Dramatic Improv Training Center
EACH CLASS IS $180/PERSON or $405 FOR 3 LEVELS (25% OFF)
Classes are available in-person AND online.
Not ready to commit to a full 6-week class? Check out our FREE drop-in classes to get a taste of the TM style!
SOME SCHOLARSHIPS/INTERNSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE. EMAIL FOR DETAILS.
THESE COURSES SHOULD BE TAKEN IN ORDER
OR WITH INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION.
A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF IMPROV PRINCIPLES OR
ACTING PRINCIPLES IS HELPFUL FOR THESE CLASSES.
CHECK OUT OUR IMPROV 101 IF YOU’RE NEW TO IMPROV!
All classes are hosted at Studio Momentum
(1541 W Belmont- see our Studio Page for directions)
Performances are free to the public.
Dramatic improv is not just useful for dramatic improvisors. It is incredibly helpful for scripted actors, to find intense, immediate moments, to be able to respond to directions without judgment, and to stay focused in the moment. It will also help your comedic improv. Get deeper, more layered characters and 3-dimensional stories that feel like a play.
ENVIRONMENT, RELATIONSHIP, STAKES, RESOLUTION.
When approaching improv for the first time, these are the tenets many students learn as the elements of a scene.
Our 6 week courses explore each of these fundamentals, with Level 4 culminating in a 2-weekend performance for friends, family, and the public.
Level 1: Chewing the Scenery: Environment, History, & Discovery
Prerequisites: None
Start here and dive into the Dramatic Improvisation training program.
The environment is an extra character in any improv scene, who will always agree with you and always support you. Starting with real props, you will learn the hows and whys of using complex, fleshed-out environments to make discoveries, build character, express emotion and relationship history, get out of your head, and find comfort in silence.
SESSION 1: Saturdays, February 22-April 26, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 2: Saturdays, April 5-May 17, 12-2:30 PM
SESSION 3: Sundays, April 27-June 15, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 4: Saturdays, October 4-November 8, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 5: Saturdays, November 8-January 3, 12-2:30 PM
Level 2: Everything’s Relative: Character & Dynamic Relationships
Prerequisites: Level 1 or instructor permission
Rich, vulnerable, 3-dimensional characters can draw in an audience, offer strong support to a scene, and open up opportunities for discovery and organic storytelling. Good scenes and relationships arise from the complex dynamics between such characters. Working with simple physical tools, you will learn how to build and stay in character, hear your scene partners fully, and connect with them emotionally, creating scenes with depth, dimension, and history.
SESSION 1: Saturdays, May 3-June 14, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 2: Saturdays, May 31-July 19, 12-2:30 PM
SESSION 3: Sundays, June 22-August 17, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 4: Saturdays, November 15-January 10, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 5: Saturdays, January 10-February 14, 12-2:30 PM
Level 3: Scriptless Scripted: Instant Writing in Dramatic Improv
Prerequisites: Levels 1 & 2 or instructor permission
Every line of dialogue in a scripted play is intentionally crafted to evoke emotion, explore character, and move plot forward. To create the same feeling in an improvised show requires an agile mind, careful listening, and emotional awareness. In this class, students will focus on treating their improvised scenes like they were fully scripted. They will learn tools dealing with compelling language, storytelling, planting seeds, themes, and subtext, with the end goal of crafting a show that will appear seamless to an audience and leave them questioning whether it was actually fully improvised!
SESSION 1: Saturdays, June 21-August 9, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 2: Saturdays, July 26-September 6, 12-2:30 PM
SESSION 3: Sundays, August 24-October 5, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 4: Saturdays, January 17-February 28, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 5: Saturdays, February 21-April 11, 12-2:30 PM
Signups available soon
Level 4: Performance level
Prerequisites: Levels 1-3 or instructor permission
Let’s craft an entirely new dramatic improv show from scratch! Students will build their own show structure from the ground up, developing something unique to their class.
Utilizing all the tools of the previous 3 levels, students will build their own show structure from scratch, developing something unique to their class. These shows will perform for the public for 4 Friday/Saturday performances the 2 weekends following the last class.
SESSION 1: Saturdays, August 16-September 27, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 2: Saturdays, September 13-October 18, 12-2:30 PM
SESSION 3: Sundays, October 12-November 16, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 4: Saturdays, March 7-April 25, 3-5:30 PM
SESSION 5: Saturdays, April 18-May 30, 12-2:30 PM
Signups available soon
Questions? Email us at info@theatremomentum.com