Comedy Classes & Training Center Overview
It’s time to break out of your mold! Get BOLD! Get LOOSE! Get SILLY!
Whether you’re interested in meeting new people, trying something new, or expanding your creativity, The Comedy Arena has the perfect Improv Class, Stand Up Class, Sketch Comedy Class, Musical Improv Class, Story Telling Class, Public Speaking Class, Summer Camp for Kids & Teens (and so many more class options) course for you!
Our Comedy Classes range from 1 day classes to a series of 6-7 week courses that will teach you how to celebrate mistakes, take big risks, laugh, breathe and laugh again.
Give yourself permission to say YES and let comedy grow you in all the best ways as these classes prepare you for life, whether it's onstage or off.
Have the next stage in your life be at The Comedy Arena!
Why Choose Classes at The Comedy Arena?
Our Goal is Three-Fold:
1) To cultivate the evolution of comedy by providing its students with the highest quality of professional training in improvisation, sketch and stand-up comedy in a supportive and safe space.
2) Teach skills that can be used on or off the stage for those professionals in the Arts, for those professionals in Corporate America or just anyone who is looking to gain confidence as they navigate life.
3) Have a whole lot of fun during the entire learning and performing process.
Level UP Your Comedy Skills
Completed an Intro/Level 1 or higher somewhere else? Great! We'll count that credit here too. Regardless of your background or your previous training (if any) through study and practice, we will instill in our students a passion for the creation of their own unique comedic voice and their continual evolution as comedic performers, writers or people.
Student Benefits
While enrolled in classes at The Comedy Arena, students will reap the benefits of meeting some amazing people, making friendships that will last lifetimes, seeing FREE Comedy Arena shows and partaking in what will be transformative experiences. Students may even be invited to perform in main stage shows as well as find themselves with a comedy Troupe to call their own. But the skills, tools and lessons students learn in class will be beneficially not just for on the stage, but in real-life, off the stage too.
Ready to Change Your Life
We hope you choose to learn from us at The Comedy Arena and we hope that your experience with us will be informative, transformative and fun.
You can see all scheduled class times and if space is available through our website. Check out our full variety of classes for Adults and Kids & Teens. Once enrolled you will receive confirmation via e-mail.
Payment must be made at the time of enrollment in order to secure your spot in class. Payment plans are available. Scholarships, volunteer credits, internships, or work-study credits cannot be used retroactively. If you have a balance on your account, please reach out to classes@thecomedyarena.com for payment options.
Additional Info
• SHOWS: We've got some great shows running, some of which you might be able to participate in!
• NEWS LETTER: Want to get the latest news? Click through to sign-up for our newsletters!
• IMPROV JAMS & OPEN MICS: Come play, perform or watch!
10 Reasons to Take a Comedy Class
at The Comedy Arena
01
Will Help You Make Friends
Will Help You Make FriendsMost people who take our comedy classes or workshop get to feel closer to the people who are in their class, and sometimes they make friends that last a lifetime. Some have even met their forever scene partners and got married. It just happens, due to the nature of the games, exercises and the philosophy we teach and the environment we help create.
02
Will Teach You To Be More Mindful
Doing comedy requires you to be in the moment, because instead of pre-planning what you are going to say to make yourself sound funny, you have to respond to the last thing that just happened – and if you aren’t paying attention, it’s easy to miss. That is what mindfulness is all about -- focusing on what you are doing in the moment. There’s a lot of talk these days about the benefits of being mindful, but if you’re interested in actually experiencing being mindful rather than just reading about it, then have we got a class for you.
03
Will Help You Find Time To Play
When was the last time you just played? If you were to answer this honestly, you would probably say years ago. As adults, we need to play -- for our survival, for our sanity, for our mental health. So many of us are driven, goal-orientated people rushing from one thing to the next all in the name of getting ahead. We stress out about our jobs, our finances, and what’s going on in this crazy world. We create the space so students can play and we all need more of that in our lives, even if only for a of couple hours a week.
04
Will Help You Not Take Yourself So Seriously
-
We all know that person who takes themselves too seriously. We all think we are important, but when we start to take ourselves too seriously, we lose our sense of our humanness and our sense of humor at the same time, making us difficult to be around. Ten minutes into your first class when you are playing, you’ll realize that taking yourself too seriously in class is not going to work – and that’s a good thing.
05
Will Help You Take Risks
Sometimes, when people first start out in class they are terrified. They think they are going to be humiliated and embarrassed. In fact, that is the number one reason people don't take the class in the first place. On day one, people are often reluctant to take any risks and are just worried about self preservation. That soon goes away after they start building trust in the group. Soon, people who were shy at the beginning start making big, bold choices all over the place. They start laughing and having a good time, and they’re not even aware they are taking risks. And all of that risk taking in class often translates into being more comfortable taking risks in the outside world too, from being more confident speaking in front of a group to becoming more comfortable sharing your ideas and more.
07
Will Make You A Better Listener
We all need to talk less and listen more. When we really listen to others, we are able to connect with them on a deeper level, and people feel more respected and heard. By learning how to shut up and really listen to others, we can improve all of our relationships, in business and in life.
06
Will Teach You How To Go With The Flow
Listen up control freaks, this is for you. We will help force you to drop your so-called brilliant agenda and go with what is presented. Pre-planning what you are going to say and trying to control others will not work in this spontaneous art form. So, the next time you’re out in the real world and things don't go according to your plan, instead of being devastated, you’ll start to improvise. You’ll be more comfortable going with the flow, and sometimes, you’ll realize that things actually end up better than if everything would have gone according to your plan.
08
Will Make You More Creative
We teach you how to be more collaborative in everything you do, and being open to other people's ideas will lead you to being more creative. It also teaches you how to be less judgmental of your own thoughts, which can help creativity flow as well.
09
Will Build Your Confidence
We’ve taught improv to executives, mothers, teenagers, real estate agents, actors, design students and more. And they all had the same results: We give each person a newfound confidence in how they interacted in the world.
10
Will Make You A Kinder Person
We will teach you how this all can be a team sport, and how to make the other person look good. That spirit of working together can spill over into our lives and truly make us kinder human beings.
11
**BONUS** Will Save You $$$
While enrolled, students get to see The Comedy Arena shows for FREE
5 EXCUSES PEOPLE USE TO NOT TO TAKE A COMEDY CLASS
(AND WHY THEY ARE WRONG)
01.
"I'm Not Funny Enough"
No one is expecting you to be Tiny Fey on the first day of class.
Tiny Fey wasn't Tina Fey on the first day of class.
Go easy on yourself, learn to walk before you start sprinting.
You’ll learn the basic rule that improv is all about “Yes, And.” You accept and build. You listen to your scene partner and create something together. The “funny” comes from what you two create.
The best improvised scenes are when people are working together, not trying to one up each other with jokes.
02.
"I'm Not An Outgoing Person"
Most people think that if they aren’t registering as an “extrovert” on the Myer-Briggs personality test, anything that involves human interaction is not for them.
Well the truth is, being an extrovert is not necessarily a criteria for improv comedy. Introverts are creative people as well.
What you will learn is how to use your personality type with your improv skills. I have seen many of my classmates actually change over the course of a class. Those who started out quiet and reserved start to take risks; they see the benefits of succeeding and failing. Some studies show that it is ambiverts (combining introvert and extrovert personalities) who tend to be the most creative.
03.
"I Have Terrible Stage Frieght"
I’ll let you in on a little secret: I was one of those people.
When I started taking classes at The Comedy Arena, the idea of standing in front of an audience made me sweat in places I won’t disclose publicly.
Now, I perform in comedy shows on a regular basis!
Research shows that repeated attempts of facing your fears teaches your brain not to be afraid.
Improv helps to overcome that fear through teamwork and support. Improv doesn’t exist in a bubble, it’s done with teams, instructors, and scene partners who are there to “yes, and” you, catch you when you fall, and coach you on your journey.
04.
"I Would Mess Up A Lot"
Yes, you will.
GOOD!
A comedy class is the best place to make mistakes. It’s part of the process.
It’s part of EVERY learning process.
Mistakes are welcomed with open arms. Try something different and if it doesn’t work, then great, you learned something new!
Embrace the mistakes. That's where the fun stuff comes from.
05.
Meh! I Don't Feel Like It!
Having trouble feeling? No problem. Try a comedy class! You’ll be feeling funny pretty quick.
If you have uttered any/all of these excuses, you are not alone. Lots of people have them. Including me.
Don’t let your lizard brain talk you out of something fun.
Lizards hate fun. It’s a fact. Why would you listen to fun-hating-reptiles?
The Comedy Arena classes are a safe, judgment-free space where you can decompress, try new things, joke around with new friends, and learn a few life skills.
We’ll talk about those later.
Take the chance.
Make the mistake.
It may be one of the best things you’ll ever do.