Workshop: Save The Punchlines for Standup with Arjun Mehra

Kaivalya Plays, Nautankibaaz Improv Collective and NIV Art Centre present

Save The Punchlines for Standup

An improv theatre workshop with Arjun Mehra

Scenes don’t need jokes—they need strong stories. In this 4-hour workshop, we’ll explore reading a scene’s needs, spotlighting its focus, and supporting the narrative through status, tone, and relationships.

🗓️ Sunday August 17th 12pm to 4pm

📍 NIV Art Center Saket (near IGNOU)

🎟️ INR 999/- per participant

About the Workshop:

Scenes don't need jokes to prop them up; they need a good story as a foundation. In this workshop we'll explore how to read what the stories in your scenes need, spotlight who the scene is really about, and decide how to support the narrative. We'll play with status shifts, character tonality, and relationship depth. It's not about being clever, it's about being average, boring, and obvious.

This workshop is open to improvisers with all levels of experience looking to go the next level.

About The Facilitator

Arjun is a seasoned improviser based in Bangalore, India, with a diverse and vibrant international career in the world of improv theatre. His journey has taken him across the globe, studying, performing, and teaching in cities such as Barcelona, Dubai, Copenhagen, Vancouver, Manila, and Singapore. He spent time working with Keith Johnstone at the Danish National School of Performing Arts that deeply shaped the way he approached improv (or, impro). From 2021 to 2022, Arjun served as the Artistic Director at the International Theatresports Institute (ITI), where he worked on building policy suggestions around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in improv to make theatre more accessible and inclusive for improvisers from all backgrounds. Arjun’s approach to storytelling is inspired from folklore and fairytales from around the world, weaving these timeless narratives into his performances. He’s also influenced by the collaborative nature of tabletop board games like Dungeons and Dragons, which allows him to explore character-driven, spontaneous storytelling. Hanna-Barbera cartoons, with their playful and vivid creativity, also serve as a source of inspiration, influencing his dynamic and humorous style. Currently, he co-runs Improv Lore in Bangalore, a space where they nurture local improv talent while exploring storytelling with a South Asian lens.

About Kaivalya Plays

Kaivalya Plays is a performing arts and production company led by Varoon P. Anand as its Artistic Director and Gaurav Singh Nijjer as its General Manager. Since 2012, they have built transcultural associations across India and the world. Their artistic work includes original, devised theatre performances that are multilingual, interactive, and hybrid, use technology and media on stage, and are built using techniques of improvisational, documentary, and physical theatre. Through a focus on education, training and community, their work spans diverse offerings of programs across artistic development, language learning, mental health, gender, accessibility, and transcultural collaboration. They have received multiple artistic commissions and grants through their collaborations with Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi, Goethe Institut Delhi, MediaFutures and other cultural partners. Their recent artistic work includes I, Josef (2024), The Pillowman (2024) ABSURDO (2023), Mining Hate (2023), Funes The Memorious (2021), Lifeline 99 99 (2021), Unravel (2019), amongst others. Most recently, they were awarded the Creativity Pioneers Fund 2023 by the Moleskine Foundation. Read more about their work on www.kaivalyaplays.org

About Nautankibaaz Improv Collective

Nautankibaaz Improv Collective is an Indian improv collective of working professionals, based in Gurgaon, bringing learning, joy, and laughter through the tenets of improv. Over the last eight years, they have built a community of improv lovers and practitioners across India who use improv in their daily lives and professions to become more spontaneous, aware, and joyful. They perform, teach, and embody everything improv.

About NIV Art Centre

NIV Art Centre, located on the southern edge of New Delhi near the picturesque Aravalli hills, is a creative hub dedicated to advancing plastic arts and new media arts while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and cultural exchange. Providing facilities like artist studios, galleries, theatres, and residencies, it serves as a platform for emerging and established artists to create, exhibit, and engage with audiences. NIV focuses on bridging gaps between creators, distributors, and consumers, supporting artists from underserved regions, and promoting contemporary art practices through a blend of traditional studio disciplines and modern global influences. With a commitment to nurturing creativity and building a legacy for the future, NIV creates opportunities for artistic growth and broader public engagement with art.