Premise-Based Initiations with Jordana Mishory

Here’s a Premise: Sharpen your top-of-scene skills with a workshop focused on creating clear, precise and fun premise-based initiations.

This workshop will teach you how to quickly pull inspiration from an opening (i.e. a monologue) or a prior scene, and then clearly and succinctly convey your idea to your scene partner. We will also work on the best way to respond to a premise-based initiation in an aim to help ensure easier and more successful scenes.

This workshop will focus on:

• learning how to identify inspiration, and what to pull forward in a premise-based initiation
• clearly conveying your idea to your scene partner so that everyone is on the same page at the top of a scene
• the difference between premise and game (in that sometimes premise is game, but not always)
• how to respond to a premise-based inspiration to ensure successful scenes

In addition to premise-based formats such as the Armando, these skills are super useful for second beats and third beats of Harolds, as well as with tag outs and the Dusty.

Note: there will be minimal scenework during this workshop. The bulk of the time will be spent on pitching initiations and responses in an aim to sharpen those top-of-scene tools.

ABOUT JORDANA

During the day, Jordana works as WIT’s operations director. At night, Jordana teaches advanced classes at WIT and performs with WIT Ensembles Uncle Gorgeous and The Hypothesis, indie teams Jos. A. Banksy and I Wrote That, and 2023 FIST champs Moonstruck 2.

Jordana was also a cast member in The Heist, an improvised drama about a bank robbery gone wrong, as well as WIT’s POTUS Among Us 2024 and 2016. She previously played with long-time indie stalwarts Cake Bagel, duo Galbraith & Mishory, and WIT Ensemble Love Onion. Jordana directed Hellcat from 2017-2019.

She has performed at festivals across the country including the Del Close Marathon and the Chicago Improv Festival — as well as at The Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage New Play Festival. Jordana completed the curricula at WIT and the World’s Greatest Improv School, training extensively with Will Hines and Alex Berg. She also trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York. She has spent enough money on workshops over the years to presumably purchase her own private island. (She assumes, having no idea how much private islands cost).

Jordana is a strong advocate of side-coaching with an intense focus on believable emotions and strong deals. She is a stronger advocate of having the most fun you’ve ever had in your entire life while on stage. She spends most of her time in scenes trying not to giggle at her hilarious troupemates.