Comedy Classes and Workshops

Workshop Description

In this workshop, participants will learn the monoscene (or the improvised play) - a long-form improv format within a single location and time, with the only edits being walk-ons. This format emphasizes playing with patience, emotional honesty, and world-building. Skills gleaned from this workshop also apply to other formats (Harold, Pretty Flower/Spokane, etc.).

Topics covered in this workshop:

• Creating a solid foundation for building detailed settings and histories
• Utilizing scene environment in storytelling and character development
• Active listening, collaboration, and agreement
• Establishing a strong base reality
• Embracing spontaneity and introducing unexpected elements to keep scenes engaging

This workshop is helpful for any improviser looking to expand their knowledge of improv forms and to hone in on building a textured world within their scenes.

Prerequisites

• Completion of two or more long-form improv classes from an organization's core curriculum.

Instructor Bio

Krystal has completed the curriculum at Washington Improv Theater. Krystal has taught improv for five-plus years and has coached Harold and several indie teams. She performs with WIT ensembles Hellcat, Lena Dunham, and Lizard Girl. Krystal makes appearances with Puss and Kooch and co-hosts the Ultimate Queer Game show. She has also performed the Monoscene with Blockbuster’s Ghost.

Class Details & Schedule

This is a 2.5 hour-long in-person workshop.

Location: The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Date: Tuesday, April 16, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Registration Fee: $60

Class Policies

• Must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.
• All sales are final: classes are non-refundable. Classes are only refundable to students if there are not enough students for the class. Classes are nonrefundable under all other circumstances.
• Masks are optional but not required.
• See Rails Comedy's Student Handbook for full course policies.

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Waitlist

• If this class is sold out, please sign up for the waitlist above to be considered in the event of a student cancellation.

Ticketing Page Issues - Troubleshooting Steps

• If the ticketing page doesn't allow you to purchase tickets and appears sold out, it is possible that another customer has those tickets waiting in their cart and we've reached venue capacity. Please return in 15 minutes and those tickets may be available if the other customer did not purchase them.
• If the error code [Object object] appears and prevents you from checking out, this usually means that you are entering some wrong information, likely the address and/or zip code connected to the credit card you are trying to use. Please double check your payment information and try again.
• If you continue to run into issues, please contact walker@railscomedy.com.

Workshop Description

Imagine: you do an improv scene and have a blast. Maybe it was because you played a silly character, took part in a fun relationship dynamic, or something else. Once that scene is edited, it’s over. But what if it wasn’t? What if you could bring that character, that world, or that premise to life again? Or what if you thought of an even funnier line to say? That’s where scripted - or sketch - comedy comes in. In this workshop, participants will learn how to use the concept of “game” to hone comedic premises into sketch format and experience how their improv is a natural complement to the world of sketch comedy.

Topics covered in this workshop:

• A quick primer on different forms of scripted comedy
• Using improv skills to develop ideas for scripted comedy pieces, such as:
  • Solo characters
  • Sketches (either on stage or video)
  • Musical comedy

This workshop is helpful for any improviser interested in exploring how their improv skills can inform (and enhance) scripted comedic pieces - or any improviser who has thought about dabbling in sketch and hasn’t figured out where/how to start!

Prerequisites

• Completion of two or more long-form improv classes from an organization’s core curriculum.
• No prior sketch experience required
• Students should bring at least one comedic premise/idea to share (even one sentence is fine) with the group.

Instructor Bio

Erick Acuña is a Peruvian improviser based in Washington DC. He teaches and performs improv comedy at Washington Improv Theater, Will Hines’ World’s Greatest Improv School, and Rails Comedy. He has been featured in several comedy podcasts including Earwolf’s improv4humans with Matt Besser, and Improv Nerd with Jimmy Carrane. He has also taught workshops and performed in comedy festivals in over 20 cities around the US, Latin-America and Europe. More about Erick can be found at his website, erickacuna.com.

Class Details & Schedule

This is an in-person workshop that lasts 2.5 hours.

Location: The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Date: Tuesday, April 23, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Registration Fee: $60

Class Policies

• Must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.
• All sales are final: classes are non-refundable. Classes are only refundable to students if there are not enough students for the class. Classes are nonrefundable under all other circumstances.
• Masks are optional but not required.
• See Rails Comedy's Student Handbook for full course policies.

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Waitlist

• If this class is sold out, please sign up for the waitlist above to be considered in the event of a student cancellation.

Ticketing Page Issues - Troubleshooting Steps

• If the ticketing page doesn't allow you to purchase tickets and appears sold out, it is possible that another customer has those tickets waiting in their cart and we've reached venue capacity. Please return in 15 minutes and those tickets may be available if the other customer did not purchase them.
• If the error code [Object object] appears and prevents you from checking out, this usually means that you are entering some wrong information, likely the address and/or zip code connected to the credit card you are trying to use. Please double check your payment information and try again.
• If you continue to run into issues, please contact walker@railscomedy.com.

Class Description

• Besides being hilarious, some of the greatest comedians across shows like Saturday Night Live, Parks & Recreation, and The Office all have something in common - they started their comedy journeys at Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Theatre. Founded in 1996, UCB became known for its incredible live improv comedy shows, such as ASSSCAT, and its unique style of game-based improv. While the definition of “game” varies by comedy theater, this 3-week class will teach UCB-style game specifically and how it can level up your scenes wherever you are in your improv journey.
• Additionally, this class emphasizes individual feedback—including personalized feedback sessions with the instructor. Students should expect to receive notes from the instructor on their playing styles, patterns, and ways to unleash the comedy in their scenes.

During this 3-week class we will cover:

• The “game of the scene,” as taught by UCB
• Establishing a scene’s “base reality” and identifying the “unusual thing” in the scene
• Honing character justifications & “vertical heightening”
• How to improve your comedic presence & confidence on stage
• Your comedic stylings/choices - and how to leverage them in scenes

This class is useful for any improviser looking to diversify their comedy “toolbox” and those who want specific feedback on their improv. Skills from this class can be applied to all long-form formats - especially Harolds, Dusties, and general montages.

Prerequisites

• Completion of three or more long-form improv classes from an organization’s core curriculum.

Instructor Bio

Erick Acuña is a Peruvian improviser based in Washington DC. He teaches and performs improv comedy at Washington Improv Theater, Will Hines’ World’s Greatest Improv School, and Rails Comedy. He has been featured in several comedy podcasts including Earwolf’s improv4humans with Matt Besser, and Improv Nerd with Jimmy Carrane. He has also taught workshops and performed in comedy festivals in over 20 cities around the US, Latin-America and Europe. More about Erick can be found at his website, erickacuna.com.

Class Details & Schedule

This is a 3-week class (2.5 hours per class) and includes a class showcase.

Location: The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

• CLASS 1: Tuesday, April 30, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
• CLASS 2: Tuesday, May 7, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
• CLASS 3: Tuesday, May 14, 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM
• CLASS SHOWCASE: Wednesday, May 15, 7:00 PM

Registration Fee: $140

Class Policies

• Must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.
• All sales are final: classes are non-refundable. Classes are only refundable to students if there are not enough students for the class. Classes are nonrefundable under all other circumstances.
• Masks are optional but not required.
• See Rails Comedy's Student Handbook for full course policies.

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Waitlist

• If this class is sold out, please sign up for the waitlist above to be considered in the event of a student cancellation.

Ticketing Page Issues - Troubleshooting Steps

• If the ticketing page doesn't allow you to purchase tickets and appears sold out, it is possible that another customer has those tickets waiting in their cart and we've reached venue capacity. Please return in 15 minutes and those tickets may be available if the other customer did not purchase them.
• If the error code [Object object] appears and prevents you from checking out, this usually means that you are entering some wrong information, likely the address and/or zip code connected to the credit card you are trying to use. Please double check your payment information and try again.
• If you continue to run into issues, please contact walker@railscomedy.com.

Class Description

Have fun with tagouts! This session gives reps with tagouts and covers how to efficiently start tagout runs.

Prerequisites

• Students must have taken one introductory long-form improv class.

Instructor Bio

Danielle Steger teaches at Rails Comedy and Washington Improv Theater. In-scene tools and improviser-to-improviser communication are the focuses of her teaching style. With Erick Acuña Productions, Danielle directs the one-person comedy “Acuña Acuna” and regularly performs in “Who Did It? An Improvised Murder Mystery,” among other shows. She has directed and performed at such events as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the New York Musical Improv Festival, and the Capital Fringe Festival, where she is a four-time award winner.

Class Details & Schedule

This is a 1 hour-long in-person class.

Location: The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Date: Thursday, May 16, 6:15pm - 7:15pm

Registration Fee: $5

Class Policies

• Must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.
• All sales are final: classes are non-refundable. Classes are only refundable to students if there are not enough students for the class. Classes are nonrefundable under all other circumstances.
• Masks are optional but not required.
• See Rails Comedy's Student Handbook for full course policies.

---

Waitlist

• If this class is sold out, please sign up for the waitlist above to be considered in the event of a student cancellation.

Ticketing Page Issues - Troubleshooting Steps

• If the ticketing page doesn't allow you to purchase tickets and appears sold out, it is possible that another customer has those tickets waiting in their cart and we've reached venue capacity. Please return in 15 minutes and those tickets may be available if the other customer did not purchase them.
• If the error code [Object object] appears and prevents you from checking out, this usually means that you are entering some wrong information, likely the address and/or zip code connected to the credit card you are trying to use. Please double check your payment information and try again.
• If you continue to run into issues, please contact walker@railscomedy.com.

Workshop Description

All the world's a stage, Shakespeare wrote, and, yes, that includes even our down-market improv stages: as we know, one of the most popular improv-comedy shows in the country is iO Chicago's "Improvised Shakespeare": they've wowed audiences all over the globe with their preternatural ability to improvise in the style of Shakespeare, approximating the Bard's conventions and language with such skill and competence that a few years ago even Sir Patrick Stewart, one of the most revered Shakespearean actors of our day, played in on one of their shows. Combining improv plus Shakespeare's unique language and style may seem initially daunting, but it's actually something that can readily learned, and, once learned, an absolute blast to perform on stage. In this workshop, taught by veteran DC improvisor Shawn Westfall, you'll learn how to identify the tropes and plots of Shakespearean plays, pepper your improvised dialogue with Shakespearean language, as well identify the kinds of characters who populate his tragedies, comedies, and histories.

Topics covered in this workshop:

• What constitutes a Shakespeare play; the aspects that make it recognizably “Shakespearean”?
• The plots, tropes, and characters of Shakespearean plays
• Shakespearean language, and how to approximate it while, yes, making it up (it’s surprisingly easy)
• The fun strategies, choices, tactics, and moves to make your scenes look and sound “Shakespearean” (or, more accurately, what most audience members think Shakespeare looks and sounds like)

This workshop is useful for experienced improvisers ready to enhance their improv toolboxes with one of the most fun and rewarding (and universally recognized) parodic improv structures available.

Prerequisites

• Completion of any advanced level improv class from an organization or theater’s core curriculum; encouraged: a familiarity with Shakespeare/plays in general.

Instructor Bio

Shawn Westfall has been teaching improv for over two decades. For 13 years, he was the exclusive teacher of improvisational comedy at the DC Improv, inaugurating the first improv comedy class there 21 years ago and forging the curriculum that eventually became the DC Improv Comedy School. He left the DC Improv to co-found The Unified Scene Theater, a brick-and-mortar improv comedy space in the Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, DC, where he was also the Artistic Director, teaching classes in short-form and long-form improv, as well as workshops in advanced improv techniques and strategies. Most recently he spent three years at Curious Comedy Theater in Portland, where he taught classes in beginning and advanced long-form improv comedy.

Class Details & Schedule

This is a 2.5 hour-long in-person workshop.

Location: The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Date: Tuesday, May 28, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Registration Fee: $60

Class Policies

• Must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.
• All sales are final: classes are non-refundable. Classes are only refundable to students if there are not enough students for the class. Classes are nonrefundable under all other circumstances.
• Masks are optional but not required.
• See Rails Comedy's Student Handbook for full course policies.

---

Waitlist

• If this class is sold out, please sign up for the waitlist above to be considered in the event of a student cancellation.

Ticketing Page Issues - Troubleshooting Steps

• If the ticketing page doesn't allow you to purchase tickets and appears sold out, it is possible that another customer has those tickets waiting in their cart and we've reached venue capacity. Please return in 15 minutes and those tickets may be available if the other customer did not purchase them.
• If the error code [Object object] appears and prevents you from checking out, this usually means that you are entering some wrong information, likely the address and/or zip code connected to the credit card you are trying to use. Please double check your payment information and try again.
• If you continue to run into issues, please contact walker@railscomedy.com.

Workshop Description

This workshop will work on leaning into genre and discuss why it works in improv. Recognizable characters and genre tropes can be a great addition to any improviser’s toolbox.

Topics covered in this workshop:

• Identify common movie genres and the characters that live in them
• Engage in various genre scene types
• Apply genre in your improv

This workshop/class is useful for any improviser looking to strengthen their character work, any movie buff trying to flex their knowledge or anyone trying to get out of their head when it comes to premise or scene work. Yes, we will be talking about movies. No, you don’t have to be an auteur to participate.

Prerequisites

• Completion of two or more long-form improv classes from an organization’s core curriculum.

Instructor Bio

Kristina has been improvising for over 10 years, with about five of those as artistic director for Atlas Improv Co. in Madison, WI. She values strong character work, honest reactions, and if you get her started on narrative or genre, she’ll talk forever. Kristina has performed at a number of improv festivals in her duo, Goodison, including The Endurance Improv Festival, Countdown Improv, 2nd Best Comedy Fest and Omaha Improv Festival. She is one half of the narrative duo Goodison, and performs with WIT ensembles The Broken Bones and Uncle Gorgeous.

Class Details & Schedule

This is a 2.5 hour-long in-person workshop.

Location: The DC Arts Center, 2438 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Date: Tuesday, June 18, 7:00pm - 9:30pm

Registration Fee: $60

Class Policies

• Must be 18 years of age or older to enroll.
• All sales are final: classes are non-refundable. Classes are only refundable to students if there are not enough students for the class. Classes are nonrefundable under all other circumstances.
• Masks are optional but not required.
• See Rails Comedy's Student Handbook for full course policies.

---

Waitlist

• If this class is sold out, please sign up for the waitlist above to be considered in the event of a student cancellation.

Ticketing Page Issues - Troubleshooting Steps

• If the ticketing page doesn't allow you to purchase tickets and appears sold out, it is possible that another customer has those tickets waiting in their cart and we've reached venue capacity. Please return in 15 minutes and those tickets may be available if the other customer did not purchase them.
• If the error code [Object object] appears and prevents you from checking out, this usually means that you are entering some wrong information, likely the address and/or zip code connected to the credit card you are trying to use. Please double check your payment information and try again.
• If you continue to run into issues, please contact walker@railscomedy.com.