We teach online classes in long-form improv and sketch.
All Class Dates and Times are California Time (PST)
Commercial Acting Class
Sold Out! - Use your improv skills to advance your career and make money as a commercial actor. In this four week course you will get plenty of reps (7+ auditions) with real commercial scripts. Final class includes a professional evaluation from a casting director, commercial agent or commercial director. All experience levels welcome.
Starting Sat Feb 27 12pm for 4 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
Find the Fool
Sold Out! - Running every week, no repeat students! Only for those who have not taken this workshop before! WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The "unusual thing" is often a person. Let's call that person "the fool." Agreeing on who is the fool makes an improv scene way easier. Let's practice seeing fools, being fools, playing fools.
Starting Tue Mar 2 5pm for 1 week
8 of 8 signed up
Sketch 1
An intro to sketch comedy writing. You’ll learn a basic formula for writing sketch. We’ll cover how to take that funny idea you wrote down in your phone one day, all the way to a complete, ready-to-produce sketch. This is a hands-on writing course. You don't need to come to class with a sketch pre-written, but you will be writing new sketches over the five weeks. The class will end with an online reading.
Starting Sun Mar 7 11am for 6 weeks
0 of 8 signed up
Improv 3: The Harold
We learn the classic improv structure The Harold, with an emphasis on initiating scenes that have games. We go over: first beats, second beats, group scenes and third beat connections. Class show: A Harold.
Starting Sun Mar 7 5pm for 6 weeks
4 of 8 signed up
Find the Fool
Sold Out! - Running every week, no repeat students! Only for those who have not taken this workshop before! WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: The "unusual thing" is often a person. Let's call that person "the fool." Agreeing on who is the fool makes an improv scene way easier. Let's practice seeing fools, being fools, playing fools.
Starting Mon Mar 8 10am for 1 week
8 of 9 signed up
Initiations!
Sold Out! - This is a five week class on starting scenes strongly. It goes over much more than initiations. Subjects include: pulling premise, starting with agreement, emotional choices, philosophizing and second beats! Sarah Claspell is a master teacher and performer from UCB doing this special class at WGIS!
Starting Mon Mar 8 5pm for 6 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
Sketch 1
An intro to sketch comedy writing. You’ll learn a basic formula for writing sketch. We’ll cover how to take that funny idea you wrote down in your phone one day, all the way to a complete, ready-to-produce sketch. This is a hands-on writing course. You don't need to come to class with a sketch pre-written, but you will be writing new sketches over the five weeks. The class will end with an online reading.
Starting Mon Mar 8 5pm for 6 weeks
3 of 8 signed up
Improv 2: Monoscene
Sold Out! - A monoscene is one long scene. The monoscene emphasizes grounded play, point of view, having relationships and histories with character as well as having good unusual things. Class show: a monoscene. Open to anyone with a year or more of long-form experience.
Starting Tue Mar 9 11am for 6 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
La Ronde
Sold Out! - The La Ronde is a fundamental form which is a) satisfying and fun to perform and b) well suited to doing improv via video chat. What could possibly be better? Learning the La Ronde will help train you to choose characters that are unique yet flexible, as well as hone your edits to a razor's edge. PLUS, everything FEELS because the title is in French!
Starting Tue Mar 9 11am for 6 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
The Improvised Play
Sold Out! - This class will work towards creating fully improvised 30 minute plays. Rather than focusing on the tropes of specific genres we will focus on acting and basic dramatic structure. As in a monoscene the comedy will come from clear character Games but these multi-scene plays will also be built around the characters’ objectives, obstacles and actions. Although the plays will almost always be funny we’ll make emotional honesty and commitment the priority. The class will culminate with us improvising two mind-blowing one-act plays live on YouTube. Some outside of class preparation will be required.
Starting Tue Mar 9 3pm for 6 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
Improv 1: Monologue Show
Sold Out! - Learn "game of the scene" improv and pulling premises from an opening. Class show: scenes inspired by a monologue.
Starting Tue Mar 9 5pm for 6 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
Duo Class
Sold Out! - SIGN UP WITH A PARTNER. Although because of how this site works, you each sign up on your own -- but you'll be a pair in the class and do scenes only with each other. 3 weeks of group work, then for the last two weeks each pair gets an hour of focus (2 pairs per class). 5 weeks total, no show.
Starting Tue Mar 9 5pm for 5 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
Improv 4: Headless Harold
Sold Out! - A Harold with no opening. We'll go over: finding unusual things with no opening, cinematic edits, doing beats out of order and skipping beats.
Starting Wed Mar 10 11am for 6 weeks
9 of 8 signed up
Improv 4: Headless Harold
Sold Out! - A Harold with no opening. We'll go over: finding unusual things with no opening, cinematic edits, doing beats out of order and skipping beats.
Starting Wed Mar 10 5pm for 6 weeks
9 of 8 signed up
Improv 3: The Harold
We learn the classic improv structure The Harold, with an emphasis on initiating scenes that have games. We go over: first beats, second beats, group scenes and third beat connections. Class show: A Harold.
Starting Thu Mar 11 11am for 6 weeks
7 of 8 signed up
2-Person Scene Workshop
Sold Out! - A weekly workshop where Alex Berg works with students on 2-person scenes.
Starting Thu Mar 11 5pm for 1 week
8 of 8 signed up
Improv 2: Monoscene
A monoscene is one long scene. The monoscene emphasizes grounded play, point of view, having relationships and histories with character as well as having good unusual things. Class show: a monoscene. Open to anyone with a year or more of long-form experience.
Starting Thu Mar 11 5pm for 6 weeks
5 of 8 signed up
Bringing Your Own Self
A great improviser should be capable of embracing their own self and identity into their scenes. This workshop will focus on working how you can bring your own background, expertises, hobbies, and everything you love/hate in real life, in order to find and play the game of the scene in a genuine, unique and easier way.
Starting Sat Mar 13 11am for 1 week
4 of 8 signed up
Improv 2: Pretty Flower
Sold Out! - In the Pretty Flower, you set up a source scene, then cut away from it and back again to explore the lives of its characters. Great for point of view, playing grounded and also heightening. Open to anyone with 1 one more years of long-form experience.
Starting Sat Mar 13 11am for 6 weeks
8 of 8 signed up
Facebook Group
The school has an Facebook group. This is for students to meet each other, plug show, ask questions etc.
Buy the Book
If the workshops are sold out, you could buy "How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth" written by Will Hines, the founder of this school. Print and digital versions on Amazon.