The fundamental concepts of improvisation are based on an assumption that ideas are plentiful. Everyone is inspired and innovative. Everyone can access creative energy, it just takes practice. The practice of improvisation can help people become more attentive, playful, flexible, collaborative, imaginative, and courageous.
My workshops and applied improv training sessions are custom tailored to serve each client's purpose while providing skills in spontaneous, creative collaboration. Click on the button below to find out how Improv can work for you.
A founding member of San Francisco's BATS Improv, Rebecca was Dean of BATS School of Improv for 11 years - and she continues to perform on BATS stage and teach BATS workshops...
"Some people in this industry are good and some are great; Rebecca is one of the great ones. For her, this is a calling."
Heather Corcoran,
Next Step Partners
Rebecca is performing with BATS Improv and teaching workshops at both The Berkeley Rep and BATS Improv.
Improviser - From Good to Great!
A good improviser:
Knows a lot.
Talks loud enough on stage to be heard at the back of the audience...
Rebecca specializes in facilitating interactive learning in order to enhance the overall performance of her clients. Always interactive and engaging, Rebecca's workshops and applied improv training sessions are custom tailored to serve each clients purpose while providing skills in spontaneous, creative collaboration.
In business settings Rebecca uses improvisation to lead workshops in team work, creativity and collaborative story telling. Contact Rebecca to learn how she can help your company.
As a communication coach, Rebecca works with individuals to develop skills in public speaking, meeting facilitation, handling difficult conversations and stepping forth as a leader.
Improv Workshops
The fundamental concepts of improvisation are based on the assumption that ideas are plentiful. Everyone is inspired and innovative. Everyone can access creative energy, it just takes practice. The practice of improvisation can help people become more attentive, playful, flexible, collaborative, imaginative, and courageous.
Rebecca's book, Improvisation Through Theatresports™, is a curriculum for teaching improvisation to young people.
Rebecca currently performs and coaches with BATS Improv and teaches improv at Berkeley Rep.
You can check out her schedule here for upcoming workshops.
Coaching: Personal & Professional Development
Coaching is the practice of supporting an individual through a facilitated process while working toward a specific personal or professional goal. Using a variety of methodologies, including the tenants of improvisation, Rebecca works to transform clients in person and over the phone.
The very skills that make it possible for improvisers to create spontaneous stories collaboratively, and in real-time on stage, can serve to enhance communications. Good communication involves listening, reflecting, and being flexible.
Whether you're looking to enhance your communications skills to address greater levels of leadership, manage groups, or solve difficult personnel issues, communication coaching can provide you with fresh focus, tactics and methodologies.
Latest News
Speaker | Trainer | Facilitator
Rebecca's long-term clients include Pixar Animation Studio, LucasFilm, Dreamworks Animation SKG, Animation Mentor, and Apple Inc. Rebecca has also worked with more than 100 different organizations in high-tech, financial services, and management consulting areas. For these clients, she has consulted and conducted training in such areas as collaborative creativity, teamwork, customer satisfaction, communications, presentation skills, management skills and training for trainers. Rebecca has also worked with several companies in building team unity during mergers.
From conference keynote speaker to lunchtime brown-bag talk, Rebecca's presentations are lively and interactive.
Clients include:
Apple Inc.
British Petroleum
Cadence
CORE Feature Animation
Dow Corning
Electronic Arts
Ernst & Young Center for Business Innovation
Global Business Network
Goodby Silverstein & Partners
Maxis
Nordstrom
Oracle
PDI Dreamworks
Pearson Publishing Group
Peoples Bank
Pixar Animation Studios
Price Waterhouse
SeaFirst Bank
SBC
Shell International
Stanford Business Center
Sun Microsystems
University Extension U.C. Berkeley
McCombs School of Business, University of Texas
Venables Bell & Partners
Wells Fargo Bank
Wild Planet Toys
Collaboration
& Team Work
There are conditions that enable collaboration and improvisation illustrates these conditions. Improv requires collaboration; Because of that, individuals who practice improvisation enhance their personal collaboration skills. Groups who practice improv together learn to create the conditions for collaboration, and to recognize when those conditions are missing. In Collaboration and Teamwork training, participants engage in a series of activities that refine skills in focusing attention, applying positive regard, accepting ideas, and taking risks. Plus it is really, really, fun.
Innovation
& Creativity
Everyone is creative and improvisation unleashes creativity. Learn to cultivate the conditions for innovation within your team or company, through an interactive, engaging workshop experience! A workshop involves small groups of people leveraging maximum possible diversity to work together on a creative project. Along the way, group members identify and articulate personal approaches to creativity, and explore the stages of innovation. By the end of a workshop, participants will have created something together, and will have acquired a shared understanding of the stages of innovation, as well as insights into one anothers creative styles and preferences.
Communication
& Listening
Improvisation requires excellence in communication. For a group of people to go onstage together and spontaneously create scenes and stories, requires adept self-expression, and an extremely high level of attention. Not only does improv improve verbal communication, but it heightens non-verbal communications as well. Through interactive exercises, theatre games, and the co-creation of spontaneous stories, participants will consciously increase awareness, attention, and the ability to focus in all communication situations.
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WINNER!
Wealth
Manager
of the Year
Born and raised in Washington State, Rebecca Stockley fell in love with theatre in her teens. She madly pursued her passion for acting, attending the University of Washington Professional Actor Training Program where she met important people, played big parts, and got her BFA.
For several years, Rebecca lived play to play, residing in various cities, holding various jobs, continuing to act and sometimes direct. In the mid '80s, a series of coincidences led Rebecca to Seattle and her first Seattle TheatreSports workshop. Within days, she was performing improv on stage. Within weeks, she was completely obsessed with improvisation. Within months, she was teaching the workshop that resulted in the birth of BATS Improv in San Francisco. Within a year, Rebecca was using the lessons and principles of improvisation to help people in organizations and businesses learn to enhance creativity and team work.
Rebecca has resided in San Francisco since 1989. She regularly performs at BATS Improv, and teaches workshops around the world, using the skills of improvisation to inform, transform, and inspire people, organizations, and businesses.
A founding member of San Francisco's premiere improvisational theatre, BATS Improv, Rebecca was Dean of BATS School of Improv for 11 years - and she continues to perform on BATS stage and teach BATS workshops.
She has created and implemented improvisational theatre workshops and programs for several theatres including: the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; ACT Advanced Training Program; Berkeley Rep School of Theatre; Stanford University; Impro Labo and Tilt in Tokyo; Impro Melbourne in Melbourne; TVA in Amsterdam; and Stella Polaris Theatre in Helsinki.
See Rebecca's schedule for public workshops and performance dates and times.
Mostly everyone who has worked with Rebecca has a thing or two to say about her.
Words like GREAT, CALLING, JOY, ASTRONOMICAL, TECHNIQUE, INNOVATION, SUCCESS, and TOGETHER are often used to describe her work and its effects on individuals and groups.
From California to Japan, Rebecca's work has positively impacted large and small companies, schools, theatre groups, and individuals- like the ones you can read about below.
"Some people in this industry are good and some are great; Rebecca is one of the great ones.
For her, this is a calling."
Heather Corcoran
"Rebecca is an amazing presence. She is agile, high intensity, and enthusiastic.
As a speaker, Rebecca goes all the way to 11."
Ivey Strunk, audience member
Full Sail University presentation
"Rebecca teaches the essence of improv by example: live in the moment , play from the top of your intellengence, share wisdom and joy . All markers of wildly successful people."
Pam Gilberd, author of
The Eleven Commandments of Wildly Successful Women and Leadership
I have never enjoyed getting out of my comfort zone more. Ms. Stockley's technique of using improvisation to break down the barriers to innovation by a group were key to our success in getting the most out of every member of our team.
Sinclair Harris
Military Event Participant
"I can't believe how much these exercises change the way a group of people work together."
David Skelly
"Rebecca magically transforms organizational and interpersonal difficulties into fun and effective body and mind exercises."
Jinko Gotoh, Associate Producer
"Finding Nemo"
"The effect of this workshop is astronomical ."
Bob Nicoll, Head of International Training, Electronic Arts
"Thank you for not only what you gave me but also for what you did not take away."
Dr. Heather Andersen, HumanSource.net
APRIL 2012
Beginning Improv | Tuesdays
Details: Berkeley Rep
MAY 2012
Improvisation for Mental Health Practicioners | Thursdays
BATS Improv
Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24: Superscene
Mar. 2 & Apr. 6: Theatresports
Mar. 3, 10: Improvised Shakespeare
Tickets: www.improv.org
FEBRUARY 2012
Foundation 1 | SOLD OUT
Details: BATS School of Improv
MARCH 2012
Playwright Styles | Sundays
By Phone:
415.706.6700
