Greetings from JP!
Things are heating up … literally. As temperatures rise, don’t forget to take good care of yourselves. Try to stay indoors and well-hydrated at all times.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t stay active and keep learning. May 2nd was Indonesia’s National Education Day, so why not celebrate the whole month of May by learning something new, reading up on things, or polishing an old skill?
MONTHLY FEATURE
We gave a short introduction to improv last month, but many of our members are experienced improv actors! We talked with one of them, Jessy, to learn more about her improv journey and how she got into this wonderful form of acting.
Things are heating up … literally. As temperatures rise, don’t forget to take good care of yourselves. Try to stay indoors and well-hydrated at all times.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t stay active and keep learning. May 2nd was Indonesia’s National Education Day, so why not celebrate the whole month of May by learning something new, reading up on things, or polishing an old skill?
MONTHLY FEATURE
We gave a short introduction to improv last month, but many of our members are experienced improv actors! We talked with one of them, Jessy, to learn more about her improv journey and how she got into this wonderful form of acting.
1. Would you please introduce yourself?
Hello, I am Jessy (Jessica Happe) from Germany. I moved to Tangerang in August 2023 to teach German, English, Philosophy, and Drama at the German International School Jakarta. I love exploring – new countries, communities, cultures, nature, and arts – of any kind. So here I am – full of curiosity and openness to the unknown.
2. How did you get into improv?
I have always improvised. As a child when the family culture at my friends’ homes was very different from my own, as a teenager when I had to make sense from the Latin texts I had to translate into German, as a teacher when I had – and still have – to handle funny demeanour, weird questions or confusion of my students, as a traveller and adventurer in any way you may or may not be able to imagine. I think we all do in a way. I always loved it and wanted more. So, when a friend of mine asked me to join her troupe’s rehearsal one day, I was all in.
3. What's your experience with improv so far?
After I had joined my friend’s troupe in my hometown for about two years, learning all the basics and happily striving in the improv vibe, the pandemic hit. Unlike most people might think right now, this was not the end but my gateway to international improv.
Thanks to some gorgeous improvisors from Germany who – out of passion, panic, and progressiveness – started online improv festivals, featuring the most gorgeous improv and acting coaches from all over the world, I dived deeper into improv than I had ever dared to imagine before. I participated in uncountable workshops, played and made friends with hundreds of wonderful improvisors sitting in front of their screens in every corner of the planet, tackling the odd situation of the global lockdowns with creativity and joy. With some I even formed international online troupes who kept on rehearsing and performing for another two years. After the pandemic, I took every chance I could get to join festivals, whenever travelling I joined local troupes for jams, rehearsals and shows.
By now, I have learned from fabulous improv coaches from Europe, the Middle East, Canada, the US, South America, and Oceania. I have performed in Germany, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. And there are surely more places to come.
~
Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter where Jessy will share about her experience at the Auckland Improv Festival 2024!
Hello, I am Jessy (Jessica Happe) from Germany. I moved to Tangerang in August 2023 to teach German, English, Philosophy, and Drama at the German International School Jakarta. I love exploring – new countries, communities, cultures, nature, and arts – of any kind. So here I am – full of curiosity and openness to the unknown.
2. How did you get into improv?
I have always improvised. As a child when the family culture at my friends’ homes was very different from my own, as a teenager when I had to make sense from the Latin texts I had to translate into German, as a teacher when I had – and still have – to handle funny demeanour, weird questions or confusion of my students, as a traveller and adventurer in any way you may or may not be able to imagine. I think we all do in a way. I always loved it and wanted more. So, when a friend of mine asked me to join her troupe’s rehearsal one day, I was all in.
3. What's your experience with improv so far?
After I had joined my friend’s troupe in my hometown for about two years, learning all the basics and happily striving in the improv vibe, the pandemic hit. Unlike most people might think right now, this was not the end but my gateway to international improv.
Thanks to some gorgeous improvisors from Germany who – out of passion, panic, and progressiveness – started online improv festivals, featuring the most gorgeous improv and acting coaches from all over the world, I dived deeper into improv than I had ever dared to imagine before. I participated in uncountable workshops, played and made friends with hundreds of wonderful improvisors sitting in front of their screens in every corner of the planet, tackling the odd situation of the global lockdowns with creativity and joy. With some I even formed international online troupes who kept on rehearsing and performing for another two years. After the pandemic, I took every chance I could get to join festivals, whenever travelling I joined local troupes for jams, rehearsals and shows.
By now, I have learned from fabulous improv coaches from Europe, the Middle East, Canada, the US, South America, and Oceania. I have performed in Germany, Italy, Australia, and New Zealand. And there are surely more places to come.
~
Stay tuned for next month’s newsletter where Jessy will share about her experience at the Auckland Improv Festival 2024!
🎤 May 2024 Events 🎭
Looking for something to do this month? Check these out!
1. Musical Soiree by Censtacom
(May 11 at Glitz Inclusive, Kuningan City)
(May 11 at Glitz Inclusive, Kuningan City)
The musical community Censtacom is holding its fifth-anniversary concert on May 11. The show will feature live performances of songs from their previous productions, including Little Women, Ordinary Days, and more.
To book your ticket, go to this link.
To book your ticket, go to this link.
2. PPKN by Svatuhari
(May 18 at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Cikini)
(May 18 at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Cikini)
A series of six original short plays by the theater community Svatuhari, performed in Bahasa Indonesia. The matinee show at 14.00 will include three plays: Dona, Tertukar, and Dunia Nusantara. The evening show at 20.00 will include another three: Neil It!, Pulang, and Idealita: Realita.
You can get your ticket here.
You can get your ticket here.
📺JP Recommends 📖
Here are our top recommendations this month:
1. Race to Nowhere (documentary)
Race to Nowhere examines the pressure placed on students to perform well and the impact it has on students and their families. The issues this documentary investigates include homework policies, testing practices, and school schedules. This documentary has been an official selection at many noteworthy film festivals and won an award from the Alexandria Independent Film Festival.
Find where to watch the documentary here.
Find where to watch the documentary here.
2. Inventing Improv: A Chicago Stories Special (documentary)
Chicago’s greatest cultural export just might be improvised theater, which was born at Jane Addams’ Hull House during the Great Depression and carried out into the world by the likes of Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, and Stephen Colbert. But while to most people improv might seem synonymous with comedy, the art form was devised by a woman named Viola Spolin who wasn’t out for laughs.
The documentary is available on PBS.
The documentary is available on PBS.
3. The Color Purple (movie)
A cinematic adaptation of the iconic musical, this heartfelt movie invites you to experience the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond.
Watch it on HBO Asia.
Watch it on HBO Asia.
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