We teach online classes in long-form improv and sketch.
- World's Greatest Improv Festival
- To celebrate the anniversary of WGIS, we're doing a 28 hour (!) online festival! Starts Friday night April 30 8pm through midnight May 1 (PDT). Too much improv, too much online, too much everything! For more info, see here.
- Shows on Twitch
- We have lots of shows on our twitch channel: http://www.twitch.tv/wgimprovschool. Many let students sign up for slots. See the shows page for a list!
- Jams
- We have great jams for new improvisers to get reps! Our newest one is HOT GIRL SHYT -- for female-identifying improvisers (every other Thursday 6pm PDT) -- also see the shows page for details on those!
All Class Dates and Times are California Time (PDT)
Boost Your Improv Confidence
Some of us feel we're shy improvisors, have trouble getting our ideas out clearly, are too polite, or just generally freeze up when we try to get that great idea from the opening into our scenes. Let's work on breaking through the nerves and bringing your best, confident self to your improv!
Starting Mon Apr 19 5pm for 1 week
5 of 8 signed up
Improv 2: Pretty Flower
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 May 1 11am for 6 weeks
4 of 8 signed up
Sketch 1 - Monday
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 May 3 5pm for 6 weeks
1 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 Tue May 4 11am for 6 weeks
4 of 8 signed up
La Ronde
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 May 4 11am for 6 weeks
7 of 8 signed up
Improv 3: 8 Lines To A Perfect Harold
Aman Adumer brings his patented "8 Lines to a perfect scene" approach to the Harold. This is a strict premise improv class. Meaning the focus is on initiations and receiving those initiation to make your Harold strong.
Starting Thu May 6 5pm for 6 weeks
3 of 8 signed up
Putting Together Your Own One Person Show
FREE LECTURE / DISCUSSION: (with Erick Acuna and Martin Steger) Have you thought about writing and performing your own scripted solo comedy show? Don't know where to start? In this lecture we'll share some tools we developed creating our solo show, and sharing other people's shows. We'll look into the conception of your theme, characters, sketches, performance and post-production. Lecturers: Erick Acuña (writer and performer of 'Acuña Acuna') Martin Steger (director of 'Acuña Acuna')
Starting Sat May 8 10am for 1 week
4 of 100 signed up
Emotional Heightening (Game)
In this six week course, learn how to use emotional choices to find and play the game of the scene. Using emotion makes your scenes more grounded, more relatable, and less likely to sputter out after a few clever moves. Focusing on the emotional reality of the scene also helps isolate premise from monologues, something else we'll be working on. This class focuses on fundamentals, but if you haven't done ANY improv before it might not be for you. NO CLASS MAY 31.
Starting Mon May 10 4pm for 6 weeks
7 of 8 signed up
Improv 1: Monologue Show
Learn "game of the scene" improv and pulling premises from an opening. Class show: scenes inspired by a monologue.
Starting Wed May 12 5pm for 6 weeks
0 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.