TESTIMONIALS

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Ali is a leader in the next generation of Impro teachers that work in the spirit and philosophy of Keith Johnstone. We both hail from Loose Moose Theatre and drank the same Koolaid. It works!

-Veena Sood

Working with Tightrope Theatre and Jeff Gladstone in particular, has been one of the most fruitful coaching experiences I’ve had as an artist. When you work with Jeff, you are not only working on the acting, but also the painting of the world in which the story takes place. I went on to create an adaptation of a Shakespeare show after taking Jeff’s class, thanks to the discoveries I made throughout that month. Jeff is such a great, respectful and inclusive teacher. You will always feel welcomed and safe in class.
-Valeria Ascolese

Ali’s “Impro for Actor’s” is easily the only place in my world where I am encouraged to fail gracefully and gloriously and where mistakes are celebrated. It is the most freeing feeling in my somewhat ‘serious’ adult life. It’s the place in my world where belly laughter and joy has been injected once again, where I’m allowed to use my imagination again, to play again and to develop skills I can use not only in my acting, but in life too. There’s no pressure to be clever, to be funny, witty or a comedian. The only pressure you will ever feel in this class is the pressure you put on yourself (so don’t even bother – it’s a waste of energy!). New friendships and bonds have been formed with a bunch of strangers I now love playing and creating with so much that I don’t want it to end. I not only recommend this class, I urge you to get involved! You will not regret the decision, you will wish you had done it sooner! -Genevieve Brock

Being a part of Tightrope Theatre has been hugely inspiring for me in a number of ways. It has been about ten years since I have truly delved into anything to do with theatre, as I have been spending my creative energy mostly on music and writing, but throwing myself back into this world through improv classes has awoken a beautiful part of me that I forgot about. Jeff has been my teacher for the majority of my classes and treats me with significant respect and kindness, which is helping to sooth parts of myself that have been feeling lonely during this year of lockdowns and isolation. By attending these classes, I feel as if I'm learning seriously helpful skills that I can apply to my everyday interactions, improv scenes, and my future career in counselling.
-Rupert Hudson 

This is a great course that every professional — or anyone willing to take a look at how they communicate and present themselves — would benefit from taking. It’s genius at taking a specific skill set and mindset (improv) and applying it to giving speeches, managing stressful situations and talking to groups. The leaders and exercises helped us as participants break down the different aspects of public speaking and communication, so we could become aware of what our habits and fears are. Then they gave us fun and insightful tools to address them. A fantastic and inspiring course. 

-Rebecca Gifford

I attended the Improv for Public Speaking Pilot Course and I loved every minute of it. I gained some extremely valuable communication skills that I hadn't noticed before and I will be able to apply this in my workplace. Also, I have grown in confidence! The instructors were fun, supportive, and extremely knowledgeable. The course was packed with lots of engaging activities and plenty of room for practice. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to sharpen their public speaking skills. Thank you, Dan and Quinn!

-Lara Marchionni Jones

Improv for public speaking is an informative and carefully crafted course. I learned many different skills to implement both during and leading up to speaking in public. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who needs to engage an audience for business.

This improv series was light-hearted and always upbeat. The main take-away for me was: no matter what goes well, or not, it’s all improv and it can all be just for laughs. But, beyond just for laughs, it turned out to be a social outlet in this season of gloomy weather and COVID-19 restrictions.

I think one of the best outcomes of this course has to do with the current worldwide crisis we are dealing with, Covid-19. The sessions really challenge you to think and react positively, which, for myself, provide a platform to remain positive much longer than the one hour for each session.