Common Approach            Florian Bartsch            Caspar Schjelbred

FLORIAN BARTSCH

This German globetrotter (born 1975) settled in Paris after having explored numerous countries - particularly their cuisine -, from the African and the Asian continents back to Europe.

He discovered theatre at school. Back in 1993 he had his initial improv experience in the highschool's theatre group. For the first time, he felt entirely free on stage.

In 1997 he took improv classes at the university in Freiburg and founded his first improv troupe, Sahnesteif, based on the works of Keith Johnstone. After having caught the improv bug, he brought it to Paris where he founded a theatre school (Academy du theatre sans sens et sans chaussettes  – 1999) for improv classes in English and German, soon also in French (2000). It became the starting point of the Improfessionals (2001) and eventually changed its name to Impro Academy. It continues growing...

Aside from improvised theatre, Flo has played in Euripides' The Trojan Women, the role of „Jacques Roux“ in Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade and "The Young Man" in Arthur Schnitzler's Reigen for the Compagnie Lester McNutt.

Since 2000 he has been director of Schwarzbrotgold, a Parisian company that produces lively readings of literature in German - namely erotic texts, performances of dark and horrific poetry, as well as a theatrical approach to what is „typically German“.

While Flo is a serious toothpaste collector, he remains a geographer at heart and keeps exploring the world. His 50th country is soon to be discovered. The latest major expedition brought him to Peru (2006), where he was in charge of diverse theatre and development projects for a local NGO. His improv-based adaptation of Abraham Valdelomar's „The flight of the condors“ won a regional youth theatre award.

He also teaches workshops of improvised singing or long form improv in Paris and all over the world (Ketó – Lima, Lilyade – Lyon, Kulturfabrik Salzmann – Kassel, etc.)

In order to stay „fresh“ and to grow as an improviser and improv teacher, Florian greatly enjoys exchanges during international improv festivals and taking workshops from our regular guest performers/teachers. His main inspirations: Keith Johnstone and the big Loosemoose family (Shawn, Steve, Patti), Mick Napier („annoying impro“), Tim Orr (long form transitions), Barbara Scott (improvised singing), La Gata (physical impro), Kevin Gillese (stage painting & „schizo impro“), Naborov (wordy impro), and LATS („cowboy impro“) etc.

In addition to teaching at the Impro Academy, Florian regularly applies the art of improvisation in diverse non-theatrical situations.

He teaches:

- Creativity and improvisation to MBA students at ESLSCA

- Team building for managers all over France for various consultant agencies
and communication workshops for factory workers in Germany.

- Educational roleplays while on tour with US-students (e.g reenact the French Revolution at the Château de Versailles, awake Ancient Roman life at the Colosseum or kill William Tell in the Swiss Alps...)

Florian also enjoys the art of spontaneous improvised cooking with whatever is to be found in his fridge...

Strong point as an improviser: bring in the unexpected
Weak point as an improviser: bring in the unexpected!!