F2A Introduction to Improvisation
Personal Growth | Registration opens 5/26/2026 9:00 AM
This course explores the art of creating in the moment. It’s designed for beginners and anyone interested in strengthening creativity, public speaking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Drawing on techniques from theater, music, storytelling, and movement, the course encourages students to think quickly, build confidence, and support one another. Students practice core improvisation skills such as “yes, and” thinking, character development, scene building, and ensemble awareness, emphasizing acting before you think, having fun, and trying something new. Upon completion, students will have a foundation in improvisational techniques that can be applied both on stage and in everyday life.
- Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Emily Houpt
Presenter
Emily Houpt, a graduate of the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, studied with famed teachers Sanford Meisner and William Esper. Ms. Houpt worked and studied in London at Shakespeare’s Globe theater in “Teaching Shakespeare Through Performance” and at the University of Edinburgh during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She currently collaborates with students in local schools through arts-in-education programs. Like all actors everywhere, she is always looking for more paid theater gigs and new people to laugh at her old jokes.
Beth Goldberg
Producer & Presenter
Beth Goldberg (LLI) is a New York State Master Teacher Emeritus with a BA in mathematics from Wellesley College and an MBA from MIT. After approximately 20 years in banking, she relocated to the Hudson Valley and pursued a new career in education through Bard's Master of Arts in Teaching program. Selected for NYS's four-year Master Teacher program, she taught secondary school mathematics for nearly 20 years and served as math department chair until retiring in June 2024.