CLASSES | The Process | w/ Andy Reid and Mike McGettigan

CLASS: The Process | Section 1,2 and 3

PREREQUISITE: Graduates from Tiers of Gravy

PRICE: $210

DATE/TIME: Wednesdays, starting May 8th | 7-10 pm | Six Weeks

LOCATION: Planet Ant Black Box | 1st Floor | Back Entrance

INSTRUCTORS: Mike McGettigan/Andy Reid

Class Description: The Process (Modified for Tiers of Gravy)

Section 1

(Wednesdays | May 8th-June 12th)

6 week session

3 sessions of character development/talking about story/world/style/type of show

1 session making final choice on story direction/exploring options

2 sessions mapping out all scenes in show

Section 2

(Wednesdays | July 10th-August 14th)
6 week session

either...4 weeks of group writing w/ homework assignments and edits

or

4 weeks of improv to solidify beats
or

4 weeks of some sort of hybrid that the class comes up with

and

2 final sessions for rehearsing and adjustments to script/beats

Section 3

6 week session

(Wednesdays | August 28th-September 18th AND Tech Rehearsal (Sept 22nd | Sunday before open), Dress Rehearsal (Sept 24th | Tuesday before open)

Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse, Show Open

Call time 7pm | Show September 27th - 9pm

Click below for our most recent version

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Planet Ant's regularly updated student handbook offers students a central location for all the information you need to know about our classes, policies, and more.

• The email you use to sign up for class is our way of contacting you.
• Make sure planetant.com email doesn't go to spam.
• All students will be emailed their detailed class information. (Saturday before class start)
• Student & teacher emails will be added to a Planet Ant google calendar event.

Classes and instructors may communicate via the google calendar event email list.

Your email also serves as your proof of purchase and identity for class attendance.

If you need an alternate email attached to your registration please email mike@planetant.com as soon as possible. You will need to message each term.

Class Payment

All class purchases are confirmed with your email address by your instructor on the first day of class. Classes for the current term are taken off sale the Saturday after the term begins. If you need to make a special arrangement for payment please let us know.

Safety Statement

The Planet Ant Training Center provides the highest quality instruction possible while fostering a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for students from all backgrounds and identities. It is important to us to offer a supportive space where everyone can be free and safe to explore, learn, and grow as an artist. All are welcome in the Planet Ant Training Center. Please let us know if you require any special accommodations or have any questions regarding accessibility.

Prerequisites

All students must be 18 or older; “Intermediate” and “Advanced” classes require completion of the previous class level for eligibility; classes reoccur on the same day and time each week; classes may have “off” weeks, due to instructor discretion, holidays, or programming conflicts, that will be made up in the weeks immediately following the semester; any discounted early registration rates end one week before the last week of sign up. Class times, locations, and instructors are subject to change- if this is the case, reasonable notice will be provided. registration must be completed prior to the class start date; registration costs are non-refundable after the start of the semester; payment plans may be available upon request.

Planet Ant Theatre, Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization; donations in support of our mission to provide vital resources to artists are always accepted.

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A short note from your Training Center Director

I used to find it absolutely terrifying to stand in front of a crowd and talk. In high school, I auditioned for my first play shaking so severely that my voice couldn’t even read the words on the page. I used to avoid eye contact with people so that I wouldn’t have to have a conversation. I was severely shy.

Despite my fear, I always loved the idea of being an actor and doing comedy. My dad used to rent a reel-to-reel projector and show us Laurel and Hardy on the living room wall. We’d scan the TV to see if we could determine if a commercial was actually a deft SCTV satirical parody or just the Canadian broadcasting reality. I made gods in my head of Phil Hartman and Tim Medows watching SNL.

In my early 20s hanging out with my friends, I felt relaxed. Those moments of laughing, doing characters, and bits filled me with longing at the thought of creating the type of comedy that Mr. Show or Kids in the Hall did. Unfortunately, what seemed amazing in my head the night before was reshaped as I let my own fear and anxiety stop me before I even started.

Here are a couple of things I really want you to know.

I want you to know that we provide a safe space for a diverse community of artists. People from all backgrounds, types, sizes, and identities are not only safe but celebrated here.

I want you to have excellent teachers, community, tools, know-how, confidence, and everything that it takes to create professional-level art on a stage or video and make it something an audience not only understands but genuinely enjoys.

As the director of our training center, I want you to know how amazing it feels to create something new with your own voice, even if you're not painfully shy.

Mike McGettigan

Training Center Director, Planet Ant Theatre

Bio

For over 25 years McGettigan has worked in improv, theatre, sketch comedy, video, and as a playwright. He has won numerous awards for his outstanding work in multiple fields, and taught and has been lucky enough to have learned from some of the all time greats of the international improv community.

After numerous shows at Planet Ant he became a member of the Planet Ant Board in 2006. Years later after the purchase of it's expanded location McGettigan was overjoyed to be offered the position of Training Center Director in 2017.

McGettigan feels that his personal journey has informed him of how difficult it is for people to allow themselves creative expression and how important the skills contained within the arts are. Empathy, creativity, compassion, and more are not only vital to the arts but are also vital to being a good human being. His unique arts-centric viewpoint and his passion for creativity and mentorship have him working every day towards letting the world know that Detroit arts are world-class.

Contact

Contact Issues with any of Planet Ant’s classes, workshops, or any of our student offerings can be directed to the Training Center Director, Mike McGettigan at mike@planetant.com

The Planet Ant Training Center also offers applied improv and theatrical corporate instruction/performance at your place of business. Click here to learn more about our exciting offerings for your business, group or professional team.