Brian James O’Connell
Improv Utopia Yosemite 2026
Brian James O’Connell presents
Advanced Ladder
Workshop
THE LADDER: Basic Structures, Advanced Storytelling
Improvisers must learn to be efficient with their use of character and relationship to tell a story. Whether in use as a class/rehearsal exercise, an improvised show format or structure for a scripted one act play, The Ladder is a wonderful tool to hone an improviser’s focus to a razor sharp edge on what are the most important parts of a staged theatrical piece: character, relationship & story.
3 worlds. 12 characters. 21 scenes. Thousands of possibilities.
No matter what form your team is doing, it is important that you learn the basics of being able to appear to be performing a piece on purpose.
About Brian James O’Connell
Brian James O’Connell travels the world teaching his expertise in The Deconstruction as part of his ALL IMPROV courses and as a founding board member of Camp Improv Utopia. A main stage performer, beloved bar manager, coach and teacher until the very end at iO West (RIP), O’Connell is also proud to be a co-founder of The Pack Theater, LA Weekly’s BEST OF LA Pick for “Best Theater Company” two years in a row. Currently, Brian is honored to be a board member and International Touring Instructor for the nonprofit Highwire Improv in Baltimore, Maryland "The Port City To The Improv World"
BOC (as his friends call him) is part of the improv powerhouse & comedy collective Dr. God, who delivered their first feature film project BLOODSUCKING BASTARDS in 2015, starring Fran Kranz, Pedro Pascal, Joey Kern, Joel Murray, and Emma Fitzpatrick, which O’Connell directed as well as co-writing the script with Dr. God. Seasons 1 & 2 of Dr. God's new animated series HELL DEN is currently available on SYFY Channel (Brian voices GIANTIC, a frost giant represented only as a large bare foot).
Please give him more stuff to do. It brings him joy.
