Betse Green

Betse Green has been a very active member of the Portland Improv scene since 2002. She is an ensemble member of ComedySportz Portland and The Brody Theater. She also performs regularly with Peachy Chicken, B&B, B.A.B.E. and Gladys Kravitz. Her talents have been showcased at festivals across the Globe, including the Chicago Improv Festival, Phoenix Improv Festival, London Slapdash Festival, Stumptown Improv Festival, IFCincy, DCM, Seattle Festival of Improv Theater, Detroit Improv Festival and DC Improv Festival. Betse teaches improv classes at ComedySportz, Curious Comedy Theater and The Brody Theater. In her spare time she is the co-owner and Education Director for ComedySportz Boston.

With nearly two decades of improv experience, Betse Green knows a thing or two about “YES; AND…!” while still being able to address barriers both nervously personal and inherently societal. As a player & instructor, she has performed all over North America and the UK. Her curiosity compass points directly toward forming strong, grounded characters, whose honest relationships form the heart of the scene. She likes to play for the others: those people and situations that can otherwise be forgotten on the improv stage, as is apparent in her work with people possessing a wide range of abilities and experience. Her workshops explore a variety of topics-from improv basics, to guiding experienced players through complex territories such as race and gender, and how artists can incite and continue these conversations from the stage. Yet paramount to any ideology is FUN! Betse’s lust for life has made her a staple of the Oregon improv community and continues to propel her imagination and dedication to Portland’s improv stages and beyond.

2017 Workshop: Playing with Heart
Playing With Heart workshop focuses on finding and playing characters authentically from your heart, not your head. Take a journey into a world of full of emotions and emotional stakes to create strong, grounded characters that naturally lead to compelling scene work. This workshop is designed to hone your skills and find the joy in your improv by allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Draw strong, meaningful connections from your scene partner to take your scene work to the next level.

2018 Workshop: Gender-Blender
Gender is a construct: so let’s get constructive! With an emphasis on finding authenticity through subject matter often lost in stereotypes, we will utilize playful exercises to break from the binaries that bind and draw strong, meaningful connections to the gender identity’s in your life, both in and out of performance.