Reviews
Student Testimonials
“Last night, I gave a reading in Alameda, and it’s really so amazing how well I did. The improv has helped so much. Standing before the group, I was able to stay in the moment, and even while reading my piece, I could listen to the audience and feel them listening to me. Really an amazing experience; I’m so very happy to have taken your classes. What magical work you do, Joya.”
~ Jennifer Kerr, writer
"I have so much fun being in Joya's classes! I get a chance to play and be as serious or as funny or as blah or as anything that I am at each moment. Sometimes I get really nervous to do an exercise, but Joya's skill as a teacher and her truly non-judgemental attitude keeps me encouraged to try anything she suggests. As a result, I've found inner sources of creativity and risk taking that I didn't know I had.
After about a year of taking her Sunday beginners workshops, I found myself asking about her Solo Performance classes. I signed up, and under her tutelage, I've been honing a solo performance piece. Sometimes I write for the class and sometimes in class I'll improv a bit and then craft it into text. Joya's fine ear and understanding of solo work and the myriad ways one can get to and perform their material has opened even more possibilities for my creative journey. Yet, she keeps me on task and along with feedback from my classmates, I know that I am growing and improving as a writer and performer. I highly recommend Joya's classes."
~ Rebecca K.
"I have been thoroughly enjoying Joya's classes. She offers so much in a variety of improv exercises that are fun and challenging.I am learning and expanding.I feel very comfortable and safe exposing true things about myself and exploring parts I have barely touched. It has been wonderful meeting the other people in the class and playing with them.I haven't laughed or felt so much joy in quite a while.
Joya supports expression coming from an authentic place where you can be both vulnerable and strong."
~ Elyze S.
"I have been going to Joya's classes for years. Looking back I can say that I got all I had hoped for. Joya's casual class setting makes it really easy for anyone to walk in, feel invited and through play and fun access some of the inner expressions I would normally in my every day life suppress through fear and inhibitions. As an introvert, I have not magically mutated into somelse or stormed the big stage, since that truly wouldn't be my authentic self, but what the training with Joya does for me is create a memory of that other side of me. With that growing knowledge of free expression I find myself increasingly taking more risks, even if the risk of the day is striking up a conversation with someone when perhaps before I would have walked away thinking should have, could have, would have...
Joya is a wonderful woman and great teacher. Her wealth of experience and unique intuition makes her a skilled teacher who knows what the group needs each class and stays flexible in her approach. The individual exercises vary from solo performance training to partner scenes or group scenes, following Joya's unique style of improv training. Sounds fun, doesn't it? I don't know a better way to spend my Saturday afternoon, going home exhilarated after class and ready to jump into the rest of my weekend."
~ Judith B.
"I have been taking Full Spectrum Improvisation workshops in San Francisco and Berkeley for over ten years. Joya creates a safe, fun environment for new and experienced students. Her teaching method will have you taking risks, flexing your body parts in provocative ways, and being spontaneous. You will be accepting unusual offers and responding by using your full vocal range and energetically moving or not. Time flies in Joya's workshops. She helps you tap into creative juices and movements you didn't know you had. If you want to be more flexible, spontaneous, authentic, and expressive what are you waiting for sign up for Full Spectrum Improvisation with Joya!
I was so pleased with Joya's teaching and approach... I hired her to lead a team-building exercise with my team of 30+ Sales, Marketing and Engineers. It was a memorable experience for all involved."
~ Greg R.
"I have been acting on and off since I was in high school, with my journey in improv beginning in 2016. Joya's FSI workshops are a place where I feel I've been able to do some of my best work. They're often difficult to describe in a few words within an 'acting' context -- perhaps 'experimental theater improv' -- but shifting the lens a bit it's really quite simple. To me, it's a facilitated space to practice embodiment, presence, and connection, with a shifting undercurrent of playfulness and seriousness, depending on what the moment calls for. Definitely a generative experience. Thanks Joya!"
~ Gordon H.
"Because Joya's style of improvisation calls for the full spectrum of emotions (hence the name) as well as integration of movement with voice, I am learning to let out emotions that I used to censor. This is having quite a cathartic effect on my life - not that I now go around screaming in anger all the time! Instead I feel as if I am returning to wholeness, integrating the various sides of myself to show up authentically. It's amazing to me that I learn to unpack myself from the cultural norms in an acting class.
Part of the depth of change I am noticing in me is due to Joya's ability to create a safe space. Having attended lots of self-help groups, I have become particularly aware of the importance of the group-container (having gotten hurt by its absence). Joya brings all the students together in the class to help each other advance in ways I didn't think possible - all because we learn to hold each other with acceptance no matter what we try out. On the technical side, Joya brings a wealth of experience to class. She is a keen observer, noticing things that might get in the way of our acting - often challenging us (gently and with care) to go past our comfort zone. It turns out that I can try something uncomfortable and not only survive but grow."
~ Rachel B.
"Imagine spending 3 hours in which the only requirement is to be playful and have fun by tapping into your creative juices and letting your imagination take you to surprising places. Oh, and you may learn something new about yourself or let go of your self consciousness or silence that inner critic that stops you from being fully present in your life. Joya creates a space where that can happen. In her expert and compassionate teaching style her students all have the opportunity to become more accomplished improvisors, actors and most of all, just better people. After taking her classes for the last 9 years. That's been my experience."
~ Ellen S.
"Joya's classes are an amazing way for actors, improvisers, and anyone else to work on emotionally rich storytelling and fully-embodied movement. Her method, Full Spectrum Improvisation, really helps to address barriers by focusing on counteracting the inner critic and opens up new possibilities in the creative process. On top of all that, it's a blast to watch your classmates create unexpected and surprisingly performances."
~ Martin R.
"Joya Cory's Full Spectrum Improv offers wonderful classes. A few of the reasons: EXPERIENCE, Joya has been doing this for decades. COHORT, Her classes have students of all ages, men and women, different life stories. ARTISTRY,There is great theater-based creativity and aesthetic, HUMANITY, as well as emotional deepening in the work that goes beyond just entertainment, as a boomer-aged Latina woman, I love the discoveries, challenges, nourishment, play and laughter that happens in her classes."
~ Tessa M.
“Joya used her magic to train our staff in easy and fun theater games that we’ll be able to take back to our students. Joya is a powerful and effective teacher with a real gift of creating a safe environment to work/play in.”
~ Vicki Abadesco, Teacher, Soul Shoppe Elementary Peace Program
“I look forward to Joya’s class each week because its a place where I can express myself and feel comfortable knowing that I won’t be judged. From an acting or performance art perspective her class is extremely helpful in feeling comfortable on stage as well as being able to think on your toes. Joya has broken down improv into specific exercises that anyone can understand and use from simply warming up to applying them to a performance setting. Her method of improv deals with the fundamentals of acting itself such as physical life, buy emotional life, purchase and the relationships of characters. Every week I learn something new and every week I have a great time. I can’t recommend her class enough.”
~ Nathan, Filmmaker
“What I gain from Joya’s work is the feeling you get when you travel to a new place in which you stretch and challenge yourself to meet the new reality. You discover pride and satisfaction in your response to the new geography. The long-term effect is you feel changed forever. The lingering effects of even one of her weekly classes are subtle, powerful, freeing and, again, long term. The simplicity of her work is deceptive. You feel like you’re just playing around, but in fact you are doing serious, amazing work, the effects of which you feel only later in ‘the real world.’ I unequivocally recommend Joya’s classes.”
~ Deborah Alstad, Ex-business executive
“I have loved my work with Joya. She covers a lot of territory in her classes, requiring you to bring out and express all aspects of your being. She is not afraid to experiment and venture into new territory, which is where real growth happens.”
~ Vinit Allen, director, Sustainable World Coalition, musician
“Joya’s class has shown me that the deep, dark secrets I’ve kept hidden at great cost are nothing but feelings to express, stories to tell, movements to dance and sounds to play with. I am beginning to think of m self and my life more in terms of a range of possibilities than a set of limitations. And the fearsome people I meet are magically transformed into unique and varied playmates.”
~ Carol Sheinfeld
“Joya’s class is enlivening, entertaining and expansive. She creates a supportive atmosphere in which to explore ones’ creativity and generously shares her expertise in this wonderful art-form The training has been helpful in many aspects of my life. And why shouldn’t it be? Life is, after all, improvisational!”
~ Padma Moyer, LCSW
“I get a big jolt of JOY taking Joya’s classes and it is great for my morale, heart and spirit. Taking these Improv classes helps me deal with daily life also.”
~ Louise Vogel
“As a student of Joya Cory’s Full Spectrum Improvisational Workshops for over a year I have tapped into and awakened my creative self within. Joya encourages us to explore and trust our feelings and intuition using movement ,voice and emotion. Since warming up these muscles I have decided to take a chance and pursue my love of theater and performance. Learning to trust myself allows me to take chances, translating into a more genuine and emotional performance. Joya’s class has taken the fear out of taking a risk. These lessons provide me with an actor’s advantage, to absorb the moment and use all the emotion and experience I have, resulting in a genuine and unique theatrical piece.”
~ Oriana Macgregor, acting student
“Hi Joya, Just a big THANKS for a wonderful workshop yesterday I learned a lot!! and enjoyed your very grounded, supportive, outrageous, open presence and self. and what a great group of people! I am aware, in retrospect, of a couple of times when I suppressed my impulse because of a self judgment that I wasn’t even aware of the time. So it is good to get that information. and I was actually delighted and surprised to find out that for the most part, I felt safe and free enough to NOT sensor the impulses and material coming through. I hope we will get to play again.”
~ Carolina Davis, Dance teacher, Marin
In The Press
Review Article in SF ChronicleFour-woman troupe proves life is improv / Lucky Dog players act spontaneously
“When the stage lights come up on the Lucky Dog Theatre Troupe, no one — not even the actors — knows what will happen next. The result is a lively mix of drama and humor that is the hallmark of full- spectrum improvisation, the specialty of the four-woman troupe whose six-show fall season begins Sunday in San Anselmo.”
Review Article in S. F. Tribune OnlineLUCKY DOG THEATRE at Bannam Place Theater
“Welcome to Improv Theater where you will witness the birth of new artistic history. If we could use few words to describe this fantastic female group we could call them GODDESSES. Yes, in reality that is what they are: Goddesses of Creation. Their improvised scenarios are conceived and practiced with such eccentric passion that one finds oneself literally on the edge of one’s seat. But then, you yourself, will help them create the scenarios by merely offering a one word suggestion when the director asks “What’s concerning or inspiring you?” One or two audience members prefer to participate in a “hands on” way and sculpt the artist by moving her limbs to kick start the creative process. It’s hard to visualize how this strange and amazing tactic works, but it does. From here we’ll leave it up to your imagination! It has to be experienced at Bannam Place Theater in North Beach to be appreciated. I suggest you run, don’t walk to the next show of Lucky Dog Theatre.”