The Improv Workshop with Stephen Osborne is back by popular demand with a 6-week course at Dixon Stage Left.

The course will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays on Jan. 13, 20, 27, and Feb. 3, 10, 17. The course is limited to 12 students and is for adults 18 and older. Price is $50.

There will be audition opportunities for DSL’s Improv Troupe - “The UNscriptables” For more information, call 815-440-2999 and sign up online at dixonstageleft.com.

This workshop introduces participants to the core principles of improvisation through dynamic group exercises and games. The focus is on developing spontaneity, learning to trust impulses, staying present and listening actively.

Participants practice the art of saying “yes,” building on each other’s ideas and embracing risk and collaboration. Whether stepping outside their comfort zones or celebrating mistakes as part of the process, everyone worked in a supportive environment designed to foster confidence, creativity and the joy of trying something new. The workshop will conclude with audition opportunities for Dixon Stage Left’s Improv Troupe - “The UNscriptables”.

Osborne studied improv for two years at The Second City under the tutelage of the late, great Don DePolo. He was in the comedy troupe Below the Belt for seven years. They began performing at bars and clubs, and soon found a home at Theatre on the Square.

“Below the Belt” improv troupe was asked to participate in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s 50th anniversary celebration, where they mingled with the guests, impersonating famous actors from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Some guest performances at the Indiana Repertory Theatre led to a regular spot, performing monthly on the theater’s UpperStage.

Osborne is also an author, having written several books about ghosts, South Bend Ghosts and Ghosts of Northern Illinois and many novels, including Pale as a Ghost, Dead End, Speaking of Dreams, Pop Goes the Weasel, and Raven’s Rest. He’s a graduate of Purdue University and a world traveler.