Classes at the UCB Training Center — New York

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145 W. 30th St. (Between 6th and 7th Avenues) 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001

All classes take place at the Training Center unless noted otherwise.

Photos by Alden Ford

The Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center offers two programs of study: Improvisation and Sketch Comedy. A full description of our courses, philosophies and polices are in our Course Catalog.

Improvisation Program

Learn the basics of long-form improvisation: a performance in which a group of actors creates interconnected comedic scenes, on the spot, from a single audience suggestion.

Our core improv program consists of four courses:

• Improv 101 - Improv Basics. Learn about "yes, and", playing to the top of your intelligence, listening and reacting in the moment, making character choices and finding "the game."
• Improv 201 - The Game of The Scene. Identify the first unusual thing, discover and heighten "the game," the strategy of "if this is true, what else is true?" and create "second beats" of your scenes.
• Improv 301 - Harold Structure. Learn the "Harold." a series of interconnected scenes inspired by a single suggestion. Characters, ideas, and themes appear and reappear throughout the piece and eventually connect, completing the piece.
• Improv 401 - Harold Workshop. Continued study of the Harold.

We teach our students to build their scenes around "the game." We define "the game" as the single, specific comedic idea that makes a scene funny. They work together to discover that specific idea and then explore it as many different ways as they can imagine throughout the course of one improvised scene.

Sketch Comedy Program

Learn to write and refine short, comedic scenes. We students to build these scenes around "the game," a single, specific comedic idea. Our core sketch courses expose students to a variety written sketch formats.

Our core sketch program consists of two courses:

• Sketch 101 - Sketch Comedy Writing. Learn to pick a game and define it early, to heighten, to write a variety of common sketch formats, to collaborate with other writers, and the importance of rewriting.
• Sketch 201 - Assembling A Maude Packet. Continue writing sketches, this time with the goal of assembling a packet of your best stuff. Continue collaborating with other writers.

Our sketch courses are designed to help our students develop a writing portfolio, the discipline to rewrite their work, and their individual voice. Our courses also allow our students to experience writing in a professional environment, giving them an opportunity to both give feedback to others, as well as incorporate feedback into their own work.

Beyond The Core

Besides our core classes, we offer electives in improvisation and sketch writing, advanced study courses, and specialized workshops in other topics.

Check our available classes and our message board forum for news about these special courses.

More detailed course descriptions can be found in the Course Catalogue.