Overview
This class has reached capacity. Email Outreach@TheCenterPresents.org if you would like to be placed on a waitlist.
Wednesday evenings – Jan. 13 - Feb. 17, 6:15-8:15PM
Graduation Performance – Thursday, Feb. 25, 2027, 7:30-9:30PM
$192 (includes all 6 classes and Graduation Performance)
Improv Comedy: History, Technique, and Performance
This class explores both the roots and the craft of improvisational comedy. Students will trace improv's evolution from its theatrical origins through the founding of Chicago's Second City and the rise of long-form formats, while building a practical toolkit of core skills: scene work, “yes, and” collaboration, character development and group mind. The course will cover the mechanics of what makes a scene work – offers, justification, heightening, and finding the game of a scene, as well as the performance principles that make improvisers compelling to watch: presence, listening and commitment.
Over the course of the class, students will develop their improv instincts through weekly scene work and exercises, building ensemble performance skills. The course culminates in a live show where students will perform improvised scenes and games built entirely in the moment, showcasing the skills and confidence they've developed together as an ensemble.
NOTE: Prior to registering for this class, please confirm your availability on February 25, as all class participants are expected to perform in the graduation show.
Upcoming Dates
- Wednesday, January 13
- Wednesday, January 20
- Wednesday, January 27
- Wednesday, February 3
- Wednesday, February 10
- Wednesday, February 17
Upcoming Events at Payne & Mencias Palladium at Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts
