Course Catalog
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PROGRAM INFORMATION
The Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center offers two programs of study: Improvisation and Sketch Comedy.
Improvisation Program
The Improvisation Program is designed to teach our students about the basics of long-form improvisation. Long-form improvisation is a performance in which a group of people mutually creates interconnected scenes, on the spot, from a single audience suggestion.
Our Improvisation Program teaches our students to build these scenes around "the game." The concept of "the game" is central to the method taught in our program. "The game" is the single, specific comedic idea that makes a scene funny. We teach our students how to 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.
The goal of the Improvisation Program is to teach our students how to work as a group to use "the game" to perform the original long-form improv performance piece called "the Harold." The Harold is 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.
The Improvisation Program is comprised of four core courses, Improv 101, 201, 301, and 401. In order to complete the Improvisation Program, students must successfully complete all four of the core courses.
In addition to the core courses we also offer instructor-driven, master class courses, as well as performance workshops in which students learn and or create a unique form of improvisation.
We also offer various special workshops in improvisation. These workshops cover a diverse range of topics and can be anywhere from one day workshops to four-week sessions.
Sketch Comedy Program
Our Sketch Comedy Program is designed to give our students instruction on the basics they need to write and refine short, comedic scenes. These scenes are built around "the game," a single, specific comedic idea. Our core sketch courses expose students to a variety written sketch formats.
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.
The goal of the Sketch Comedy program is to teach our writing students to take their pieces from first draft, all the way through a staged sketch performance.
We offer advanced and elective courses in specialized areas of writing that include writing a one person show, writing in the style of Saturday Night Live, sitcom writing, and preparing a writing packet.
IMPROVISATION PROGRAM — COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Improv 101 — Improv Basics
Students will learn the fundamentals of long-form improvisation. Core concepts covered include using character agreement to make your scenes succeed, developing character, character status, object and environment work, “playing at the top of your intelligence,” and heightening (finding ways to make your scenes get funnier from start to finish).
This course also introduces the specific vocabulary of the UCB Training Center.
This course meets for 8 sessions that are each 3 hours long. At the end of the course, students will take part in a class performance at the UCB Theatre. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.
Class Size: 16 Students
Improv 201 — Game of the Scene
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 101
The UCB Theatre Training Center bases their curriculum around the idea that all quality individual comedic scenes focus in on one central comedic idea – this idea is referred to as “The Game” of the scene.
This course will focus on teaching students how to use the idea of “The Game” to create their improvised scenes. Students will be taught how to identify “games” within their scenes, and how to use the concept of heightening to properly play out their scenes once they have them. (Heightening is finding new ways to make your scenes get funnier from start to finish.) The class will heavily focus on learning how to use patterns to fill out comedic scenes based around one central “game.”
Students will also be introduced to the idea of “second beats,” or returning to scenes, characters, and concepts from earlier in an improvised piece.
This course meets for 8 sessions that are each 3 hours long. At the end of the course, students will take part in a class performance at the UCB Theatre. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.
Class Size: 14 Students
Improv 301 — Harold Structure
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 201
This course introduces students to the long form improvisation structure known as “The Harold,” developed by Del Close.
In the first four weeks, students will study “Group Games”, scenes that involve multiple performers. Instruction will focus on teaching students a number of different ways to approach performing these group scenes. They will also study a variety of “Openings”, which are stylized methods of using an audience’s suggestion to generate enough content to support a half hour long improvised performance piece.
In the second four weeks of the course, students will put all of the techniques learned in Improvisation 101, 201, and the first four weeks of 301 into action by putting together fully formed Harolds.
This course meets for three hours a week for eight sessions. At the end of the course, students will take part in a class performance at the UCB Theatre. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.
Class Size: 14 Students
Improv 401 — Harold Workshop
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 301
This course offers students the chance to strengthen their own individual skills while simultaneously allowing them more practice with the long form improvisation performance known as the Harold.
One goal of the course is to help students perform stronger scenes. The instructor will use the first half of the course to identify and troubleshoot any weaknesses that the individual players may be demonstrating.
The other goal of the course is to allow students to continue to perform full Harolds. The instructor will use “side-coaching,” or feedback given during an improvised piece as it is happening, in order to facilitate success in the students’ improvised scenes. The instructor will also give notes after each performance in order to enhance and improve the quality of future performances.
This course meets for three hours a week for eight weeks. Students will perform in two class performances at the UCB Theatre – once halfway through the course and once at the end. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.
Class Size: 16 Students
Improv 501 — Advanced Harold Workshop
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 401
Each master class course offered at this level is instructor-driven. Students will get to study the Harold and related performance pieces at an advanced level and will receive in-depth personal feedback about their own performance and progress as improvisers.
This course will meet for three hours a week for eight weeks. Students will perform in two class performances at the UCB Theatre – once halfway through the course and once at the end. Graduation is also contingent upon students seeing at least two improvised shows at the UCB Theater before the end of the course.
Class Size 16 students.
Improv 600 — Advanced Performance Workshop
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 501, Application Only
Improv 202 — Advanced Game Study
Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 201
This course offers students a chance to further focus in the concept of “The Game.” Students are given more individual attention and critiques regarding their own personal ability in finding the game, and their style of heightening games once they find them.
This course is open to anyone who has completed Improvisation 201. It is also highly recommended for upper level students who want to strengthen their ability at this vital skill.
This course meets for four sessions, three hours each session.
Class Size 14 students
SKETCH COMEDY PROGRAM — COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
Sketch 101 — Sketch Comedy Writing
This course is an introduction to the UCB philosophy on sketch comedy, specifically using “the game” to write short comedic scenes. Each week students will engage in writing exercises that will explore different sketch formats. Students will be exposed to different methods for turning funny ideas into even funnier written sketches. Students will leave the class with an understanding of popular sketch formats and a portfolio of writing.
No prior sketch writing experience is necessary – the only requirement for this class is a desire to write and learn. Students should be prepared to work each week outside of class, preparing sketches for presentation in class. Students will be required to see two live sketch shows before the end of the course.
Class Size: 12 Students
Sketch 201 — Advanced Sketch Comedy Writing
Prerequisites: Completion of Sketch 101
In this course students will get to foster their individual voice as a comedy writer. A number of techniques and writing styles will be defined. Students will go from first draft to the mounting a fully realized stage show of sketches written by the class.
Students should be prepared to work each week outside of class, preparing sketches for presentation in class. Students must bring a written comedic sketch to the first class.
Students will be required to see two live sketch shows before the end of the course.
Class Size: 10 Students