This is the NoHo Arts District and, FYI, we are a theatre district. We have the highest concentration of theatres outside of New York City – 20 in a mile. That means we have actors honing their skills at one of our many acting classes and workshops. So when we come across a fun Improv class that’s free, we must share with our readers. So save your Thursday evenings for fast-paced Improv.
Why are you offering a free Improv Workshop?
There are some very talented people in Los Angeles who are unable to afford time or money to what they crave. There are also those who want to learn improv. They come together in this safe environment to practice and learn from each other. This is also a great opportunity for newcomers to LA to network and make friends, which is always your first goal when moving to LA.
What do you do in the class?
We play a lot of tough challenging games not designed for beginners. If you wanna learn fast, you gotta fail fast.
What is your experience with Improv?
I did some workshops at Second City in Chicago. I was also part of an Improv show for four years at Pipers Alley. When I moved to L.A. 10 years ago, I began learning from Andy Goldberg who has worked with some of the best comic actors: John Ritter, Robin Williams, Bran Cranston and many more. That class teaches me much more than any of the schools could. These are comic actors and writers who have been doing it since the 70s - true, smart comedic acting skill. I was also able to learn from Richard Schaal before his passing. I loved hearing him tell stories of helping Viola Spolin write the book on Improv. But mostly I learn from people I watch and work with.
I create groups, work with them for a year and let them move on their own. I created and worked with Duchess Riot, an all female Improv group a few years back and those girls are now doing some brilliant work on stage and on screen. I also work with Chaos Comedy, a mixed group, and currently I created and am working with another all female Improv Group, “What’s her Face Comedy” and The Comedy Bandits, all in NoHo.
How do you feel about schools specifically for Improv?
GREAT! Do all of them if you’re able. I have seen people audition who went through those schools but still couldn’t manage to impress an audience and I’ve seen people who had no experience on stage and blow the audience away. For instance, I saw a guy last week, it was his first time doing Improv and the group couldn’t wait to see what he would do next. I'm pretty confident that I watched a future comedic star perform Improv for his first time.
Any advice for people who want to get into Improv?
Don’t try to get a laugh. You wont get it. But if you create a great character then you can make the audience cry or laugh, whatever you want. It’s your character. Create a good one then you can control your audience. And have fun no matter what happens.
Free Improv Details:
WHERE: The Avery Schreiber Playhouse
4934 Lankershim Blvd. NoHo Arts District
WHEN: Thursdays at 9:30PM
But we change locations sometimes so it’s always best to check out our public Facebook page for updates.
**** For information on Los Angeles theatre, tickets to theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, theatre reviews, the NoHo Event Calendar, restaurants, news and local businesses in NoHo, or anything and everything about the NoHo Arts Community, bookmark nohoartsdistrict.com. Follow us on Twitter @OfficialNoHo.
