Workshop: WIR SURFEN AUF DER FEEDBACKSCHLEIFE! (deutsch) Fliegende Funken Improtheaterfestival

Improfestival Workshop (12 hours in German): Improvisational theater thrives on connection and interaction, both among the performers and between the stage and the audience. The famous feedback loop between the audience and the performers is a miracle and an opportunity that literary theater can only dream of. At the same time, however, it is also the source of serious distortions, as our founding figures have emphasized time and time again: Viola Spolin lamented the “exhibitionism” of the performers, and Paul Sills, it is said, would pull them off the stage if they tried to be funny. Keith Johnstone warned against turning into a “drooling comedian” if one becomes dependent on the audience’s laughter. There’s no doubt about it: the feedback loop can also bury us under its own weight. How do we protect ourselves from becoming, in the long run, yes-men—mere entertainment machines geared solely toward the cheapest audience tastes? What inner, artistic values do we need to develop? Is there such a thing as an “artistic conscience,” and how can we strengthen it? Do performers have dignity, and where is it undermined by audience expectations (and why)? When and how can I, should I, or must I say NO? In this workshop, performers will learn that they don’t have to lose their inner compass in order to maintain close contact with the audience on the improv stage. The exercises provide a sense of how we can break free from the pull toward the shallow without losing the audience.

Workshop Times:
Fri, Sept. 18, 2026, 2:00–5:00 p.m.
Sat., Sept. 19, 2026, 10:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m. (1-hour lunch break) 2:30–5:30 p.m.
Sun, Sept. 20, 2026, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.