Catalyst, a collaborative arts and mental health experience

1401 Howard Street,San Francisco CA 94103

13 July, 2022

Description

“Psychocomedy” getting creative, making connections and breaking through post-pandemic social anxiety  Join Access Institute and Killing My Lobster for an evening at the beautiful St. Joseph’s Arts Society where comedy, improvisation, and psychology join forces to shake you free of your lingering COVID frets and fears. Come meet some of the writers, directors and performers from Killing My Lobster, San Francisco's premiere sketch comedy theater company, and hear about how laughter can truly be the best medicine for an anxious soul. You will be treated to a live improv comedy performance and you’ll get a chance to participate in small group sessions featuring improv technique, sketch comedy writing and comedy acting technique. Together, the creative forces behind Killing My Lobster (KML) and the mental health team at Access Institute will help you discover how the process of healing oneself and connecting to others always includes creativity, laughter and play.     Roundtable discussion (20 min)   Nicole Odell (Artistic Director, KML), Emma McCool (Executive Director, KML), along with lead writers and directors of KML shows* exploring mental health themes. Bart Magee, Ph.D. (Executive Director, Access Institute) facilitates discussion drawing out links between psychology, comedy, improv, mental health and social wellness. A live Improv Performance will follow along with interactive experiences and improv exercises that bring to life the connections between comedy and mental health. Facilitated breakout groups will include Sketch Comedy Writing, Sketch Acting “mini-rehearsal” and an Improv Exercise Group. Beer, wine and food available for purchase *KML Comedy Team: Molly Sanchez: Molly Sanchez is a writer, comedian, and lover of burritos everywhere. She's performed at San Francisco Sketchfest, The Del Close Marathon, The LA Comedy Store, and various other hives of scum and villainy. She also writes sketch with Killing My Lobster and Nice Tan and is a published fan fiction author. Mike Ottum: Mike Ottum is a writer and software engineer. He has been creating and teaching with Killing My Lobster since 2014, writing for over twenty-five shows in that time. Mike loves taking comedy seriously, collaborating with artists, and helping writers find their voices — especially around difficult and meaningful topics. Siyu Song: Siyu is a writer/performer based in SF. He most recently directed Good Grief with Killing My Lobster. He performs periodically with the San Francisco and New York Neo-Futurists and sometimes contributes writing to The Onion. Jan Gilbert: Jan is a Drama Therapist and actor/singer/tries-to-be-dancer based in SF who strongly believes in the healing powers of theatre. She’s been with KML for almost a decade, which is…wow what is time? She loves to laugh, be awkward, and pet random puppies (not a euphemism). Meg Trowbridge: Meg Trowbridge is a writer, comedian, and podcast host based in San Francisco. She's a head writer, director and workshop host for Killing My Lobster, and performs around California with her opera improv team La Spazzatura (n. Italian for TRASH). Her comedy podcast about periods, Vicious Cycle, is available wherever you get your podcasts. By day, she is a copywriter for Mozilla, which is how she supports her filthy art habit.