Queen City Comedy

No, not obedience school—though you might learn a few tricks!

📍 Location: Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte
🕙 Time: July 12 from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Inspired by Pirate, Robot, Ninja (Billy Merritt & Will Hines), Improvise Like a Dog is a playful and insightful workshop that uses the instincts of popular dog breeds to explore ensemble dynamics, character behavior, and scene work.

Some improvisers support like loyal Golden Retrievers—steady, affirming, and relationship-driven. Others lead like German Shepherds—taking charge and providing structure. Some drive action like Border Collies, constantly moving the scene forward, while others investigate like curious Beagles, digging into details and uncovering what matters. You may connect with heart like a Labrador, explode into bold choices like a Chihuahua, or fully commit to playful, specific characters like a French Bulldog.

In this workshop, performers will identify their natural “breed” and explore both the strengths and limitations of that instinct. Through a mix of acting-based exercises, improv drills, and scene work, you’ll practice adapting your style—learning when to lean into your instincts and when to shift in order to better support your scene partner and the ensemble as a whole.

This is not about labeling yourself—it’s about increasing awareness, flexibility, and responsiveness in your work.

Participants can expect to:

• • Discover their default performance tendencies
  • Strengthen listening and responsiveness
  • Expand their range of playable behaviors
  • Build stronger ensemble awareness
  • Create more dynamic, balanced, and connected scenes

This workshop is ideal for improvisers of all levels who want to deepen their instincts, sharpen their ensemble skills, and bring more variety and intention to their performances.

About Karla:

Karla Dingle is a neurodiverse and disabled actor, improviser, director, and teaching artist based in Charlotte, NC. She serves as Education Director at Queen City Comedy, Artistic Director of the Dingle Drama Repertory Company, and Improv Director at Acting Out Studio. Her teaching blends acting and improvisation to help performers access emotional truth, deepen listening, and respond instinctually. Karla has taught internationally with organizations including Impro Amsterdam, Improv Fest Ireland, Highwire Improv, and the Bangalore Improv Community, and was named a Theater IDA Artist-in-Residence in Zurich in 2023.