How Taking an Improv Class Helps You at Your Job
In today’s competitive job market, developing strong communication skills, adaptability, and teamwork is essential for professional success. While many training programs focus only on technical
Looking for fun, beginner-friendly improv classes in San Diego?
National Comedy Theatre helps adults build confidence, communication skills, creativity, and stage presence through our acclaimed interactive improv comedy workshops — no acting experience required.
With over 25 years of experience working with people from all backgrounds, our San Diego improv classes are designed to be welcoming, low-pressure, and enormously fun. Our professional instructors have taught thousands of students—you could be next! It’s no wonder that we’ve been voted Best Comedy Show in San Diego year after year.
Whether you’re looking to boost confidence, sharpen communication skills, improve stage presence, or simply have a blast making new friends — improv is one of the most welcoming, joyful skills you can learn.
The National Comedy Theatre has helped thousands of students discover creativity, courage, and community through improv. Now it’s your turn.
Want to test the waters first? Join us for a free, beginner-friendly improv class at the National Comedy Theatre. You’ll learn some basics, play fun games, and experience our supportive, professional teaching style. No experience needed – just come ready to laugh, connect and try something new!
Available for adults ages 18+ only.
Our next free workshop will be: Saturday, September 12, 2026
10:30am-12:30 pm
Class will be at the National Comedy Theatre, 3717 India St., San Diego
In this fun and supportive class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of improv through easy, interactive exercises designed to help you:
• Build confidence
• Improve communication
• Think on your feet
• Reduce anxiety
• Unlock creativity
• Meet fun, like-minded people
You’ll learn:
Staying “in the moment” Character basics Collaborative storytelling Basic scene structure
Perfect for: Beginners, actors, public speakers, professionals, and anyone craving more fun and confidence in daily life.
And one more perk: Your class includes free admission to all NCT shows while you’re enrolled, so you can see the skills you’re learning put into practice onstage.
Classes run once a week for six weeks
Prerequisite: Ages 18+
Cost: $245
Ready to level up? Building on the foundation of Level One, 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.
Prerequisite – NCT Level 1
(please note that improv classes from other organizations are not transferable)
Cost: $245
An advanced improv class which will bring all the skills learned in the previous two courses together, with a focus on live performance. In this class, students are taught games taken directly from the NCT repertoire, which they will perform at our theater for an invited audience.
Prerequisite – NCT Level 1 and Level 2
(please note that improv classes from other organizations are not transferable)
Cost: $245
This class provides improvisors with a strong musical foundation and the right tools to make up melodic masterpieces that can be incorporated seamlessly into any improv scene. In this 6 week workshop, students will explore a variety of musical improv styles, games, and ideas.
This class will delve into both short form and long form musical improv techniques and will confidently leave you with a song in your heart and a hitch-kick in your step.
Prerequisite – Current NCT Cast Member
(please note that classes from other organizations are not
transferable)
Designed exclusively for NCT workshop alumni, this on-going improv class builds on the techniques introduced in our classes to keep your skills sharp. Enjoy weekly classes with our professional teaching artists and free admission to NCT shows.
Classes meet every week on Thursday nights, from 7:00-9:00.
Prerequisite is completion of NCT San Diego Improv Classes, levels 1-3, and invitation from NCT Staff.
Cost: $99/month
Take your scenework skills to the next level. This course will get you out of your comfort zone, and focus on techniques to create more advanced and robust scenes. There might even be a little improvised Shakespeare thrown in for good measure.
Prerequisite – Member of a current NCT Cast
Under the guidance of Comedy Veteran Tony Calabrese, you will learn how to develop a tight 5 minute stand-up comedy set that you can take anywhere and perform in front of anyone. You will learn the fundamentals of joke writing and performance; how to edit and refine material that is unique to you and your ‘voice’; how to connect and relate to an audience; and how to maximize your laughs per minute.
Cost: $245 for six weeks
Through a variety of formats and exercises, students will learn the concepts essential to long form improv in a welcoming and constructive environment. Students will learn the importance of working together as a group, ways to make one idea last for an extended amount of time, scene edits, and creating lasting characters. This class also goes over how to start identifying and finding the “game of the scene.” This is a must for any improvisor or actor that wants to take their improv skills to the next level.
How do you make up a story that will not only be interesting and believable, but last for twenty to thirty minutes?
Picking up from the fundamentals, the class will delve into the importance of unique storytelling as a group, and longer formats that can inspire entire universes of characters and scenarios. Students will learn how to create extended story arcs, execute advanced edits, and discover successful ways to revisit elements and characters from earlier scenes.
Do your improv scenes tend to go nowhere? Is it hard to find out what is funny about a scene? Do things get crazy too quickly? What went wrong? Maybe you lost “the game.”
In this elective class, students will learn the “game of the scene,” how to work with other players to find it, and how to apply it in an long form format. Through a series of fun exercises and scenework, the students will identify what makes the scene funny, and how to keep it that way.
Find yourself just standing around in your scenes? This workshop will focus on spacework, or learning how to better interact with the environment of your scene. You will also work on pantomime skills, learn how to slow down and find better ways to use your body to describe things, sometimes without talking! Discover why it’s so important that you should always be doing something in your scene. These lessons will discipline you to focus on your surroundings more than ever and is encouraged for Long form and Short form students.
This popular elective focuses entirely on refining and practicing short form improv games.
Go further with scene games that involve guessing, justification, genres, time limits, audience participation and even a bit of singing. Students will practice games they learned in levels 1 through 3, and learn new ones that are more advanced.
Prerequisite – NCT Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3
This an exciting and new course that NCT is offering to focus on two person performance. Students will explore how to form a cohesive mind with your partner as a duo, co-create an array of different characters and storylines, and learn a few duo formats that will culminate in a student showcase. Sign up with a buddy or we’ll pair you up with one!
Prerequisite – NCT Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3
"Taking Classes at NCT started on a whim and has become one of my favorite activities every week! It's a brilliant crew of professionals that really help bring me out of my shell."
"Where else can you drive, park, walk in the door, laugh hysterically for 2 hours with friends, leave, and feel awesome?"
"I really enjoyed coming to class every day knowing I’d laugh like crazy, act out something I would never think I could do, and all the while building my self confidence."
ADULT WORKSHOPS
For Level 1, we get all kinds of people! From aspiring actors who want to brush up on their improv skills to people in business who want to build up their confidence with their clients. We also get people who just want to learn for fun! People that take Level 2 and 3 are people who want to continue to learn about improv comedy. Some of the people that have taken the workshops are now our performers at National Comedy Theatre!
TEENS
Most of the teens who sign up are looking for something fun and creative to do on a Saturday. We also get a variety of teens who are inspiring improvisors as well as teens who need to have more improv experience on their acting resumes. No previous experience is necessary
Our San Diego improv classes are held at the National Comedy Theatre, 3717 India St in Mission Hills,
or at our rehearsal studio, located at 440 Upas St. in Bankers Hill/Hillcrest.
Check class description for exact location
To reserve a spot in the workshops, simply sign up on our site, and pay the registration fee. This payment guarantees you a spot in class.
Payment is made in advance online while registering. We take all major credit cards.
Unfortunately no. The reason for this is that we take a limited number of students into workshop, and if a student cancels or does not show, we end up with an empty slot that would have been sold, resulting in a loss for the theatre. So please check your calendars to see if you can make it to all the workshops.
Unfortunately, we cannot apply payment to another class.
You must be 18 years or older to participate in the adult workshops. No exceptions. Our teen workshops are open to teens ages 13-18.
We offer improv classes for teens ages 13-17. You can find out more information by clicking here.. Additionally, we also have a summer improv comedy camp, designed exclusively for teens. You can find out more information by clicking here
The instructors for the workshops are the professional improvisors who regularly perform at National Comedy Theatre. Each of them has years of experience with improv comedy and are waiting for you!
The name and bio of specific teachers are listed on each class registration page.
You would be surprised how many people ask this question. While you may have previous experience, we ask that everyone start at level 1. We spend a lot of time in class working on our approach to improv, and while you may have had some experience with this, we want everyone in the group to be on the same page and speak the same language.
It is ok to miss one day of class, although we don’t recommend it. We do not allow people to make up a class by trying to attend the same level but on a different day. Our class size is limited so that everyone has a chance to participate in every session. Further, each class has their own dynamic and they thrive on a certain level of comfort. So please plan accordingly. If you know ahead that you will miss more than one class, we suggest that you wait until the next session.
You can email us at workshops@nationalcomedy.com. We will keep you informed about upcoming workshops and when a workshop is about to sell out. This is a good list to be on.
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Classes are held either at our theatre or our rehearsal studio in Bankers Hill/Hillcrest. Check individual class for location
National Comedy Theatre
3717 India St
San Diego, CA 92103
619-295-4999
National Comedy Theatre Rehearsal Studio
440 Upas St.
San Diego, CA 92103