Which theaters offer quality improv classes in the Bay Area?

September 16, 2008 5:20 PM

Which theaters offer quality improv classes in the Bay Area? I'm planning on moving to the Bay Area and am an improv junkie - taking classes concurrently at UCB, iO, Second City, The Groundlings and The WE in Los Angeles. So far I've only had BATS recommended to me... any others?
posted by ebness86 to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (7 answers total)

BATS is good. There is also ComedySportz in San Jose. They have a "jokey" style: it is very performance oriented rather than art oriented. That doesn't diminish it in any way in my book but it is different. I've taken classes at both BATS and CsZ and been very pleased with both.

Start with those and you'll probably find links to other groups and teachers.
posted by chairface at 7:30 PM on September 16, 2008

BATS BATS BATS. I took a few of their classes and it's great. They're awesome. I love those guys and go to their shows all the time.
posted by asavage at 11:58 PM on September 16, 2008

The Unscripted Theater Company. Voted SF Bay Guardian "Best of the Bay" theater company in 2008.
posted by milagu at 1:53 AM on September 17, 2008

There's also Pan over in Oakland.
posted by Arthur Dent at 9:50 AM on September 17, 2008

And oh, seconding/thirding BATS.
posted by Arthur Dent at 9:50 AM on September 17, 2008

I'll give a blatant plug for a friend of mine (hi Alex!) who teaches improv at the YWCA in Berkeley. More info here. The classes are fun; it's a good group with some newbies and some experienced improv actors, and Alex is actually a great teacher. While it probably won't be your primary improv experience if you're as into it as you sound, for $10 each (or a discount if you do the whole series), the classes are more than worth it.
posted by obliquicity at 4:35 PM on September 17, 2008

I've taken classes with BATS and Unscripted. Both were very good.
posted by Zed_Lopez at 3:48 PM on October 6, 2008