic Director of the nominated Best Comedy (Melb Fringe 2019) show Soothplayers - Completely Improvised Shakespeare. She is one of the co-creators and performers in the duo I Wish…, improvising songs and stories inspired by anonymous wishes from the audience. Brenna uses her improvisation, musical and clowning skills to entertain children in paediatric hospitals across Australia as part of the Starlight Children's Foundation.
Brenna completed the Bachelor of Performing Arts at Monash University and currently teaches and performs for schools, corporates and the general public.
Brenna is a supportive and enthusiastic teacher, always sharing her passion for art form with students. She has been teaching drama and improvisation since 2012, in Australia and overseas. Brenna has taught adults and children of all ages, and for companies including Brave Studios, The Decent People, New Zealand Improv Festival and Monash University, just to name a few. Brenna teaches workshops on improvised Shakespeare, musicals, scene work and stage craft, but particularly loves introducing newcomers to improvisation.
Emilie Collyer writes plays, fiction and poetry that often ask difficult questions about humanity via a speculative or fantastical lens. Theatre awards and shortlistings of note include: The Good Girl (Winner Best Writer Melbourne Fringe & Green Room Nomination), Dream Home (shortlisted Edward Albee Scholarship and Patrick White Award, seven Green Room Nominations), Promise (Winner George Fairfax Award, Highly Commended Patrick White Award), Argonauta (Winner Young Playwright's Award).
Commissions include: Malthouse, Arena, ABC Radio, Punctum Inc, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Writers Festival and St Martins. In 2016 Emilie received the Malcolm Robertson Prize (Malthouse) for her play Contest and was selected for the inaugural MTC Women in Theatre Program. The Good Girl has played in New York, Hollywood and Florida. Once Were Pirates at Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe. Contest will premiere in 2018.
Published work includes The Lifted Brow, Aurealis, Overland, Cordite, Kill Your Darlings, The Big Issue, Allegory (USA), Cosmic Vegetable (USA), and two fiction collections with Clan Destine Press. Her prose and poetry has won numerous awards including three Scarlet Stiletto crime writing awards.
Geoff Wallis's long association with improvised theatre includes lots of "THEATRESPORTS", the occasional "SPONTANEOUS BROADWAY" and eccentric shows such as "JAWS! THE MUSICAL", "MURDER TO DIE FOR", "THE LINDA BLAIR WITCH PROJECT" and "COMPLETELY LOST IN SPACE". In addition he has frequently worked with a script and appeared in productions of "HAMLET", "MACBETH", "TWELFTH NIGHT", "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING", "SCROOGE", "BLOOD BROTHERS", "SWEET CHARITY", "THE GIRLIE SHOW", "SILVERTOP ASH", "LOVE IS MY SIN", "LAWYERS, DRUGS AND MONEY", "SPINNING STRAW", "ANGEL FALL" and "THE SUN ALSO SIZZLES". These days he is often found paying out on bad movies in the comedy show "CINEMA FIASCO".