Beginning/Intermediate Improv

About this show

This is a 6-week class with a graduation show. 18 years of age and Up Tuesday Nights 7:00pm – 9:00pm July 28th is the first class. **Graduation Show Tuesday September 8th at 7pm** Ready to move beyond "Yes, And"? Level 2 Improv at Comedy Plex Comedy Club takes the foundation you built in Level 1 and turns it into a high-energy performance playground. Located in the heart of downtown Oak Park, this course is designed to transition you from playing games to creating cohesive, hilarious improvised theater. What to Expect in Level 2 Building on your core skills, this intermediate level focuses on the "meat" of the scene. You’ll dive deeper into: Dynamic Character Development : Learn to create unforgettable characters with distinct voices, points of view, and internal motivations like status and wants. Environment & Object Work : Master the art of building believable physical surroundings on a bare stage without props. Scene Sustainability : Go beyond the initial joke. Level 2 focuses on "jumping and justifying" to find the "why" of a scene and heightening the "game" for maximum comedic impact. Ensemble Power : Strengthen your collaborative muscles as you work toward a cohesive team mindset where every partner supports the other to make the whole group shine. The Grand Finale The course typically culminates in a Student Comedy Showcase on the Comedy Plexmain stage. You'll get to perform in front of a live audience of friends and family, showing off the spontaneous characters and high-energy scenes you've mastered. Class Details: Prerequisite : Completion of Level 1 Improv or equivalent experience. Duration : Courses run for 8 weeks. Beyond performance skills, adult improv classes offer valuable life benefits: Improved Public Speaking: By practicing thinking on your feet, you can become a more confident and effective speaker in professional and social settings. Enhanced Creativity and Problem Solving: Improv encourages "thinking outside the box" and finding creative solutions in unexpected situations. Increased Confidence: The supportive atmosphere helps participants overcome the fear of failure, as mistakes are often treated as gifts or opportunities for humor. Better Social Connections: The collaborative nature of classes is a great way to meet new people and build a strong sense of community. Student perks include: - Performance in front of a LIVE comedy club audience. -Free tickets to all Comedy Plex shows during the class session About your instructor: Emily Leonard: Emily has been an arts educator since her own youth, and a professional director, performer, and designer in Chicago since 1999. From 2006-2016 she held the position of Director of Outreach at Beverly Arts Center, during which time she oversaw an average of 50-60 visual and performing arts programs a year with 20-30 school partners annually. In her tenure at the Beverly Arts Center Emily also served as the director of the Theater department (2006-2013) and director of the School of the Arts (2010-2013). Emily has also worked extensively with Chicago Improv Productions, for whom she developed and managed the Teen Comedy Fest, a national high school improv festival which grew to attract over 200 students annually from across the country for two days of study and performances. Alongside her administrative duties, Emily has always remained active in the classroom, directing 2-3 fully produced amateur musicals a year with casts averaging 60-80 students. She has enjoyed multi-year tenures as a teaching artist with a wide array of Chicago-area arts organizations, including Hubbard Street Dance, Emerald City Theatre Company, Mad Science, Mudlark Theater, ImprovPlayhouse, and Elmhurst Children’s Theatre. Emily holds a BFA in Directing and a minor in Dance from Ohio University. Previous Next