WORKSHOPS & MORE
Our Last Word workshops provide festival attendees an opportunity to learn from our headliner guests in small group sessions including instruction, activities, and feedback. Space is limited for all sessions, so sign up today!
All workshops take place on Saturday, February 1 at PBK Hall (601 Jamestown Road).
La Ronde and The Party with craig cackowski
10:00 AM - 2.5 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
Two forms for the price of one! Craig Cackowski teaches TWO of his favorite forms featuring slow, patient play and strong characters and relationships. Learn how to create strong, specific characters for yourself, while helping your partners develop their characters via gift-giving and specificity.
ABOUT CRAIG CACKOWSKI
Craig Cackowski is an actor, improvisor and teacher based in Los Angeles. He was involved with the iO and iO West theaters from 1992-2018, and was the three-time winner of the Del Close Award as Teacher of the Year at iO West. As Orange Tuxedo, he and his wife Carla have played numerous improv festivals around the US and Europe. While in Chicago, he appeared in 5 revues for The Second City, and helped create such improv forms as JTS Brown and Close Quarters. As an actor, he has been seen in recurring roles on such shows as Community, Veep, Drunk History, and Sex Lives Of College Girls. He may be heard frequently on podcasts such as The Thrilling Adventure Hour and his own podcast Craig’s List, in which he makes Carla watch his 100 favorite movies.
make a move with Nnamdi Ngwe
10:00 AM - 2 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
Hesitancy from you or your ensemble kills momentum or an entire piece. But you can overcome this! We’ll explore how you as an individual can make moves that support others and empower you to make positive moves others would love to support. This workshop is beneficial to all levels.
ABOUT NNAMDI NGWE
Nnamdi Ngwe is an award winning Actor, Writer, Comedian, and Teacher. After studying and performing improv and Sketch at iO and The Second City, he became a globe-trotting teacher and now leads workshops at theaters and corporate spaces. He has written and performed for film and TV on shows like The Amber Ruffin Show, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Blippi, House Sitters, NFL on Fox, and the Emmy Award winning Tab Time. Nnamdi can be seen performing live around the world with his award winning sketch/improv group 3Peat.
Dramatic Improv: Getting Serious with Shantira Jackson
10:00 AM - 2 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
In this workshop, you will learn how to initiate and maintain scenes through honest and grounded scene work without always going for the laugh. Getting serious can get you to funny. Previous improv experience recommended.
ABOUT SHANTIRA JACKSON
Shantira Jackson is an Emmy nominated writer/performer based in Los Angeles. She has written for Netflix’s Big Mouth and its spinoff Human Resources. She also wrote for Peacock’s The Amber Ruffin Show and the Saved By The Bell reboot. You can catch her live doing stand-up or listen to her as a panelist on NPR's Wait Wait..Don't Tell Me. She can be seen performing with her award winning group 3Peat. In her free time Shantira likes to garden, does anybody want some zucchini?
THE ART OF ACTIVATION WITH CHRIS ALVARADO
10:00 AM - 2.5 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
This workshop explores the concept of activation moments — those magical points in a scene where the energy shifts and possibilities expand.
ABOUT CHRIS ALVARADO
Chris Alvarado has been performing and teaching improv for over 25 years. He trained at The Second City Chicago, iO West, and UCB LA, and has been a part of the improv community in Los Angeles for much of his career. Chris created the Chris Alvarado Improv Workshops, focusing on teaching honest and meaningful improv. He performs with the multi-award-winning improv group Heyday as well as Pretty, Pretty Pony at The Westside Comedy Theater, and is a member of the experimental group The Live Direct Show. His recent TV credits include Hacks (HBO Max).
Beginner Musical Improvisation WITH BABY WANTS CANDY
10:00 AM - 2.5 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 35 PARTICIPANTS
This workshop is perfect for those with little or no musical improv experience, whether or not you think you can “sing.” Baby Wants Candy has taught beginner musical improv for literally thousands of students, and by the end of this workshop you WILL be able to improvise songs! No experience necessary.
ABOUT BABY WANTS CANDY
Baby Wants Candy is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy ensembles in the world. The group has performed more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals to thousands of fans from Chicago to New York to Singapore to Scotland. Entirely based on audience suggestion and accompanied by a full band, the show is a roller-coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and witty, jaw-dropping comedy. Each performance is the opening and closing night of that performance.
workshop boxed lunch
12:30 PM - $15
As a courtesy to people taking a workshop in both the morning and afternoon session, we offer the option to pre-order a boxed lunch. If you do not choose this option, we encourage you to bring lunch because there are no quick food options nearby.
Box lunches from Moe’s Southwest Grill include a burrito, chips and salsa, a cookie and a bottle of water. Burritos are served in a flour tortilla with pico de gallo, shredded cheese, and your choice of protein, rice, and beans. Orders will be accepted until January 29 at 5 PM.
The “I” in “Improvisation” WITH CARLA CACKOWSKI
1:00 PM - 2.5 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
The thing that sets improv apart from most other performing arts is how much of ourselves we bring to our shows. We are performer, writer, and director each time we hit the stage. In this workshop we’ll explore different ways you can tap into your authentic self while living under imaginary circumstances. We’ll examine your own opinions as the performer in the scene and experiment with ways to funnel your unique POV into the character you are playing. We will work on finding the balance between performer/writer/director and how you can be truthful to yourself in the scene, while also making space for your scene partners to honor their own authenticity. Best for improvisers with some experience.
ABOUT CARLA CACKOWSKI
Carla Cackowski is an improviser, writer, and master thrifter. She toured all over Europe, Alaska, and the Caribbean performing comedy with The Second City. She has done voiceover work on shows for ABC Family, TBS, and Disney. Carla has written on children sketch shows for PBS Kids, Dreamworks TV, and MGA Entertainment and is currently in development on an animated comedy pilot.
Familiarity Breeds Content wiTH Billy Soco
1:00 PM - 2.5 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
Hey, don’t we know each other? Heck yeah we do! Allowing our characters to be familiar with each other and their environment helps us more naturally discover why they care about one another, gets us to a clear relationship faster, and can make for some super compelling scene work. In this workshop we’ll explore:
Building character histories, knowledge and acquaintance to discover relationship dynamics,
The use of object work and establishing environment in developing character comforts and point of view, and
Tapping into our lived experiences toward building more authentic character interactions.
ABOUT BILLY SOCO
Billy Soco is a first-generation actor, voice artist, and improv teacher of Chilean and Filipino descent based in NYC. He has trained and performed with The Second City, UCB, Magnet Theater, Freestyle+, ComedySportz, Baby Wants Candy, North Coast, and The Story Pirates. Billy also performs with his teams Big Whoop and Kittyhawk and has taught workshops worldwide, including at the Vancouver Improv Festival, Birmingham Improv Festival (UK), and Teatro Lospleimovil (Chile). He teaches and serves as artistic director for Megawatt at Magnet Theater, teaches at Second City NY, and facilitates corporate workshops with Second City Works.
Over Here, Like This, With You with Peter McNerney
1:00 PM - 2 HRS 15 MIN - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
In scenes, do you often find yourself searching? Thinking? Wondering? In this workshop we will explore how to leave the improver’s thoughts on the sideline, so that you can see your scene through your character’s eyes. By being deliberate about how you enter the space, land on stage and look at your scene partner you can limit the sensory information to only that which your character is experiencing. This simple form of self delusion will replace your questions with assumptions.
ABOUT PETER MCNERNEY
Peter has been teaching improv for over 20 years. Originally from Chicago he has served as Head of the Advanced Improv Program at the Magnet Theater in New York City since 2010 and is one half of the renowned improv duo, Trike, which The New York Times calls "reliably one of the best improv performances in the city." As an actor Peter has appeared in High Maintenance (HBO), Search Party (TBS), The Tonight Show (NBC) as well as a whole bunch of commercials. Peter also serves as the NY Artistic Director and Casting Director for the nationally respected education and media company The Story Pirates with whom he has written, produced and performed for such chart topping podcasts as The Story Pirates Podcast, The Cat in the Hat Cast and Looney Tunes Presents - Bugs & Daffy’s Thanksgiving Road Trip.
Writing for late night with patrick rowland
1:00 PM - 2 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 16 PARTICIPANTS
In this workshop you will learn what it’s like to write for a late-night television show. Patrick will run you through how to formulate, create and write monologue jokes, desk bits, and sketches. You’ll walk away from this workshop having the beginning tools to take topical/current events and find that comedic twist. All levels welcome.
ABOUT PATRICK ROWLAND
Patrick is a writer, comedian, and actor from Chicago, now residing in Los Angeles. He’s studied and taught at The Second City and iO Theater. His solo character work was featured at The TBS Just For Laughs Festival. He is the creator, director, and star of The Patrick Rowland Sketch Show. He is also a founding member of 3Peat, a critically acclaimed, award-winning sketch/improv troupe, who perform live globally in addition to a series on Comedy Central. Patrick also wrote and appeared on The Amber Ruffin Show.
Advanced Musical Improvisation with Baby Wants Candy
1:00 PM - 2.5 HOURS - $35
LIMITED TO 20 PARTICIPANTS
This is an excellent workshop for those who have some basic musical improv and/or singing experience, but feel like they need help in taking the next step. We will work on more advanced song structure and song types (e.g, tagline songs, duets, love songs, trios, etc.) and introduce concepts of using songs in narrative structures. Some musical or musical improv experience is preferred.
ABOUT BABY WANTS CANDY
Baby Wants Candy is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy ensembles in the world. The group has performed more than 3,000 completely improvised musicals to thousands of fans from Chicago to New York to Singapore to Scotland. Entirely based on audience suggestion and accompanied by a full band, the show is a roller-coaster ride of spontaneously choreographed dance numbers, rhyming verses and witty, jaw-dropping comedy. Each performance is the opening and closing night of that performance.
THEATER Leadership Roundtable
3:45 PM - 75 MIN - FREE, REGISTRATION REQUESTED
Are you in a position of leadership in a comedy theater or organization and looking to connect with others in similar roles? This Theater Leadership Roundtable is an opportunity for peers to share perspectives from their communities: successes, challenges, needs, and opportunities. This 75 minute meeting is intended to get the conversations started and is followed immediately by the festival Happy Hour for attendees to continue discussions and networking after the roundtable.
This session is free, but registration is requested. Please fill out this form to attend.
Making Brain Magic Mini: Different Brains, Same Page
3:45 PM - 75 MIN - FREE
Improv sparkles when every performer feels understood and connected, but differences in how we process information can create gaps in communication–particularly when ADHD, Autism, Sensory Processing Disorders, or Learning Differences are part of your group’s dynamics. In this short workshop, educator and improviser Theresa Weiler blends information with inclusive strategies to help neurodiverse teams bridge those gaps, making collaboration smoother, scenes sharper, and the creative process more joyful for every brain.
This workshop is free and does not require pre-registration.
ABOUT THERESA WEILER
Theresa Weiler is a writer, performer, and educator in the field of neurodiversity and creativity. Her long collaboration with YouTube’s Jessica McCabe recently culminated in the NYT bestseller How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working With Your Brain (Not Against It). As an improviser, she can be seen performing with various groups out of Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan. Her “Making Brain Magic” workshops have been featured as part of Planet Ant Skill Fest, The Arts & Science Exchange at William and Mary, and now, the Last Word Comedy Festival! Theresa Weiler is proudly Neurodivergent. She and her spouse are the co-founders of Weiler Creative Media and the parents of four children, at least two of whom are beautifully Autistic.
LAST WORD HAPPY HOUR
5:00 PM - PBK HALL LOBBY
Meet and mingle with fellow attendees and performers at the festival’s Happy Hour on Saturday! Perhaps you’re looking to congratulate someone on their incredible show, or you want to reconnect with new friends from your morning workshops, or maybe you’re ready to kick off the fest’s final night with a nice drink… this is the place!
A cash bar will be available. More shows kick off at 6:00 PM, so come early and make the most of this social hour!