Improv classes
Nurture your creativity
Improvisation is foundational to all other performing arts.
It builds confidence, teaches storytelling, improves listening and collaboration, and allows you to be present in the moment.
Taking an improv class is like supercharging your creative brain.
Upcoming classes
Pinch Jam
No workshop, just an opportunity to play! Come improvise with a creative group of hilarious people.
All skill levels welcome. A double-feature with with Pinch Student Ensemble Showcase performance.
- Tuesday July 8. Tickets & Info Here.
Improv Fundamentals
Dive headfirst into the world of Yes And in this four session workshop series! Over 8 hours this class will explore listening, storytelling, character, humour, cooperation, and presence. No experience necessary: perfect for beginners!
- Thursdays, July 10 - 31. Tickets & Info Here.
TRUTH IN FICTION
You have a unique POV and a lifetime of real life stories! This workshop one-off, 3 hour workshop will help you tap into the people, places and experiences that have shaped you, and turn them into a resource for hilarious and specific improv choices on stage. Your autobiography is your superpower, so let's use truth as inspiration for our collaborative fictions!
- Tuesday July 22. Tickets & Info Here.
Improv Games
Explore the hilarious world of improv games in this one-off workshop. Over the course of 2.5 hours this class will cover a whole whack of short-form games, as seen on TV’s Whose Line: Half-Life, Genre Coaster, Speak in One Voice, Should'a'Said, Switch-Change, Word at a Time Story and much more! If you've got a favourite you'd like to play, let's make it happen!
- Tuesday Aug 5. Tickets & Info Here.
Intro to Sketch Comedy Writing
This 4-week course with Rob Lewin will provide you with the fundamentals of generating comedic premises and fleshing them out into full sketches. Each week you'll write sketches at home, read them in class, and receive notes on the structure and content. By the end of the series you'll be the proud author of your very own polished, original, sketch comedy script!
- Thursdays, Aug 7 - 28. Tickets & Info Here.
PWYC Improv Workshop & Jam
Improv builds confidence, teaches storytelling, improves listening and collaboration, and allows you to be present in the moment. Taking an improv class is like supercharging your creative brain! A 90 minute workshop portion will be followed by a 30 minute improv jam, exploring improv games for a fun and immersive approach to collaborative comedy.
All skill levels welcome! Pay What You Can!
- Tuesday Aug 19, 7-9pm
- Friday Sep 26, 7-9pm
- Sunday Oct 26, 1-3pm
- Saturday Nov 15, 1-3pm
- Saturday Dec 20, 1-3pm
- Tickets & Info for All Dates Here.
Stand Up Comedy
Try your hand at writing and performing original jokes, stories and shticks! Local comedy legend Renee Groux leads this 5 week series, capped off with a student showcase!
- Tuesdays, Sep 2-23. Tickets & Info Here.
Physical Comedy
Spontaneity meets physicality in this four week class. Connect to your body, expand your character range, hone your group-mind, and improve non-verbal communication.
- Thursdays, Sep 4-25. Tickets & Info Here.
Improv Games
Explore the hilarious world of improv games in this 4 week series. Over the course of 10 hours these workshops will cover a whole whack of short-form games, as seen on TV’s Whose Line: Party Quirks, Half-Life, Genre Coaster, Speak in One Voice, Should'a'Said, Switch-Change, Word at a Time Story and much more! If you've got a favourite you'd like to play, let's make it happen!
- Tuesdays, Oct 7-28. Tickets & Info Here.
Longform Performance Ensemble
Eight weeks of improv workshops with an ensemble of hilarious, creative folks, directed by Ben Gorodetsky. Develop your trust, listening, storytelling, comedic timing and group mind through a total of 20 hours of workshops. The series culminates on the ninth week with a student showcase to celebrate off your fresh improv skills in front of a real live audience! Enrolment capped at 8 participants for a more focused ensemble experience!
- Thursdays, Oct 9 - Nov 27. Tickets & Info Here.
CHARACTERS
Explore the bold world of character-forward improv! Over the course of 10 hours of instruction this workshop series will look at psychological, emotional, physical, and vocal approaches to playing complex, interesting characters on stage. This class will help you extend your range and open up new choices in spontaneity that rely less on doing and more on being.
- Tuesdays, Nov 4-25. Tickets & Info Here.
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STYLE & GENRE
Explore the wide and wonderful world of improvised style & genre! In this one-off, 3 hour workshop we'll look at physical, verbal and narrative strategies to emulate specific styles through improvisation on stage. This class will help you connect the genres of film, television, and books you know and love, to the improv comedy we create in the moment.
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
Puppet-Prov
Explore the art of puppetry and improv with instructor Kez Vicario-Robinson in this three week series! Learn puppetry techniques and skills, and develop your unique puppet's movement and voice through improv exercises. Then grow your puppet's storytelling power, through playful collaboration with other improvisers and their puppets!
All experience levels welcome, puppets will be provided (or bring your own!)
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
STATUS
Come pull apart and reassemble the techniques of improvisational status! In this one-off, 3 hour workshop we'll look at the shifting dynamics of power on stage, and how it can be used for story, comedy, and mischief! This class will help you break habitual choices, sensitize your listening to shifts in status, and change the way you look at story and character in improv.
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
Spontaneous Storytelling
Tap into play, listening, trust, and story structures in this four week class. Learn to trust yourself and your partners so you can create in the moment together. This class will emphasize autobiography as a resource for improvisation, looking at your own stories as a goldmine for comedy!
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
Musical Improv
Time to sing! Join instructors Rob Lewin & Karen Derrah for a four week series on musical improv. Learn the basics of song structure, phrasing and musicality, and then apply it to your shortform and longform improv. By the end of this series, you'll be ready to take your shower voice to the stage!
No musical experience necessary. Some improv experience recommended.
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
Making it Matter
Instructor Cas Knihnisky will help you believe in the moment, no matter how absurd! This four week course teaches a holistic approach to improvised scene work, focusing on: organic exploration, emotional stakes, heightening, commitment and connection. Enrich your improv, hone your communication skills, and learn how to find fun anywhere.
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
Intro to Sketch Comedy Writing
This 8-week course will provide you with the fundamentals of generating comedic premises and fleshing them out into full sketches. Each week you'll write sketches at home, read them in class, and receive notes on the structure and content. At the end of the term, you'll be able to showcase your work in front of an audience in an informal live reading.
- Dates TBD. Email if interested.
Custom Group Classes
Classes designed for your group needs are available. Check out corporate & business offerings here.
For community or arts groups, please email if interested.
Photo #1 by Billy Wong
Photo #2 by Mat Simpson