[Workshop] Animate Inanimate Objects with Maria Nally (New York, NY)

This workshop is all about playing non-sentient beings in improv, injecting them with honest, human emotion. How does an old sock feel when it’s forgotten and collecting dust behind the dryer? What about a computer with a loud fan at a library, or a go-to favorite shirt that is often worn as soon as it’s washed?

We’ll focus on how objects would move (if they moved on their own), and grounding non-human things with honest human feelings. By emphasizing the acting and treating objects with the respect and empathy they deserve, we’ll have beautiful, hilarious scenes that are as believable as they are fun!

Instructor: Maria Nally

About the Instructor: Maria Nally is an improviser who has been performing and coaching in New York City for five years. She performs regularly at The Magnet with her house team Ephemera, throughout NYC with her Indie Team Hell Yeah!, as well as on many stages with her indie teams The Daily Harold and Easily Annoyed. Maria has coached many teams at The Magnet and in the NYC indie scene, and has independently taught workshops such as “Mess With The Bridge” and “Embrace Your Character” in New York City. She has studied with some true masters including Sebastian Conelli, Zack Willis, Alex Dickson, and Connor Ratliff. Outside of improv, she is a huge fan of Robert Caro. If you’ve read his books, she would love to talk with you about them.

Host or Publisher Hartford Improv Festival