Foundation Classes

Learn the fundamentals of improv in our Foundation Series. We’ll take you from learning the fundamentals to improvising plays and films. All foundation classes require that you are passed from level to level by the instructor.

Impro Studio Thursday

Instructor: Multiple members of the company starting with Tracy Burns
Prerequisite: Instructor approval to move on from Foundations or Company recommendation
Performance Opportunity: Student Shows in the workshop space
Start Date: September 9, Thursdays 7p-10p
Duration: On-Going
Cost: $150/month

Even though this class is a monthly class, we are looking for those students who are committed to learning our style over a long period of time. It is an ensemble based class and the students who start the class will stay together and build the strong levels of trust necessary to improvise. This class will dramatically hone your improv skills. All areas of improv will be taught by a revolving faculty of Impro company members. Here are just some of the subjects that will be explored: character, status, scene building, narrative, emotional response, playing for the moment and not the joke, turning mistakes into gifts, finding the game, and most importantly becoming a master of CROWE (character, relationship, objective, where and expectation.) As the class progresses, longform narrative storytelling will become one of the main focuses. This class contains the opportunity to put your abilities to the test in front of an invited audience because we believe that the stage is the best way to advance your technique. The class will eventually move into genre work.

Impro Studio Tuesday

Instructor: Multiple members of the company
Prerequisite: Instructor approval to move on from Foundations or Company recommendation
Performance Opportunity: Student Shows in the workshop space
Start Date: Currently Running on Tuesdays 7p-10p
Duration: On-Going
Cost: $150/month

Even though this class is a monthly class, we are looking for those students who are committed to learning our style over a long period of time. It is an ensemble based class and the students who start the class will stay together and build the strong levels of trust necessary to improvise. This class will dramatically hone your improv skills. All areas of improv will be taught by a revolving faculty of Impro company members. Here are just some of the subjects that will be explored: character, status, scene building, narrative, emotional response, playing for the moment and not the joke, turning mistakes into gifts, finding the game, and most importantly becoming a master of CROWE (character, relationship, objective, where and expectation.) As the class progresses, longform narrative storytelling will become one of the main focuses. This class contains the opportunity to put your abilities to the test in front of an invited audience because we believe that the stage is the best way to advance your technique. The class will eventually move into genre work.

Foundation One: The Beginning

Instructor: TBD
Prerequisite: None
Start Date: Saturday September 11th
Duration: 8 weeks
Cost: $299

Foundation I is a great workshop for someone who has never taken improv, as well as someone who is looking to learn a new improv style. This class focuses on the basics of improv, how to give simple, clear information to get a scene started, how to be changed by information given to you, and mostly to get out of your head, leave your inner critic at the door, and have fun on stage.

By the end of an 8 week session an F1 student will know:

• Improv Lingo: (they are given a glossary of terms)
• Relaxation: Through warm-up (vocal & physical) they are given tools to relax under pressure and be “present”.
• Having fun while frying. Letting go of the “getting it right” syndrome.
• Embracing Failure, Mistakes are truly Gifts.
• Basic Stage Presence: the student can be seen and heard, is not constantly upstaging or turning back on audience.
• Learn to build a scene by learning how to CROW (establish Character, Relationship and the Objective and Where of the scene) through a series of exercises where they learn CROW through their bodies and not just intellectually. They will be able to execute CROW or at least know when it isn’t there. They will have an understanding of Building Characters, Emotions, Relationships, Objectives, Where’s, Endowments, & Narrative.
• Saying Yes – able to move action and not block. Playing first offer out all the way until it organically flips into something else. Getting in tune with their own impulses and starting from that clear space – then learning to accept others impulses.
• Ensemble/making your partner look good, sharing control. Clicking into the Group Mind and getting out of your own way, serving your partner, making your partner look good,
• Letting go of Control: not planning ahead.
• Status is introduced, but more of a focus in F2

Master Class

Instructor: Dan O’Connor and Brian Lohmann (plus other members of the company)
Prerequisite: Invite or Audition Only
Start Date: Currently Running on Wednesdays 7p-10p
Performance opportunities: Student shows in the workshop space and the potential to perform in a main-stage company show as a guest artist.
Duration: On-Going
Cost: $150/month

This is a master class for improvisers with years of experience under their belt who are looking to take their craft to the next level. This class focuses on long-form narrative and develops the tools needed to improvise full length plays. In this class you will not only learn how to be a better actor, but how to work in the moment as a director and a playwright at the same time. Participants in the master class will learn advanced levels of ensemble play and eventually progress into the core genres that Impro Theatre performs on stage.