We polak
Hi, We are WePolak.
It took a pandemic to bring Chicago born Polak Jeff Michalski and me – Warsaw born Polak Monika Ozdarska into the same virtual ZOOM room.
I interviewed (see below) Jeff for my improv podcast The Art of Yes and inspired by each other’s stories, connected by Polish heritage, we decided to create WePolak. Our adventure started virtually in 2020. We love to play together and have incorporated bilingual exchanges in our shows.
Our premiere show was online in August 2021 and in 2022 we started performing live in-person shows. Our first show was at Annoyance Theater & Bar in Chicago during the first World Comedy Expo 2022. We continue to teach and play at Improv festivals around the world.
WePolak’s FIRST meeting
Watch our ZOOM interview
WePolak Show
Watch our ZOOM show
WePolak Show Reviews
What others say about WePolak
An Artful Montage
WePolak long-form improv show represents an artful montage of playful, wise exploration of relationships sparkled with existential philosophy, performed with creative intimacy characteristic of improv masters. An additional, unique element of the WePolak initiative is a demonstration of the inclusive power of improv as it effectively applies across the language and cultural differences.
Wiesław Rocki, PL/USA
They Exceeded Those High Expectations
I knew both Monika and Jeff by reputation before watching them perform, and they exceeded those high expectations. Their connection to each other, and their musical accompanist was palpable. They had such an assurance and command of the room, and their stagecraft was second to none. Their scenes were poignant, hilarious, and delightful in equal measure. They used the space to great effect and made every move look effortless. This was one of my favourite shows at SWIMP22 and I can’t wait to watch them again!
Rhiannon Jenkins, UK
Two Masters
Two masters turning pure feeling into theatre. WePolak are an absolute surreal joy to watch as both an audience member and/or massive improv nerd.
Lee James Alabaster Apsey, UK
Masters Of Their Craft
I had the pleasure of seeing WePolak at The Sweden Improv Festival and was transfixed the whole way through. Jeff and Monika are masters of their craft, and improvise with a very genuine sensitivity, awareness and humor. Aspects and sensations from all over the theatre are employed to spontaneously capture and explore a myriad of characters and topics in an amusing and intimate way. Monika and Jeff display a fantastic ability to quickly find and realize comical characters and relationships. If you have an interest in improvisational comedy and theatre, you don’t want to miss an opportunity to catch their show.
Olaf Bystrom, SWIMP, Sweden
Something Beautiful
WePolak played a show for us. Something beautiful! Everything Jeff talked about at the workshop came up during the show. I haven’t laughed so much for a long time. Plus, watching them play taught me how good an improv can be. If I were to summarize my experiences after the workshops and the performance in one word, I would say: I RECOMMEND!
Robert Cichocki, Warsaw, Poland
It’s MAGICAL
Jeff and Monika are great improvisers as individuals, but when they get together on stage… it’s MAGICAL. Their skill, their atmosphere, their chemistry all combined create a unique and colourful result. I was impressed by they way the changed from plain comedy to political satire, to deeper emotional scenes giving to the audience a great variety of scenes. This show was not only entertaining, but also educational without becoming didactic at all. I promise you will have fun and after that you will have a lot of things to think about!
Maro Lesioti Rigakou, Greece
Dynamism And Creativity
The WePolak performance I attended in Warsaw was characterized by the dynamism and creativity of the performers. The actors used the available space to the limit, creating a lot of diverse scenes. They also maintained the continuity of the entire long form well by linking present scenes with those that happened earlier. It was a really decent show.
Wiktor Walentynowicz, Jo! International Improv Festival in Toruń, Poland
About Us
WePolak – A Team Of Professionals
What WeOffer
WePolak Show • Workshops • Directing
JEFF MICHALSKI
Actor, Improviser, Director
Jeff has been performing for half a century.
In that time he has developed his own unique methodology and now you can learn the practice of improvisation from the master.
improvjeff@gmail.com
Monika ozdarska
Improviser, improv teacher, corporate development trainer
With more then 13 years of experience Monika has synthesized her wide knowledge of improvisational techniques to develop her personal approach to train professional improvisers and run corporate training sessions.
impro@ozdarska.com
gaLlery
WePolak – Performance and off stage Photos
Contact me
info@Ozdarska.com