Gates open with (mostly) comedy workshops

BY REGGE EPISALE
Correspondent

When Kevin Gates moved to the area, he was happy to find out there was a local community theatre company in the area.

As an 11-year-member of Toastmasters International — a worldwide nonprofit that helps members improve public speaking, communication, and thinking skills – and a four-year member of a church theatre group, Gates had come to enjoy being on stage and wanted to continue to act.

“I’m a shy person,” he says, “but I can play a person who isn’t shy.”

Gates has been an EMTC board member for about three years and has appeared in several productions. He realized that, “when I’m not in a play, I feel like I’m a little isolated from the (theatre company) action.”

He wanted to develop a way for individuals interested in theatre to stay connected even if they weren’t involved in a production.
That became the basis of his idea for the (Mostly) Comedy Workshop.

Gates coordinated with EMTC board to hold a workshop for both novice and experienced actors.

He lists three reasons he feels it’s important:
1.) Experience in a small group gives a person courage to get on a stage or speak in public.
2.) EMTC improves as their pool of actors increases, and most importantly,
3.) The workshops build trust in a group so they can give honest feedback and support each other.

Kevin brings skits, often his original work, to the workshop. All of the skits are a “cold read,” unrehearsed.

People volunteer to read and act out the skits, which are mainly comedy.

At the end of the skit, the actors who performed and those who were the audience talk about what was good and what could be better. Did you feel the emotion? Did you understand what they were talking about?

The focus is on exhibiting emotion and entertaining.

The group can then choose to do the skit again with the same or different people or move on to another script. It is all about interacting and connecting as a group. All feedback is positive and encouraging.

“It would be more fun if we had more people.” The more people that come, the more laughter, support, and ideas there will be, Gates said. The experience helps build confidence, creates a community bond, and is just plain fun.

Gates says he’ll keep the workshops going as long as there are people who attend.

You don’t have to get on stage in front of a lot of people to experience the thrill of acting and you don’t need dedicate a lot of time or money.

But you can hone your skills in a fun, supportive environment at the ‘Mostly’ Comedy Workshop presented by the Endless Mountains Theatre Company, and held on the second Friday of each month at the Windwood Hill Dance Academy, 119 Jackson Ave., New Milford.

A $5 workshop donation is requested; and the fee is waived for EMTC members, and memberships are available.

The next ‘(Mostly) Comedy Workshop’ will be held Friday, May 13, 7-8 p.m.