JEFF MICHALSKI: The Ensemble Engine: Crafting Longform in Real-Time (12h IMPROV MASTERCLASS)
Schedule
Sat, 25 Apr, 2026 at 10:00 am to Sun, 26 Apr, 2026 at 05:30 pm
UTC+02:00Location
Warszawa, Poland | Warsaw, MZ
🔴 The Ensemble Engine: Crafting Longform in Real-TimeMASTERCLASS ON LONGFORM with the co-founder of the SECOND CITY ETC in Chicago in 1983!
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No matter if you play Armando, Harold, montage or other forms, this intensive workshop makes the longform structure your ensemble's most powerful, natural playful tool.
This workshop moves beyond rigid forms to focus on the core engine of longform: the ensemble itself.
We will explore how shared awareness, pattern recognition, and collective editing create structure organically in real time.
Drawing on foundational scenework as your guide and see structure as a flexible map, not a formula. The goal is to stop thinking about the form and start playing within it with confidence, intelligence, and joy.
✅ What you'll gain:
• comprehensive insight into the nuances of playing Longform
• you will gain new skills that will be useful in ANY Longform
• you will understand the purpose of scenes at the beginning and the end of the show, how they change and what they are for
• you will not think about the structure and free yourself from planning next move
• you will learn how to creatively use inspiration to play more inspiring scenes
• you will learn how to use monologues as inspiration and see how to engage multiple themes.
• you will get out of your head and play from your body
• you will understand how to use audience suggestion as inspiration for deeper themes of the show
With over 50 years of experience in improvisation, Jeff Michalski guides participants through the essential building blocks of longform play. You’ll explore how to generate and use inspiration, connect scenes organically, balance shorter and longer scenes, and recognize and support the emerging theme of a performance — all while staying embodied and playful rather than stuck in your head.
Join the workshop and learn to synthesize structure and spontaneity for cohesive, playful sets.
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⭐️ABOUT JEFF MICHALSKI
Jeff Michalski has been improvising over a half century. As a performer Jeff has played clubs, theatres and colleges across the United States with his first group The St. Vitus Dancers, the Original Comedy Rangers, and Chicago's Second City.
As a performer and director he co-founded The Second City etc. company. As a teacher he helped create Chicago's Second City training program and the initial training program in Santa Monica. He has established numerous theatres dedicated to the art of improvisation.
As the Second City director Jeff Michalski directed numerous shows. He worked on various projects in all mediums (films, television, radio, documentaries) as a director, actor or writer sometimes all three. Jeff has appeared in nearly 40 films alongside actors like as Julia Roberts, Al Pacino, Peter Falk and recently Meryl Streep in Laundromat, which you can find on Netflix.
His workshop synthesizes the roots of improvisation with other improvisational techniques like Sanford Meisner, Anne Bogart's Viewpoints and Jazz. Jeff has synthesized these multiple disciplines into a technique that produces fast, funny, smart improvisation.
⭐️Check his profile on IMDb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0584673/
and his reel:
Workshop will be held in the center of Warsaw.
All together 12h.
📍DATES and HOURS:
Saturday / Aplril 25th; time 10 am – 5.30 pm (6h) (1.5h lunch break)
Sunday / April 26th; time 10 am – 5.30 pm (6h) (1.5h lunch break)
Sunday Evening (OPTIONAL) SHOW
(only if there will be enough participants, and if we find a venue to play).
📍Minimum 5 people – Max 14.
📍REGULAR PRICE: 945 zł
Book early and SAFE MONEY!
🎯EARLY BIRD 🐦⬛ Price UNTIL April 16th: 845 zł!
Please send your application to this e-mail address:
[email protected]
with the title: "Workshop with Jeff Michalski – Ensamble 2026"
📍Form of application is as follows:
• Workshop title/header: "The Ensemble Engine"
• Your first name and the last name:
• Phone number and an email:
• If there would be a possibility to play a show in Warsaw on Sunday Evening April 26th, would you like to take part in it? Answer: Yes or No.
As soon as we get your e-mail, we will send you all the necessary information.
Remember that joining the Facebook event doesn't guarantee a place in the workshop!
We are looking forward to see you soon!
DO YOU HAVE any questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us:
[email protected]
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⭐️TESTIMONIALS
The Big Guns of Improv Speak Out about Jeff:
🔴 "What could anyone say about Jeff that isn't good?"
Ryan Stiles, "The Drew Carey Show", Whose Line Is It, Anyway?""
🔴 The first director I had at Second City (Jeff Michalski) said, "You have to learn to love the bomb," and I didn't know what he meant for a very long time. Imagine a child drinking a beer for the first time and they can't possibly understand why you like it. And you can't possibly explain why it tastes good."
Stephen Colbert, "The Colbert Report"
Read more of Stephen’s Colbert story:
https://www.lifehacker.com.au/.../stephen-colberts.../
&
https://www.jennyriddle.com/.../25/learn-to-love-the-bomb/
or Here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=498047613276203
🔴 "When I first started improvising in Chicago almost twenty years ago, I was desperate for guidance. In my search, I encountered numerous "mentors" and "teachers" who, in lieu of any practical advice, mostly offered vague theater platitudes such as "feel the space". I felt lost. After performing in my first Second City show, Jeff, our director, walked back into the green room where Chris Farley, another member of the company, wondered out loud why a rather enormous choice fell to the stage with a thud. Jeff casually replied, "You went for the laugh and they hated you for it." We had found our leader. Jeff speaks simpy and passionately and when it comes to improv, he is always right. Jeff is such a masterful teacher, it's easy to forget he is one of the finest improvisers to ever perform on a stage."
Paul Dinello, writer/producer "Strangers with Candy" & "The Colbert Report" consultant
🔴 "Jeff Michalski is a brilliant teacher, has amazing insight, is relentlessly funny, and is extremely kind."
Mick Napier, owner, co-founder of Annoyance Theater & Bar (Chicago)
🔴 "Jeff was my favorite teacher at Second City. HE always reminded us to have fun and to be supportive of one another. HE encouraged playing to the top of your intelligence and trusting the audience to be smarter than you. I loved Jeff's classes and looked forward to going. Whenever I made him laugh was like a badge of honor and I would not be anywhere without his guidance."
Tim Meadows, "Saturday Night Live"
🔴 "I have worked with Jeff Michalski both in improvised and scripted works. And I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to sit in some of his workshops and improv classes. Jeff's enthusiasm and obvious love of improv makes it almost impossible to leave the class without being inspired and with great respect for the craft. Watching him throughout the years,remembering some this simple but effective methods, certainly served me well when I was on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" Anyone who has Jeff as a teacher has distinct advantage over anyone else."
Colin Mochrie, "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?”
🔴 "I have known Jeff Michalski for over 20 years and have worked with him in many capacities. He has directed me in improvisation and sketch and I have written and performed with him. He is uniquely qualified to teach improvisation because of his experience, knowledge and passion for it. He personifies principles like "make the other person look good.
He is a treat to watch and learn from. Time with Jeff is well spent."
Dave Pasquesi, Actor and Improv Olympic Alumnus, TJ&Dave
🔴 "Jeff not only teaches, he inspires. His joy and sense of play are contagious. Whenever anyone asks me who they should study improvisation with, Jeff is at the top of that list."
Daniel Passer, Clown Master, Cirque de Soleil
🔴 "Jeff Michalski was one of my first teachers at Second City. He is true artist, he is not only knowledge about improv, he is passionate and inspiring about what it can do. He is constantly evolving as great artist do and he is great person too."
Jimmy Carrane, Improv Nerd with Jimmy Carrane
🔴 "Jeff is a mentor of mine. An incredible teacher. If you are always stuck in the plot and want tools to help with that, this is the class for you."
Jay Sukow, Today Improv
🔴 "Jeff is one of the most inspiring actors and teachers you'll ever encounter. I highly recommend ANY workshop he offers."
David Razowsky, former Second City Director
🔴 "Count me among those who had Jeff as one of their first teachers. My blathering plaudits about him on Facebook are legendary, to the point of being ALMOST embarrassing to one of my finest teachers and wonderful colleagues. But, I'll resist that angle here and take another route. perhaps more palatable to my friend...if you don't have Jeff's name on your resumé yet, NOW IS THE CHANCE!! Grab those last slots people, and give that Improv CV the POWER OF MICHALSKI!!!"
Joe Bill, Co-Founder of Annoyance Theater
✅ More of what Jeff’s students say:
"One Of The Best"
I’m going to pile on with the praise. The workshops I took years ago (2010) with Jeff remain some of the best I’ve ever taken.
John Windmurller
🔴 "Fantastically Talented"
Jeff’s workshop is a masterclass in the fundamentals of the improvisational tradition starting from Neva Boyd and Viola Spolin and further developed by The Compass Players and The Second City. Partaking in the workshop, I was taught new means of approaching improv through engaging with other players and focusing on character relationships. Jeff is fantastically talented teacher who promotes the importance of engagement and play in scenes and teaches it in a cognizant and considerate manner.
I highly recommend Jeff’s workshop to anyone who wishes to continue learning and working with improvisation and is looking for unique insight into its fundamentals.
Olaf Bystörm, SWIMP, Uppsala, Sweden
🔴 "Technique & Feedback"
I traveled from Greece to Poland so that I could attend Jeff’s workshops as I had heard a lot about his work at Sweden International Improv Festival 2022 and IT IS TOTALLY WORTH the effort and time! Jeff is a very good teacher in terms of technique and feedback. I really loved not only the method he teached, but also the way he taught it. It helped me understand and help more my teammates and myself, build stronger relationships on stage and also be clear about the „theme” of the scene. The fact that a show followed the workshop, made me understand all those that I learned. I definitely recommend working with Jeff, it will elevate your scenework!
Maro Lesioti Rigakou, Greece
🔴 "Kinesthetic Playing"
I remember the workshop with Jeff Michalski very well. Jeff does a good introduction to the topics of the workshop, and then observes and guides the workshop participants through the exercises and tasks. The workshop topics of kinesthetic playing with space and body and deconstructive exploration of the scene are very useful skills for an improviser. At the same time, it is a concrete topic – possible to use on its own as a performance technique – and can also be used as an extension of an improvisation style already in use.
Wiktor Walentynowicz, Jo! International Improv Festival, Toruń, Poland
🔴 "Extremely Good Teacher"
Jeff is an extremely good teacher, not only that he has a lot of experience in improv, he is also a nice person with whom you can talk about everything. I was given new tools and toys to work on stage. As good as after these workshops, I have not played for a long time. I got new energy and confidence, and the quality of my scenes went up. At the end of the workshop, we had a performance by our group. We played as we were taught. In my opinion, it turned out great. A new way to play and discover story in a scene. It was an amazing experience. The scene verified that what Jeff teaches is just right.
And at the end? Icing!
Robert Cichocki, Warsaw, Poland
🔴 "One Of The Best Improvisation Teachers"
I’am blessed to be able to work with Jeff in our WePolak project. He is one of the nicest and the kindest people I know and one of the best improvisation teachers I have ever worked with, and I worked with many. Although his method seems challenging at first, it gives you the opportunity to spread your wings and make a fast progress in learning. His approach made me a fearless improviser, awakened my creativity and gave me many tools to play better scenes. Discovery, character relationships, engagement in your partner, commitment, humor, satire, physicality, mindfulness are the things on which his teaching is based. Being his student and friend is the biggest gift.
Monika Ozdarska, WePolak, Bez Klepki, Warsaw, Poland
🔴 "Workshops Are Blessings"
Those who take this workshops are blessed.
Martin Cohen, USA
Where is it happening?
Warszawa, Poland, Kraina Muzyki - Przedszkole i Szkoła, ulica Wojciecha Górskiego, 00-033 Śródmieście, Polska, Warsaw, Poland
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
