Roll for Improv:
Why June’s Process Lab Mixes D&D With Scene Work
D&D players and improvisers are doing more of the same thing than either of them usually admits. Both walk into a room with no script and build a story by listening to whoever talks next. Both have to commit to a characters and situations that keeps changing the in real time. June’s Process Lab at NCT is built on that overlap, and it is called Roll for Improv!
Roll for Improv! runs four Sundays in June — the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th — from 2:30 to 4:30 PM on the NCT main stage in downtown Mesa. It is led by David Westlake, who is taking a tabletop-roleplaying approach to improv training: deeper characters, richer settings, scenes that hold together because the people in them know who they are and where they are. Prerequisite is completion of all four NCT levels (or the equivalent from another theatre), and the month closes — like every Process Lab cycle — with the class taking a slot at Indie Night.
Why D&D and improv share more than you would think
At first glance the two crafts look unrelated. One sits around a kitchen table with a character sheet. The other stands on stage in front of a Saturday-night audience. But the core move is the same: somebody at the table just made something true about the world, and you have to take it seriously enough to build on it. A rogue says she is going to pick the lock, and they get to play that. A scene partner says he is afraid of his brother, and you get to find out why. Both crafts also depend on a thing improvisers train and D&D players sometimes forget: the best moments arrive when you let the room change your plan. The dice and your scene partner are the same teacher.
What the four Sundays are built around
You will spend time on building characters with histories and motivations. You will explore fantasy-inspired settings, which sounds niche until you remember that worldbuilding is just specificity by another name; a scene set in a thieves’ guild has the same problem as a scene set in a DMV, which is making the audience believe somebody actually works there. You will run narrative improv games — the kind that ask a story to hold its shape for longer than ninety seconds. And you will practice adapting when the dice or your scene partner throws you a surprise. That last one is the skill most performers say they want and least often train deliberately.
Who it is for, and what the month adds up to
This workshop is great for improvisers, D&D players, storytellers, and curious adventurers of all levels. You do not need to know a d20 from a d12 to take this. You do need to be willing to commit to a character with a name, a problem, and a reason to be in the room.
Where is NCT located?
NCT shares a space with The Sacred Pint Taproom in Downtown Mesa.
When head in and look for the secret door marked with our logo.
You’re exactly where you need to be!”
Can we get tickets at the door?
Yup, but its always way faster to buy them online.
Is there a drink minimum?
Nope, there is no drink minimum but supporting the sacred pint would be cool.
Where do we park?
There are over 5,000 FREE parking spaces available in Downtown Mesa every day!
Is there places to eat downtown?
Heck Ya! Here are some awesome restaurants in our Neighborhood.
Wanna learn more about NCT?
Check out all the cool live shows and Improv classes we do.