NYC’S ONLY CHARACTER-BASED IMPROV SCHOOL
FOUNDED IN 2002
Learn from Professional Improvisers
Develop your Improv in Our Boutique Level Program
Discover Improvising Authentically
IMPROV IS FOR EVERYONE.
It’s not just for actors, comedians, or extraverts oozing with overconfidence. IMPROV FOR PERFORMANCE is a developmental track for people who are committed to learning improv, growing, performing and joining a community of supportive, inclusive and positive-minded players interested at making “YES, AND” an experience, not just words.
We are the only school in NYC that teaches a unique form of improv that is based in character. Character Improv encourages students to discover a scene or premise from their character’s point of view.
Come Practice, Play & Perform!
Our approach to improv is one-of-a-kind.
No other school in New York teaches with a CHARACTER-BASED approach. Character Improv encourages students to discover a scene or premise from a unique character’s point of view.
No other school in NYC was founded and is run by women. As female improvisers, teachers and owners of Improvolution, we are dedicated to creating an environment that supports and fosters students of all backgrounds, experiences and cultures.
This is NOT lip service. Setting ground rules that create an equal and respectful playing field is paramount to the free, fearless, and dynamic work that emerges in our classes and shows.
They strive to make IMPROV IS FOR EVERYONE a powerful, positive reality for all.
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There are many approaches to improv. IMPROVOLUTION is a character-based school.
Character Improv encourages students to discover a scene or premise from a unique character’s point of view. So, if the scene is about two people setting up for a picnic in the park, we are less concerned with “making a lot of things happen”, coming up with witty banter, or finding a pattern to keep repeating. Instead, we are interested in WHO are those two people? Are they uptight and worried, or are they extremely positive and encouraging about every little thing? This is what fuels the scene work: who the CHARACTERS are.
The best part is that it makes improv immensely fun and easy to do! There’s no pressure to write jokes, be witty, clever in every line, and come up with incredible information non-stop. Quite the opposite! You just pick a character and let THEM do all the work!
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Quite literally EVERY type. Since we began in 2002, our philosophy of “IMPROV FOR EVERYONE” attracted all types of people. Our first classes were filled with introverts as well as extraverts. We had a lawyer, a carpenter, a few teachers, a dancer, an account manager, a bank manager, two actors, a private investigator, a literary agent, someone who ran a non-profit, and a stay-at-home dad.
There’s a misconception that improv is just for comedians, performers, or “the life of the party”. Not true! We have 20+ years of experience proving that all you need to be is someone who wants to learn improv.
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Not at all. Improv is based on a set of skills such as listening, connecting to others, supporting their ideas, and working as a team. If you can do that, you can 100% most certainly improvise.
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Great question! A lot of it will depend on what your training is, how close it is to ours, and how long it’s been since your last class.
Generally, due to our signature Character approach, we typically require our Level classes as prerequisites for our subsequent Level classes. This ensures that our students are set up for success as they progress - and having previous Improv training can certainly be an advantage in all levels!
The best thing to do is contact our Admin Team and we can help guide you to the right starting point, whatever that may be.
Our Classes
Explore which class is right for you. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to reach out to Rebecca, Executive Director of the School, who can help guide you to where to dive in: school@improvolution.org.
NEW TO IMPROV?
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Don’t think improv is for you? Think again!
Our intro is a fun, supportive introduction for anyone to learn the fundamentals of improvisation with our unique character-based approach.
Discover the basic tools, rules, and philosophy of improv through fun, focused games & drills. You’ll be amazed how quickly and easily you can begin to improvise.Cost: $50
Pre-Req: 18 years or older
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This 4-session class is more than our INTRO TO IMPROV without the time commitment of our 10-session LEVEL 1.
Explore the basic principles of Improvisation through fun games, simple scenework, and our school’s unique Character-Based approach!
Classes are supportive, noncompetitive, and a ton of fun!
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PART IMPROV JAM, PART PARTY — ALL FUN!!!
Come together on the last Friday of each month with fun folks in a creative environment to enjoy a silly, high-energy mishmash of games & scenes and unselfconscious play!
It’s 90 minutes dedicated to fostering joy, positivity and community!
$10, friends & family welcome to join - open to all experience levels!
OUR SIGNATURE LEVEL SCHOOL
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You will be introduced to the fundamentals of improvisation through the use of drills, exercises and games. We do not teach a particular format. Instead, we prefer to teach students the basics and philosophy behind improv itself before teaching any particular structure.
You will also be introduced to our school’s unique character-based approach.
We also understand everyone develops differently and at their own pace, so we offer a very supportive and individualized process.
LENGTH: 10 classes
COST: $495
PRE-REQ: 18 or older
If you would like to be on a waitlist for any of these classes please email school@improvolution.org
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This level allows you to incorporate the basics & what you learned in LEVEL 1. You’ll have space to practice putting all the moving parts together as you move into letting scenes breathe and grow organically.
You will:
• gain confidence in your instincts and discovering your own voice as an improviser
• have fun fueling scenes with all your new tools
• create characters and incorporate their point of view into the process
• use games and short-form exercises to help you get out of your head and into the characters’
LENGTH: 10 classes
COST: $495
PRE-REQ: Level 1 or Instructor Approval
If class is full please email school@improvolution.org to get on the waitlist to be notified if a spot opens up.
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This level will hone your skills in being present in scenes, utilizing tools from prior levels to allow scenes to develop and build organically.
You will also explore character in new ways; how to create them in the moment as well as cultivate ongoing characters that you can embody many times.
The class will culminate in the beginnings of Emergent Improv - learning the important skill of letting scenes emerge naturally without pushing plot or forcing inauthentic actions. Not only does it require less work for you, it is much more fun, relaxing, and collective!
LENGTH: 10 classes
COST: $495
PRE-REQ: Level 2
WORKSHOPS & WORKOUTS
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For everyone who has graduated from any IMPROV LEVEL 1, from any school, you are invited to our IMPROV BOOSTER workout class.
Learn from our expert teaching staff, meet others in the school, and get a chance to practice-practice-practice!!!
Every class is different and spots are limited!
LENGTH: 2 hours
PRE-REQ: Level 1 grads from any school
COST: $25 (Discounted Bundles Available!)
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Music Improv is not JUST for ‘singers’, everyone can do it!
Improvise your very own tunes with the help of basic song structures and explore how organic melodies, rhythm, range and silence can create memorable hooks!
Best of all, it’s a TON OF FUN to learn and do!
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Unpack how Character Improv is unique to all other forms of improvisation.
A deep-dive into full-fledged characters that drive scenes, taking you beyond one-dimensionality.
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Our LONGFORM CLAP-IN FORMAT is unique in its open format and freedom to build scenes focusing on the most arbitrary or fascinating parts of improvised scenes.
Adaptable and simple — its looseness allows improvisers to focus on generating relaxed, organic and character-based scenes.
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We offer Seasonal Workshop Festivals and New Specialty Workshops throughout the year!
Check out our UPCOMING CLASSES page for current offerings!
WHY WE LOVE TEACHING IMPROV
“One of the most satisfying things about teaching improv is watching people’s confidence levels rise as they accept the fact that no matter what, they are an important and valuable part of the team.”
- Audrey Rapoport
“I love that I get to learn as I teach. To reinforce what I know and challenge my assumptions by watching students succeed and fail and ultimately understand what makes them special.”
- Anthony Minto
“I love the high frequency of surprising, magical moments when things all come together, either by design or happenstance. Improv has brought so many wonderful things into my life and I really appreciate being a teacher and having the opportunity to open the opportunity to others to have many wonderful moments in their lives.”
- Mallory Kinney
WHY STUDENTS CHOOSE IMPROVOLUTION
No other school in New York offers character-inspired improvisation.
You’ll be involved in a school and culture that values diversity, respect, and your authentic freedom of expression. We believe that stems from the fact that our school is the only female-founded, owned and operated improv school in the city.
You’ll be taught by seasoned, experienced, professional instructors.
We run a boutique school allowing our teachers to give personalized attention to each student. We have lots of experience working with all types of people and are attuned to the fact that everyone progresses differently.
Meet Our Instructors
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ANTHONY MINTO (He/Him)
Anthony Minto was in the second group of performers Holly taught after moving to New York and it’s been nothing but BFF’s ever since. His improvisation experience spans 16 years with the school. He has appeared on stages throughout New York as well as a few televisions in national commercials.
Besides being a regular on the hit show Dirty Little Secrets, he had a blast doing it in Canada with members of the legendary Vancouver Theatersports League at the Improv Centre.
He is currently a member of Improvolution’s The Bourgewah and is sharing his experience by coaching several improv groups.
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AUDREY RAPOPORT (She/Her)
Audrey Rapoport trained and performed at the Groundlings in LA, where she first met Holly Mandel. Audrey was also a company member at LA’s Acme Comedy Theatre, where she wrote and performed sketch comedy, taught improv, and directed shows. Her one-woman show “I Am Rapoport”, developed at both the Groundlings and Acme, played to critical acclaim in LA.
Now based on the east coast, Audrey teaches acting and improv at the School of Visual Arts. She’s performed at the Montreal Comedy Festival, the Woodstock Comedy Festival, and Austin’s Big Stinkin’ Sketch & Improv Festival.
Audrey loves wigs. More info and shiny stuff at www.audreyrapoport.com
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BECKY VEDUCCIO-LANGTON (She/Her)
Becky Veduccio-Langton has been a professional comedian, writer and actress for over 15 years. She has performed stand-up comedy and improv in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas and London.
In 2018, she was delighted to be featured as a stand-up comedian on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”. Becky has acted in commercials, theater and feature films. Her film work includes “Return To Me”, “Maid In Manhattan”, “Random Hearts” and “Mona Lisa Smile”.
A winner of a New York Press Club Award for humorous writing in 2015, Becky has written articles for various publications and in 2014, was chosen as one of Parenting.com’s top five “Fave Mommy Bloggers”.
In 1992, she began training with The Groundlings in Los Angeles and fell in love with improv. They’ve been dating ever since. After moving to New York, she continued her training with Upright Citizens Brigade, The Magnet Theater and Improvolution.
As a comedy instructor, Becky has taught every age group – from elementary school and teenagers to University students and adults. She believes everyone has a comedic voice!
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CHELSEA CAMP (She/Her)
Chelsea is a native of California and has lived in NYC over the past 8 years. She has a background in musical theatre, improvisation, music improv, directing, stage management, children’s music, puppetry and has been teaching theatre to youth for over 13 years.
She freelanced for 5 years in NYC working at Young Audiences of New York, Story Pirates, New York Children’s Theatre Bank Street Bookstore and the West Side YMCA. She is currently a full time Drama Teacher at East Harlem School at Exodus House.
She is also the co-founder of the music Duo, “CC and Mallory”, dedicated to educating and entertaining young children. She resides in Inwood with her husband and their three cats.
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DANA JOY HELWICK (She/Her)
Dana is a visual and performance artist, educator, coordinator, improviser, and a firm believer in “all things fun, all the time.” A proud northern California native with a BA in Art from UCLA, Dana received her master's degree in Art Education from NYU in 2011 with an emphasis on social justice. Her background is in visual arts.
Dana works with Art21 Educators program, a professional development initiative and learning community for educators. After stumbling upon an article about why improv is good for teachers, she signed up for her first Intro class at Improvolution and has been playing with the school ever since!
When Dana isn’t "yes and-ing" at Improvolution, she can be found yes and-ing in the classroom with her elementary students and with her art collective, the Glitter Goddesses. Dana is especially excited about Improvolution’s new Improv for Educators offerings so that she can continue to show other educators how the tenets of improvisational theater can improve their practices, both on and offline!
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DEB RABBAI (She/Her)
DEB RABBAI is an original member and co-creator of Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, the critically acclaimed improvised musical comedy awards show.
A native New Yorker, Deb has worked as an actor, improviser, singer and voiceover artist for the last thirty years. A graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in NYC, Deb spent ten years performing and teaching improvisation with Freestyle Repertory Theatre (TheatreSports New York), five years performing with ComedySportz NY and seven years with the Chicago City Limits national touring company.
Deb is a highly experienced teacher of improvisation and acting, having worked at NYU, Marymount Manhattan College, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy, NY Film Academy and American Musical and Dramatic Academy in NYC.
Deb successfully created programs that teach curriculum through improvisation – these programs have been integrated into public schools in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
For more information, please visit www.DebRabbai.com
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DONOVAN E. MITCHELL (He/Him)
Donovan E. Mitchell (he/him/his) is an actor, producer, writer, and improviser from Virginia Beach, Virginia. A graduate of The Governor’s School for the Arts, he then received his musical theater and acting training from Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Drama with a semester abroad at The Moscow Art Theater School in Russia.
Theater credits include: Six Degrees of Separation (Broadway), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Geffen Playhouse, Center Theater Group, Signature Theatre, and 59e59 Theaters. Film/TV credits include The Other Two, NCIS: New Orleans, Friends From College, Law and Order: SVU, FBI, City On A Hill, East New York, and most recently Manifest.
He has performed sketch and improv with The Second City and The Groundlings School in Los Angeles. Chair, Department of Theatre and FIlm at The Governor’s School for the Arts.
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JOHN GALGANO (He/Him)
John Galgano has studied and performed improv with Improvolution for over four years, playing with multiple troupes in a wide variety of formats.
John's performing background includes many years as co-founder and bass player for the progressive rock band, IZZ (www.izzmusic.com). John is also a practicing attorney and frequently incorporates improv techniques into his professional life as a lawyer.
After studying with Improvolution's Holly Mandel and Rebecca Stuard, John is thrilled to be part of the Improvolution team of teachers.
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Kristin McCollum (she/her) brings 25+ years of improv performance and instruction, having trained in Dallas under Groundlings alum Randy Bennett.
She is also an actor, with multiple television credits (including twice on Walker, Texas Ranger, y’all), as well as lending her voice to hundreds of commercials for clients such as Six Flags, Mister Clean and as the brand voice for Texas’ #1 grocery store chain, HEB.
Her true love is telling people about stuff, so she’s also a museum docent and tour guide. When not doing improv, she’s probably deep diving on something random. And cool.
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LIZ COIN (She/Her)
Liz Coin is an actor, improviser, and producer. Liz is a proud graduate of Northwestern University and The Second City’s Conservatory Program.
Liz started improvising in 2013 with her first independent team “Wack-It,” and fell in love. She’s been “Yes, And”ing ever since! In Chicago, she performed in various sketch and improv shows at The Second City, The Annoyance, and The Den Theatre.
During her time with the Educational Theatre Association, Liz created and taught workshops on Improvisation, Leadership, and Arts Advocacy at conferences in over 10 US states.
In 2019, Liz created her first company “Almost Funny,” bringing trauma-informed, HIPAA-certified improvisation workshops into substance abuse rehabilitation centers as a complement to in-patient and out-patient therapy. She whole-heartedly believes laughter and connection are the best medicine!
Other career highlights include winning the 2018 Chicago International Film Festival’s CineYouth Award for her short film “Ballad.” Be on the lookout for her new web series, “Big Shots” coming in 2023!
Liz is over the moon to be part of the wonderful and inspiring Improvolution community!
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Lulu French first took improv classes at Gotham City Improv over two decades ago and has been improvising ever since! In addition to being a graduate of GCI, she has also studied improv under Amy Poehler, Matt Walsh, and Matt Besser — original members of the Upright Citizens Brigade, Armando Diaz — founder of the Magnet Theater, various Second City alumni such as Todd Stashwick (12 Monkeys), and improv masters Michael Gellman, Dave Razowsky, and Aretha Sills. She has appeared in numerous improv performances in NYC improv theaters such as Gotham City Improv, the Magnet Theater, and Upright Citizens Brigade.
TV credits include Yearbook:1983 on the Discovery Times Channel and various roles on Late Night with Conan O’Brien.
She was more recently a cast member of the improv show, Gary Austin’s The Classroom in NYC, and Montclair Improv in Montclair, NJ.
Lulu has been teaching improv since 2000 and has had the privilege to teach for organizations such as Gotham City Improv, The Queens Theater in the Park, Arts Horizons, The Theater Project, The South Orange Maplewood Adult School, IN Studios, Beyond the Bell, and Vivid Stage.
She is currently the Director, Co-owner and Head Instructor of Rocket Improv, an improv school for kids, tweens, and teens in Maplewood, NJ.
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MALLORY KINNEY (She/Her)
Mallory Kinney is an actor, improviser, musician, director & producer. She studied theatre and improvisation at Purchase College and Improvolution.
With a long history of performing, creating, and teaching, Mallory currently produces and performs in the Smart and Lovely Show at The Triple Crown Underground and Improv/Grad shows at Improvolution, and is half of the Children's Entertainment/Learning duo 'CC and Mallory.'
She's also a Teaching Artist all around NYC and Westchester (e.g., The Museum of the City of New York, CASA Program, Broadway Training Center).
Mallory really loves producing films/media with her best friends and letting her inner goblins shine on stage. @iheartmallory
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MICHAEL GOLDFRIED (He/Him)
Michael Goldfried is an improvisor, writer, director & coach with an MFA in directing from Brown University. Since discovering improvisation while attending Vassar College, Michael went on to study improv with Keith Johnstone and perform with BATS in San Francisco, and later UCB, Gotham and Improvolution in New York.
He is a professional director and has worked on comedies and new plays at theaters such as The Public Theater, Theatre Row and the Goodman Theatre. In addition to teaching and performing improv at Improvolution, he works with iMergence and is a private coach for improvisators, actors and directors.
He is a professor of directing at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) and is on the directing faculty at Pace University and teaches improv at Marymount Manhattan College. michaelgoldfried.com.
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REBECCA STUARD (she/her)
Rebecca Stuard brings over 25 years of improvisation experience to Improvolution, joining as the Creative Director and co-owner in 2014 and elevating to Executive Director in 2020.
In her first career she spent 9 years touring Europe and the US in musicals.
She was a quadruple threat. Actor/Singer/Dancer/Musician.
Her favorite role was Helga in Sam Mendes'/Rob Marshall's Cabaret. She was the tenor sax player In the orchestra.
On top of her wide range of performing and teaching experience, she has been a Lead Facilitator for manager module training programs: corporate leadership, team building and effective brainstorming for her clients which include Bank of America, GE, Citi Bank, Amex, Toyota, Bloomberg Deloitte, NBA.
She also has a yearly assignment with Yale School of Management and Yale Law School.
She teaches all levels of Improv at Improvolution. (Level 1 is her favorite) and is often performing in shows at Improvolution
She is also an adjunct professor in the Theater Department at Pace University.
And finally she has been performing as a background player and rehearsal actor(stand-in) on Saturday Night Live for 19 years and counting.
"I love to laugh! That’s why I do what I do!"
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Rob (he/him) has worked and toured as a professional improviser and musician for over seventeen years. As a two-time MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winner and the recipient of the 2011 INNY (Improvisation News) Award for Best Improv Coach, Rob’s musical and improv talents are known across the country.
He has taught and directed improv at The School for Film and Television, Weist-Barron, and the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. A graduate of Oberlin College, Rob performed regularly with Chicago City Limits before joining Broadway’s Next Hit Musical in 2001. Rob became Co-Artistic Director in 2009, and continues to perform with the hysterical troupe throughout the country and at their resident theater The Triad in NYC. Called “sharper than a pound of cheddar cheese” by reviewfix.com, Rob has showcased his skills on The Daily Download and The CBS Early Show.
For more information, please visit www.robschiffmann.com.
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YUVAL BOIM (He/Him)
I act and stuff. I studied at Boston University (BFA) and earned my MFA from the London International School of Performing Arts (LISPA) where I trained in Lecoq based actor created physical theatre with Thomas Prattki. I also studied improv at Upright Citizens Brigade.
I teach at Purchase College Conservatory of Theatre Arts, am an avid yogi, a staunch recycler (okay, except for every now and again when it’s late and I really don’t feel like washing that messy take out container!) and I’m very good at silly dancing — a form of dance I am working on turning into an Olympic sport.
More at yuvalboim.com.
We are extremely proud and honored to have our instructors also teaching at these esteemed institutions:
IMPROV SHOULD BE FUN!
+ We understand it can feel intimidating and nerve-wracking to learn improv. That’s totally normal. You don’t need to worry - we are skilled at making anyone fall in love with improvising!
+ We also know you can feel stuck or uninspired if you’ve been doing improv for a while. It happens to everyone. We uphold a supportive, positive, and playful environment in all our classes and shows to kickstart your improv mojo and give you new tools and perspectives!
+ No one should be made to feel unheard, unseen or unwelcome. Improv is ALL about “yes, and” — they aren’t just words to us, they are what our school strives to be in all we do. Improv is a team sport and we always have and always will welcome anyone onto our team!
