Seattle & Tacoma Improv Comedy Classes
Become more confident, make new friends, and master the art of improv! Class registrations open every quarter.
Registration for our SPRING 2026 Quarter is LIVE!
Note: Each instructor has different COVID-19 policies. Please see your specific class registration page for more info.
Yes, let’s do improv is an 8-week longform improv class and the first level of Bandit Theater’s Improv Training Program. If you’re looking to develop skills for improv scenework and learn foundations for longform improv, this is the space for you. No experience necessary!
In this class, you'll:
Understand the mechanics of base reality
In scenes, students will understand and know who they are, where they are, and how they feel
Understand that base reality is a foundational element in long-form scenework
Build confidence
Make new friends
Have A TON of fun improvising. This is the space for you.
No experience necessary!
Additionally, all Bandit Theater improv classes include the following:
Bandit Theater student passes, releasing rush tickets to Bandit Theater mainstage shows to students for free!
Optional live performance opportunities in The Hot Hot Suggie Show, our staff-and-student mashup showcase.
MONDAYS | 7–9PM | APR 6–MAY 25 | TAUGHT BY MELISSA ZARGON
THEATER PUGET SOUND - 305 HARRISON ST, SEATTLE, WA 98109
SUNDAYS | 2–4PM | APR 12–MAY 31 | TAUGHT BY AKILAH POWELL & SAMANTHA VELLUCCI
TACOMA ARMORY - 1001 S YAKIMA AVE, TACOMA WA 98405
Delve into the mechanics of Game... together! Through heightened states of agreement, this class will build upon the foundations of Improv 1. In Improv 2 you'll learn how to identify, play, and heighten the unusual pattern of behavior. You'll expand your analytical improv toolbox with framing and justification. Together we will create more complex scene work, play in more unconventional locations, learn the language of Game-based longform, and delight in the joy of specificity. Open to all students who have completed Improv 1. (For more, see our FAQ.)
Additionally, all Bandit Theater classes include:
Bandit Theater student passes, releasing rush tickets to Bandit Theater mainstage shows to students for free!
Optional live performance opportunities in The Hot Hot Suggie Show, our staff-and-student mashup showcase.
TUESDAYS | 7–9:00PM | APR 7–MAY 26 | TAUGHT BY JOHN WACHTER
THEATER PUGET SOUND - 305 HARRISON ST, SEATTLE, WA 98109
SUNDAYS | 2–4PM | APR 12–MAY 31 | TAUGHT BY MASON LOK
TACOMA ARMORY - 1001 S YAKIMA AVE, TACOMA WA 98405
This course guides students through the essential tools for creating, supporting, and performing a complete long-form improv set. Participants will learn how to generate strong openings, initiate dynamic scenes, and sustain group work across multiple beats. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to contribute to a fully realized improv set with confidence and creativity.
In this class, you'll:
Apply openings to begin an improv set
Create improv scenes using different types of premise
Generate unique and varied characters
Construct support moves to add to the reality of the scene from the backline
Perform first, second, and third beats in an improv set
Apply formats to create a structure for an improv set
Additionally, all Bandit Theater improv classes include the following:
Bandit Theater student passes, releasing rush tickets to Bandit Theater mainstage shows to students for free!
Optional live performance opportunities in The Hot Hot Suggie Show, our staff-and-student mashup showcase.
Open to all students who have completed Improv 2
TUESDAYS | 7–9:00PM | APR 7–MAY 26 | TAUGHT BY MARY C. PARKER
THEATER PUGET SOUND - 305 HARRISON ST, SEATTLE, WA 98109
COMING AGAIN SOON—STAY TUNED!
Within this course, students will be taught four different formats to apply game-based improv: Armondo, La Ronde, Deconstruction, and Dusty. You will learn how to pace and leverage the musicality of the pieces you create in an ensemble. Through focused play and coaching, you will deepen your skills in edits, heightening, and game-based moves to layer technique within long-form improv.
In this class, you'll:
Familiarize yourself and your ensemble with different formats
Apply skills from Levels 1-3 to have a complete set from opening to end
Maintain consistent characters during long-form improv sets
Recognize timing and pacing for scenes and set
Additionally, all Bandit Theater improv classes include the following:
Bandit Theater student passes, releasing rush tickets to Bandit Theater mainstage shows to students for free!
Optional live performance opportunities in The Hot Hot Suggie Show, our staff-and-student mashup showcase.
Open to all students WHO have completed Improv 3
Coming again soon—stay tuned!
Unlock your unique comedic voice and your confidence
In this six-week course, you'll learn how to write jokes, study different comedy styles, and fine-tune your stage presence. Students will receive individualized, supportive feedback and leave the class with five minutes of original material and all the tools needed to perform stand-up comedy. Build confidence, banish stage fright, and discover what makes YOU uniquely funny. This class culminates in an optional student showcase.
A 3-Hour Intensive
You know what makes a better Harold? Doing a Harold. Then another one. Then another one. This three-hour workshop is exactly what it sounds like: we’re going to run Harolds over and over — with clear, actionable notes in between.
Over the course of the session, we’ll:
Run multiple full Harolds
Get targeted feedback on openings, edits, group games, second beats, and thematic cohesion
Reset and apply notes immediately
Build stamina, clarity, and ensemble awareness
The focus is reps. Muscle memory. Pattern recognition. Getting comfortable living inside the form instead of thinking about the form.
Expect:
Direct, specific notes
Side coaching when useful
Emphasis on bold choices and clean edits
A supportive room that pushes you to level up
This workshop is best for improvisers who already know the Harold structure and want to sharpen their instincts through focused repetition. Less theory. More Harolds. Three hours. Let’s go.
SUNDAY | 5–8:00PM | APR 19 | TAUGHT BY ANNIE BARRY
THEATER PUGET SOUND - 305 HARRISON ST, SEATTLE, WA 98109
FREE WORKSHOP!
Join us for a FREE intro to improv workshop! Dip a toe, make some pals, find your new hobby!
Have you ever seen an improv show and thought “gosh that looks fun” but never had the opportunity to try it yourself? Now’s your chance! Bandit Theater’s Improv for Everyone is a free introductory-level workshop with you in mind. No prior performance or comedy experience is expected!
In this workshop you’ll get a taste of hilarious spur-of-the-moment theater through low-stakes exercises that are both approachable and a whole lot of fun. Together we’ll experience a sense of carefree play that celebrates collaboration and stepping out of your head. You’ll meet new people and maybe even discover your new hobby!
TUESDAY | 7–8:00PM | MAR 31
THEATER PUGET SOUND - 305 HARRISON ST, SEATTLE, WA 98109
Come check out a show
