GII Symposium 2026: Full Schedule

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11:00am PDT

Cog Creative: Navigating Dementia with Improvisation

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT

319 Classroom

Cog Creative is a programme of improv classes for those living with dementia, their supporters and health care workers.

Artists

Nicola Pauling

Nicola Pauling is a New Zealand (Aotearoa) based theatre practitioner and specialist in applied practice. She has produced numerous performance projects working across the mediums of theatre, film and radio and in partnership with government agencies, local government, health professionals... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
319 Classroom Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97231

Panel

11:00am PDT

Improbable Panel

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT

221 - Zoom Room

Conversation with Phelim McDermott, Lee Simpson & Matilda Leyser (UK)

Moderators

Theresa Robbins Dudeck

Assistant Professor | Co-Founder/2026 Chair, Portland State University | Global Improvisation Initiative (GII)

Theresa Robbins Dudeck
Assistant Professor of Theater at Portland State University; Co-founder of the Global Improvisation Initiative (GII); and Director of P.I.E. (PSU Impro Ensemble). Theresa works internationally as a theatre practitioner with expertise in improvisation. She is a Fulbright Scholar (Brazil), autho... Read More →

Artists

Lee Simpson

Artistic Director, Improbable

Lee is a founder member of Improbable, a Comedy Store Player and one of Paul Merton's Impro Chums. He’s also been a croupier, cinema projectionist and breakfast show DJ. He’s written plays, appeared in sit-coms and in some films, been on some Radio 4 panel shows and once did a... Read More →

Matilda Leyser

Co-Artistic Director, Improbable

Matilda Leyser is a British writer, director, aerialist, and the first female Co-Artistic Director at the UK-based theatre company, Improbable. She is widely known for blending improvisation, storytelling, and physical theatre, and for navigating her creative work alongside personal experiences as a mother and a leukaemia survivor... Read More →

Phelim McDermott

Artistic Director, Improbable

Phelim is a founder member of Improbable. He has won various awards such as an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, TMA Awards for Best Touring Production and Best Director and a Critics Circle Best Designer Award. He was awarded a National Endowment for Science, Technology and the... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 11:00am - 12:30pm PDT
221 - Zoom Room Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97215

Panel, Virtual/Online

2:00pm PDT

Improvisation as a Tool for Creating Scripted Content

Thursday July 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

319 Classroom

Improvisation has long been a tool for honing creative skills and creating characters and stories in TV and film. In this panel, we will learn from professional writers and actors how they use improvisation to inspire and create the less ephemeral work of TV and film.

Artists

Andra Whipple

Andra Whipple is a UCI alumni and writer who has worked on Adam Ruins Everything, the WGA Awards, and other things you’ve never heard of. She’s a host of the WGA 3rd and Fairfax podcast, the co-chair of the WGA committee of women writers, and a WGA strike captain. She also... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
319 Classroom Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97231

Panel

2:00pm PDT

OHSU Vital Talks: Improv in Medical Role-Play

Thursday July 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

225 Classroom

Oregon Health Sciences University trains doctors and nurses in handling end-of-life conversations with patients, parents and children of adult patients. They use skilled improvisors in role-play sessions with students. This panel session will discuss the benefits and challenges, and provide a demonstration or two of the training.

Moderators

Patrick Short

GM, CSz Portland

Artists

Jared Chiarchiaro

Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)

Jared Chiarchiaro is an Associate Professor of Medicine and the Clinical Chief for the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at OHSU. He received his internal medicine training at Duke University Hospital and his Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship training at the University... Read More →

Katie Stowers

Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)

Dr. Katie Stowers is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She completed her internal medicine residency and palliative medicine fellowship at The Ohio State University. Katie is an associate professor of medicine. She serves as the Interim Director... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
225 Classroom Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97231

Panel

2:00pm PDT

Making DAME: Exploring Under-represented Aspects of Female Identity through Improvisation and Community Connection

Thursday July 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT

115 Studio Theater

An interactive, educational, and playful roundtable discussion on methods of creating opportunities and safe spaces for discourse and exploration on the complexities of female experiences.

Artists

DAME

Elegant improv, comfortable shoes. DAME has been playing together since 2023 and performs at various venues throughout Portland. The ensemble members represent various backgrounds in age, sexuality, culture, family, and careers. DAME's grounded and fun style explores identity, society, and the redefinition of expectations... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 2:00pm - 3:30pm PDT
115 Studio Theater Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97231

Performance, Demo | Panel, Demo

3:45pm PDT

Improvisation for Personal & Community Healing

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

225 Classroom

Practitioners from a variety of fields to discuss the research, merits, challenges, and applications of improv for personal and community healing. We will look at work in the fields of conflict resolution, counseling and therapy, palliative care, and medical leadership. This talk will investigate questions like: How has impro changed these fields to date? What does the Venn diagram between "Healing and Health" and "Impro Practice and Skills" look like? Where might there be more opportunities for improving personal and community health using impro?

Moderators

Brad Fortier

Principal, Fortier Creative Consulting

Brad has been performing, teaching, and directing improv since 1996. He has a unique interdisciplinary MA that combines anthropology and improvised theater. He has authored 2 books on the anthropology of improv, as well as a chapter in the first volume of Applied Improvisation bo... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
225 Classroom Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97231

Panel

3:45pm PDT

Reindigenizeing Improvisation Storytelling

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT

319 Classroom

In this round table, we will discuss how applying Indigenous knowledge systems to improvisation benefits the ways in which we understand storytelling. We will discuss how global Indigenous knowledges are strategically silenced through settler colonization in impro theater, and how to Reindigenize (rather than “decolonize”) our art form.

Artists

Cassie Funmaker

Cassie Funmaker (they/them) (Ho-Chunk Nation) is currently working on their Bachelor’s degree in Theater Arts at Portland State University. This is Cassie’s first production with Bag&Baggage. Other favorite roles include Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (as Maria; Marge Simpson); Measure... Read More →

Thursday July 9, 2026 3:45pm - 5:15pm PDT
319 Classroom Lincoln Hall PSU, 1620 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR 97231

Panel

11:00am PDT

11:00am PDT

2:00pm PDT

2:00pm PDT

2:00pm PDT

3:45pm PDT

3:45pm PDT

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