You don't need to be an actor. You just need to be willing to try something new.
National Comedy Theatre offers beginner-friendly improv classes for adults who want to have fun, meet people, build confidence and learn to think more freely on their feet. No previous acting or improv experience is necessary.
Most of our students are not performers. They are adults looking for something fun, social and challenging in a good way — and improv gives them a chance to build useful skills while doing something completely different from their everyday routine.
You do not need acting experience, comedy experience or any special background to start. Level 1 is designed specifically for beginners.
Improv helps you become more comfortable speaking up, making choices and trusting your instincts without needing everything planned in advance.
The exercises develop listening, creativity, communication and the ability to respond quickly when things do not go exactly as expected.
Classes are taught by experienced NCT instructors using the same improv principles and training methods that support our professional performance company.
National Comedy Theatre has been teaching improv in San Diego for more than 25 years and has introduced thousands of students to improvisation.
New to improv? Level 1 is where you begin. Our three-level program takes you from the fundamentals of improvisation through scenework, character development and live performance — all in a supportive, low-pressure environment.
In this fun and supportive class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of improv through easy, interactive exercises designed to help you become more confident, spontaneous and comfortable thinking on your feet.
Level 1 isn’t just for people who want to perform. Students come to NCT for all kinds of reasons — to build confidence, improve communication, unlock creativity, meet new people or simply add something fun and completely different to their week.
Most students begin with no acting or improv experience at all.
Ready to level up? Building on the foundation of Level 1, this class dives deeper into character work and richer scene development. Students explore improv theory, storytelling techniques, advanced performance skills and a wide variety of short-form games.
Level 3 brings together the skills developed in the first two courses with a focus on live performance. Students learn games taken directly from the NCT repertoire and develop the confidence and ensemble skills needed to perform them onstage.
The course culminates in a performance at National Comedy Theatre for an invited audience.
Curious about improv but not ready to commit to a six-week class?
Our Intro to Improv is a one-time, two-hour workshop designed specifically for complete beginners. You'll meet an NCT instructor, play some improv games and get a real taste of what an improv class is like. No acting experience, preparation or commitment required.
If you've never taken an improv class before, you may be wondering what you're actually signing up for. The short answer: probably something much less intimidating, and a lot more fun, than you're imagining.
Improv isn't about standing in front of a room and trying to come up with jokes. Classes begin with simple, interactive exercises designed to get everyone listening, responding and playing together. The comedy tends to happen naturally along the way.
Most Level 1 students aren't actors or performers. Our classes attract people from all kinds of backgrounds — professionals, teachers, engineers, students, retirees and people who simply wanted to try something completely different.
Plenty of students arrive feeling nervous, shy or unsure about speaking in front of other people. You won't be expected to walk in fearless. The class is designed to let confidence develop naturally as you become more comfortable with the exercises and the people around you.
Easy warm-ups and group exercises get everyone participating without putting anyone immediately on the spot.
Improv is interactive. You'll spend much more time playing and participating than sitting and listening to a lecture.
You're not competing with your classmates. The exercises teach you to listen, support each other and build ideas together.
You're learning real skills, but you're also spending a couple of hours each week playing, experimenting and having fun with other adults.
You don't need to prepare anything before your first class. Wear something comfortable, show up ready to participate, and we'll take it from there.
LEARN FROM THE PROS
NCT classes are taught by experienced members of our professional Mainstage cast. Our instructors have spent years performing, teaching, and helping students discover that improv is a lot less intimidating once you actually start doing it. Here is a selection of our instructors.
NCT Mainstage Cast
Alex started her improv journey in NCT’s High School League. She went on to become a member of our house staff, college team, house teams, and Sunday Company before joining the Mainstage cast in 2019. Alex also teaches NCT’s improv workshops for teens.
NCT Mainstage Cast
Gordy has been performing with National Comedy Theatre since 2007 and joined the Mainstage cast in 2014. In addition to performing weekly, Gordy is currently director of the NCT High School League and a former director of NCT’s Sunday Company.
NCT Mainstage Cast
Ernie was an NCT fan and regular audience member before taking his first class in 2014. He joined the theatre as Mr. Voice in 2015, performed with NCT’s house teams, and spent three years with the Sunday Company before joining the Mainstage cast in 2019. Ernie is also a professional voice actor whose work can be heard on KPBS Radio and at SeaWorld San Diego.
NCT Mainstage Cast
Elysa began taking improv workshops at National Comedy Theatre in 2013 and was very quickly hooked. The following year, she joined NCT’s inaugural house teams before moving on to the Sunday Company. In 2017, Elysa joined the Mainstage cast. She has also trained at Upright Citizens Brigade and The Groundlings School in Los Angeles.
NCT Artistic Director
Gary Kramer is the Artistic Director of National Comedy Theatre. He has performed throughout the United States and internationally in Iraq, Egypt, Germany, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and Spain. Gary has directed and performed with ComedySportz in Santa Barbara and has been a member of the sketch and improv groups Rough Cut and Wits End. He has also been a morning radio personality, appeared in commercials and television shows, and was shot by cyborgs in a brilliantly awful low budget movie.
NCT Mainstage Cast
John-Michael joined the Mainstage cast in 2012 and has since used his Ithaca College music degree to create and develop NCT’s Musical Improv program. He has appeared in numerous national commercials and a handful of unrecognizable low-budget films. His television credits include That ’70s Show, Passions, and a recurring role as Deputy Lloyd on NBC’s Heroes.
NCT Mainstage Cast
Sharon was inspired to try improv after listening to Bossypants and discovered NCT workshops in 2012. She joined the Sunday Company cast in 2013 and was invited to join the Mainstage cast in 2016. Sharon grew up in Silicon Valley and has a lifelong background in dance. She attended UC Berkeley, where she earned a BA in Philosophy, and UC San Diego as a doctoral candidate in Philosophy.
NCT Mainstage Cast
Jen is a San Diego native who attended the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts and graduated from San Diego State University. While her first performance love was musical theatre, she quickly fell in love with the freedom and variety of improv. After working in entertainment at both Disneyland and SeaWorld, Jen joined NCT’s Sunday Company in 2010 and the Mainstage cast in 2012.
After Level 3, students can continue developing their skills through advanced and specialty classes offered throughout the year.
Go deeper into character, relationships, scene structure and long-form improvisation with classes designed for experienced students.
Explore more advanced games, performance formats and techniques drawn from the NCT repertoire.
Learn to create songs, characters and musical scenes spontaneously with no pre-written material.
NCT regularly offers specialty workshops focused on specific improv skills, styles and performance techniques.
Class offerings change throughout the year, so check the current schedule for available advanced and specialty workshops.
Want to know more before you sign up? These articles look at what improv classes are really like, how the skills carry into everyday life, and why so many people end up loving the experience.
See how improv can strengthen communication, adaptability, teamwork, creativity and confidence in professional settings.
Read the Article →
Thinking about trying improv but not sure what actually happens in class? Here’s what your first class is really like, from the first exercise to what happens when you don’t know what to say.
What to Expect in Your First Class →
From confidence and community to stress relief and learning from working performers, here are five reasons people keep coming back.
Read the Article →Thinking about taking an improv class? Here are answers to some of the questions we hear most often from new students.
Not at all. Level 1 is specifically designed for beginners, and many of our students have never taken an acting or improv class before. There is no audition and nothing you need to prepare in advance.
All kinds of people. Some students are interested in performing, while others want to become more confident, improve their communication skills, meet new people or simply do something fun and different. Most of our Level 1 students are not professional performers.
No. Improv isn't about walking into a room and trying to tell jokes. Classes begin with simple exercises that help you listen, respond and create with other people. Plenty of students start out shy, nervous or unsure of themselves. You don't need to arrive confident — that's something improv can help you develop.
Absolutely. Many NCT students have no intention of becoming performers. Improv develops skills that are useful well beyond the stage, including listening, communication, confidence, creativity, collaboration and becoming more comfortable responding in the moment. Other students take classes simply because they're looking for a fun and social way to spend a couple of hours each week.
NCT classes are taught by experienced members of our professional Mainstage cast, many of whom have spent years performing and teaching at National Comedy Theatre. Meet some of our instructors above, or check the individual class registration page to see who is teaching an upcoming session.
We ask all new NCT students to begin with Level 1, even if they've studied improv somewhere else. Every improv school has its own approach, vocabulary and training methods. Starting together gives everyone the same foundation before moving into Levels 2 and 3.
NCT's adult improv classes are for ages 18 and up. We also offer separate improv programs for teens ages 13–18. You can learn more about our teen improv classes here.
Classes are held either at National Comedy Theatre, 3717 India St. in San Diego, or at our rehearsal studio at 440 Upas St. in Bankers Hill/Hillcrest. The exact location for each class is listed on its registration page.
It is possible to miss one class, although we don't recommend it. Because class sizes are limited and each group develops its own dynamic, missed sessions cannot be made up by attending another class. If you know in advance that you'll need to miss more than one session, we recommend waiting for the next six-week session.
No acting experience. No audition. No need to be the funniest person in the room.
Just show up ready to participate, meet some new people and try something different. We'll take it from there.
View Upcoming Level 1 Classes