Comedy Classes
We're committed to teaching our students to find their authentic voice in comedy by learning the skills necessary to develop rich comedy, support zealously, and create with honesty — both on and off stage.
“I’m so happy to be at Kickstand. The content of the courses has exceeded my expectations. I’m learning at such a faster pace than any other theater which begs the question, why didn’t I just start here??”
SUMMER WORKSHOPS NOW!
NEW CLASSES IN SEPTEMBER!
Youth Classes
Speciality Classes
Level 1 Improv
Get your feet wet in the spontaneity and collaboration of improv. Whether you want to boost teamwork and communication or develop your comedic voice, this class honors both. Learn the power of agreement, honesty, and spontaneity to create successful scenes—and have fun doing it.
Level 2 Improv
With the basics down, it’s time to strengthen your skills and hone your comedic style. This class revisits core techniques, adds character work, explores justification, and introduces UCB-style “game of the scene.” Learn to spot the first unusual thing, build honest collaborative scenes, and avoid tropes and caricatures. Students with prior long-form experience are welcome.
Level 3 Improv
Focus on “group mind” while performing twenty-minute improv sets that feel like complete shows. Continue sharpening scene work, heighten comedic elements in second and third beats, and use openings to generate ideas at the top of a show.
Level 4 Improv
Ready to level up? Learn the Harold, Chicago’s legendary long-form format—improv’s full body-and-mind workout. Master revisiting and heightening fun ideas, making thematic and character connections, and creating second beats and callbacks. Develop techniques for effective openings and strong show structure. Game of the Scene is central to Kickstand’s philosophy—we’ll teach you!