“Gary Schwartz is a gifted player and coach. He has a thorough understanding of my work.”- Viola Spolin

“Gary Schwartz was very close to Viola for years, and one of her best students. I’ve had him in several workshops now and find he’s the best side coach around, including me.” – Paul Sills

“Viola had genius and she shared it. Gary Schwartz continues to share her genius with integrity.” — Valerie Harper

“[Gary Schwartz] is the most gifted student of the Spolin Exercises in America today; Gary Schwartz is the one, uniquely trained player, who learned Improvisational game playing by sitting at the very side of Viola Spolin and observing her uncanny ability to evoke the INTUITIONAL genius of her students. Gary will share this theater “magic” with you with gusto. And you too will discover the healing power of playing Theater Games and, possibly, experience their transformational powers of releasing (accessing) your Intuition as well.” – Robert K Greene, husband of Viola Spolin (Greene). Hollywood, CA

“Gary Schwartz is a master teacher and captures perfectly the essence of Viola Spolin’s work. Gary has not only committed his life to this work but where Viola leaves off Gary begins. He is a warm, talented and supportive  teacher who brings out the best in everyone he coaches. His work awakens the actor in each and every player in a fun, organic and therapeutic way where fear no longer dominates and awakening the creative force within is the outcome.” – Michael Scholes, Washington DC

“Gary’s work is crucial for any actor who wants to work in the Theater or on Camera. He is a great teacher who knows what the golden keys of Improvisation are and can hand them to you if you will take them. He changed my performing life.” – Richard Brestoff, The Camera Smart Actor’s Lab, Seattle WA (Author of “The Camera Smart Actor” and “Great Acting Teachers and Their Methods”)

“I highly recommend Gary Schwartz’s Spolin Workshop. Whether you are an improviser, actor, experimenter; advanced, beginner, dabbler … This workshop will be fun and expand your toolkit. Gary’s teaching is encouraging and he creates an environment where it is easy to play.” – Molly Lyons, Director Greenwood Acting Studio, Seattle WA

“I walked away from the weekend with the transformative effect of these games in my bones.” – Kelsey Flynn Co-founder of NetMirth (bringing the transformative experience of improv to the workplace through performance and trainings), Performer – Villa Jidiots, Northampton, MA

“I came to your program and got something different and even much better than I had hoped. To be in the presence of such a lively, knowledgeable, and committed teacher is a gift. I am changed, in ways that I may not even recognize in this moment.” – James K Hessler Path Forward Leadership

“I have been taking improv classes with Gary for over one year and it has been an amazing and empowering experience.  Gary is a very gifted teacher. He has a knack of making everyone feel safe in his class, allowing them to just have fun. And that is where the real learning happens.  It just sneaks in through all those fun exercises and you don’t even notice.  I’ve taken improv classes before and in Gary’s classes I feel like I am actually learning improv as it should be taught.”  – A. Dave

“Gary Schwartz’s most impressive accomplishment is not his film work, nor his voice acting, not even his 17 year relationship as friend and student of Viola Spolin. His most impressive accomplishment is the sheer joy he brings to The Spolin Games, and the delight he takes in the players involved in the games. His excitement inspires!” – Richard Moran, Jr., Founder & Co-director of The Western Addition Improvisational Theater Troupe, Tacoma WA.

“I trust Gary completely as a master teacher of Spolin games. His ability to help performers and teachers understand the games is invaluable. If only they could package Gary Schwartz with every Spolin book!” – Cathy McNally, Founder, NetMirth (bringing the transformative experience of improv to the workplace through performance and trainings)

“Gary Schwartz makes learning come alive through his skillful facilitation of improvisational theater games.  He is a master at fostering creativity, and at creating a safe environment where everyone feels comfortable, regardless of their level of experience.  I highly recommend his workshops–learning can and should be fun!”  –  Yael Schy, Principal, Dramatic Strides Consulting

“Gary’s enthusiasm for the Spolin method and just “playing” in general enticed me to be a part of the workshop. As a corporate trainer I was thrilled to learn about FOCUS and lots of games that I can use with my clients. My motto has always been “If it ain’t fun don’t do it.” This experience was true FUN!”- Helen Dewar & Associates …changing the nature of education

“The workshop demonstrated how 18 of years sitting next to Viola made Gary a premier teacher and sidecoach of ‘theater games’.” — Phillip Spolin President, Focus Line Productions

“I enjoyed all of the Spolin games, in particular “no motion”, “stage picture”, the story building games, gibberish and the other games that play with sound as opposed to words. I really appreciated how these games get you into your body and out of your head, and into a collaborative creative relationship with other people. I can’t think of a better way to build trust and expand possibilities than through play!” – Sharon Abreu, Singer, Teacher, Executive Director, Irthlingz arts-based environmental education

“The Spolin Theater Games are great for teachers and parents who want to tap into children’s experience.  In Gary’s workshops, we remember what it’s like to play and to live in the moment the way children do.  Even for people with no theater experience, Gary makes it easy to go back into that joyous place where children live.  Highly recommended!” — Christina Honde, President Our Children, Our Selves, Inc.

“This has been a valuable workshop to me. I’ve reconnected with what I’m looking for in theater games/improvisation, the excursion into the unknown. This is the only way to be fully present and connected with fellow players and the environment. Gary made more visible to me, as a facilitator of this work, how to give the players space in solving problems and how to evaluate the work in a non-judgmental way that keeps the players free for playing.” – Neal Caidin, Applications Manager, Center for Instructional Technology Duke University, Durham, NC

“I strongly recommend Gary Schwartz’s Spolin Theatre Games to any corporate entity as a creative, non-threatening and pleasant alternative to other ways of trust-building and team cohesion now in the marketplace. Personally, I was intrigued by Spolin games. Once I was informed of their origin [Spolin’s’ education/developmental model] as well as their adaptation by the corporate theatre division of Chicago’s Second City I was hooked. The games, easily reconstructed from childlike behaviors and attitudes about play, very quickly and facilely reveal to participants how they move through certain situations. What’s so beautiful is you get to experiment and make new discoveries about old feelings and assumptions. It’s freeing to think, feel and move differently  – to take different approaches, initiatives and feel more at home in your own skin. There’s no right or wrong way to participate, so it “stretches” you gently – without uncomfortable confrontation. Mr. Schwartz is a wonderful instructor, a participant-observer and actor, whose natural affability and understanding of the Spolin approach makes it easy and fun to grasp the implications Spolin games have for healthy self-image as well as interpersonal relations. Gary thinks on his feet and in the moment as well, making the games unique to the particular group. Today we’re always talking about “thinking outside the box”.   Spolin is one ay to begin to make that happen. It’s a fun and safe way to step outside the left-brain and get in touch with intuition. It’s done in play so the practical aspects are easily and quickly applicable to real life.  And, Spolin is as holistic as any fitness program out there, putting you in touch with the mind/body/spirit connection, but without the pain! Our group is still talking about the initial experience, hoping to find time for another workshop in the near future.” – Maggie Finley, Chaplain Providence Hospice of Seattle

“The Gary Schwartz Workshops provide a high-energy, focused and intensive environment to expose, exercise and evolve any groups’ creativity and ability to work together productively. We had the opportunity to engage Gary for an all-day session at last years’ Annual Conference of the Consortium for Service Innovation. Gary’s exercises were tailored to the focus, goals and temperament of the group, and transformed our conference into a continuous creative session! The work is fun and playful, to be sure, but also quite challenging and highly inspirational. Gary’s well-structured yet fluid approach constantly generates major insights into ones’ personal and business ideas, as well as rapidly deepening the relationships and joint creativity of the group as a whole. Our conference and our association community owes a lot to Gary and the Spolin techniques for reinvigorating and evolving our perspectives on ourselves and our mission.” – Thanks, Gary! John Chmaj Sr., Practice Director, Knowledge Management KANA Software

“My work with Gary has enriched and enhanced my life. As a business person who is developing a national presence through podcasting I found that Gary’s workshops have made me more energetic, more thoughtful, and more in tune with my business partners and clients. And to top it off– Gary is just one of those people who’s so very full of life that you just want to spend time soaking up his joy and energy.” – Jim Hessler Path Forward Leadership Development, Excell Puget Sound, Author of Land On Your Feet, Not On Your Face

“Gary’s energy and experience means there is never a dull moment in class. He always knows the best nudges to give students to get the most out of the games. Never judgmental, Gary wants the students to get as much out of class as they can. The Spolin games are a safe way to let your inner actor open up and have fun!” – Dan Morseburg, Software engineer