The Conservatory’s mission is to provide aspiring actors of all ages with the skills, tools, and confidence to reveal their unique acting talents. The Conservatory provides a positive, creative atmosphere where you can learn the craft of acting, from basic technique to the practical aspects of building a career in the theatre.

Ah, the improvised scene. This is improvisation in its purest form—no games, no flaming hoops, no guardrails. Just you and your partners onstage, creating theater from virtually nothing. This five-week course will focus solely on the art form of the scene. We’ll explore tactics for bold scene starts that quickly harness the creative energy of the improvisers and ground them in emotion, physicality, location and relationships. We’ll examine how to create focus in scenes through character desires and objectives. You like conflict onstage? Great! We’ll learn how to keep it fresh and interesting through character actions and tactics. We’ll practice tools to bend time and space within a scene, allowing you to explore a single situation from various angles. Finally, we’ll learn how to land the plane by sensing and initiating a satisfying end to an improvised scene. The course will culminate in a student showcase for a live audience during the final class.

Prerequisites: Students must have completed B Street Theatre’s “Improv 2” course or equivalent Intermediate Improv course at another institution.

The skills that make improvisation delightful are listening, collaboration, generosity, honesty, and presence. This 6-week course will focus on the essential sources of spontaneity and creativity (and what blocks them!), as well as provide students a chance to reignite their instincts towards play. Perfect for students completely new to improvisation, as well as those with previous training who wish to sharpen their fundamentals.

Andy Sarouhan has been a professional improviser and improv instructor for 25 years. He spent much of his professional career in San Francisco, performing and coaching improvisation of many styles, from short scenes and games to full-length improvised plays and musicals. Since relocating to his new home in Sacramento, he has been happily involved in the improv and performance world in this wonderful city.