On June 15, Bandit Theater introduced me as the Education Lead. In this role, I lead and manage Bandit’s improv training program, providing teacher support through training in classroom management and curriculum delivery, as well as supporting aspiring new teachers through a dedicated teacher training program.
Here are five things that I’ve been up to in my first 100 days as Education Lead.
Classes Communication
Created a classes@bandittheater.org email account to streamline all communication about education at Bandit. Having one shared inbox will minimize response time, increase transparency, and create a more consistent method of communicating with current, past, and future students, and Bandit Education staff.
Improv Training Curriculum Update
In partnership with Bandit’s Artistic Director, Annie Barry, we revised and edited all four levels of Bandit’s improv courses. We renamed these courses to offer increased specificity on what a learner can expect. Shifting the content from Google Drive to Workflowy creates a more defined structure for each class.
Additionally, incorporating more exercises and warm-ups helps underscore Bandit’s core philosophy and approach to UCB-style improv training—with a greater focus on emotion and relationship. Students will have more time for reflection and application, with specific focus questions added at the end of exercises, and more side coaching and note-giving throughout the course, including one-on-one notes between a student and a teacher during the final class.
These curriculum revisions would not have been possible without the input and one-on-one meetings with several Bandit teachers, who helped inform the development of the new curriculum.
Classroom Management Support
Created processes to manage the teacher program. Designed a sub request form to communicate requests for planned absences better, created an internal incident report form for teachers to get coaching and support on classroom management challenges that arise during their class.
I also instituted teacher meetings in both Seattle and Tacoma in advance of teaching sessions to build rapport amongst teachers and provide support and logistics for upcoming class sessions. I have also held virtual connection sessions with Bandit educators, allowing for direct 1:1 coaching and support.
Bandit’s improv training curriculum updates and classroom management systems were made possible in part through collaboration and conversation with our sister theater in Portland, Kickstand Comedy, and their Educational Programs Manager, Kristen Schier. Thank you for the mentorship and time you took to share resources and experiences.
Created Bandit’s First BIPOC Teams
Designed and delivered two audition workshops for 12 BIPOC improvisers in preparation for Summer and Fall Tumbleweeds. The audition workshops led to the casting of Bandit’s first two BIPOC teams, one for Summer and one for Fall Tumbleweeds. Creating BIPOC improv teams led to hiring and training two new Directors for these teams, who received training to deliver the Fall BIPOC audition workshop.
2026 Training Calendar
I’m excited to share that the 2026 training calendar is drafted! We will deliver four 8-week training sessions, one 5-week training session, and one month dedicated to workshops and intensive training. Our goal is to keep cohort learners together by offering subsequent levels of improv training on the same night until the series is complete.
What this means is that if you take a level 1 on a Tuesday, you will have the rest of the improv training levels offered on Tuesdays until the series is complete. We hope this allows for better planning and retention of Bandit students.
The 2026 improv training calendar includes days off for many holidays, allowing our teachers and students to take some rest and recovery throughout the year. Additionally, we are keeping Thursday class-free to provide more opportunities for students and the Bandit community to attend jams and shows.
And those are five things!
These five things would not have been possible had it not been for the support of Bandit’s Artistic Director, Annie Barry, and the Board of Directors for hiring and trusting me to lead Bandit’s education team.
Want to become involved with Banit? Here are ways you can get involved with Bandit:
Take a class
We are still enrolling for the next session, which means you’ll have the opportunity to be one of the first to experience our new curriculum! Register for your next class here.
Play in a Jam
Want to get reps in? Come to a jam in Seattle or Tacoma. Next jam is scheduled for 11/6. More info on jams here.
Donate
Bandit is a 501(c) (3) non-profit, and many of our programs, such as Tumbleweeds, are available free to students and performers through donations and grants. Giving to Bandit also means gifting improv to a future student through scholarships. You can become a one-time or recurring donor by donating here.