Carla Cackowski
Improv Utopia Yosemite 2023
Carla Cackowski presents
Close Quarters
Workshop
Close Quarters is a long-form that was born in the nineties by an improv group out of Chicago. The original production ran for four months at The Second City ETC and was directed by Noah Gregoropoulos. The entire piece takes place in one main location (ex. hospital), with each subsequent scene exploring adjacent areas in that space (i.e. emergency room, ladies restroom, nurses station, janitor's closet, morgue, etc.). Each scene in the adjacent space takes place at the same time, so there are opportunities to see the same sound effects, character walk-ons, and other elements play out with a new meaning or importance in each scene. Carla's duo Orange Tuxedo performs a modified version of this form in festivals across the country and she recently directed a Close Quarters format with the Festival Ensemble in 2018’s Westside Comedy Fest. She will be working with the group based on her own experiences doing the form, as well as adding in other unique elements that the ensemble creates together in rehearsal.
About Carla Cackowski
Carla Cackowski is an improviser, writer, podcaster, and nap-lover. She toured all over Europe, Alaska, and the Caribbean performing comedy with The Second City. She’s a member of SAG-AFTRA and has done voiceover work on shows for ABC Family, TBS, and Disney. She wrote and performed five solo shows that were produced in Los Angeles and her comedic monologues were published in anthologies by APPLAUSE BOOKS. Carla hosts Improv Yak, a shop-talk podcast about improv comedy. When they’re not touring their two person improv show Orange Tuxedo, she and her husband Craig Cackowski co-host a podcast called Craig's List. Most recently, Carla has written for sketch shows on PBS Kids and Dreamworks TV. She taught improvisation and directed sketch shows at The Second City Hollywood for eight years before relocating to the Pacific Northwest to accept the position of co-artistic director at Curious Comedy Theater for a year. She’s currently the training center director at Mi’s Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, California.