Levels Two-Nine

Level Two: Playing Games (six weeks)

Level Two keeps the fun going and gives you the tools to improviser better faster. There may be no hard-and-fast rules in improv, but there are plenty of fundamentals and best practices that help you hit the ground running—getting your games and scenes off to an effortlessly strong start.
-Class meets 6 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 16 students
-Culminates with a teacher-directed student showcase for friends and family (it’s low-pressure and fun!)
-Prerequisite: Level One or permission from registrar

Level Three: Playing Scenes (six weeks)

Level Three gives you everything you need to play satisfyingly wide variety of games and scenes—from top to tail. Learn to tell a story with engaging characters and a thrilling twist. Learn to find the funny in the scene and ride it for all it’s worth. And most importantly, learn to recognize when you’re not having fun and how to get back in the game.
-Class meets 6 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 16 students
-Culminates with a teacher-directed student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Two or permission from registrar

Level Four: Performance Feedback and Diagnostics (eight weeks)

Level Four begins our advanced performance series by giving students direct personal feedback on their improv—what are your superpowers and where are you struggling? You’ll also get more precise notes and coaching on your scenework to help you get out of your own way, keep the audience in the palm of your hand, connect with your fellow players, and make strong, confident choices. And as always, Rule Number One is HAVE FUN!
-Class meets 8 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 14 students
-Culminates with a teacher-directed student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Three or permission from registrar

Level Five: Performing a Montage of Scenes

Level Five takes off the training wheels, preparing students to perform their first longform showcase—a Montage of unrelated scenes inspired by an initial audience suggestion, with NO teacher or director telling them what to do or controlling the shape of the show. You’ll learn how to transition from scene to scene (and more importantly WHEN and WHY to edit) and practice finding the variety and pace that keeps an audience on the edge of their seats.
-Class meets eight times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 14 students
-Culminates with an undirected student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Four or permission from registrar

Level Six: Performing a Special Format

Level Six is a deep dive into a specific improv format that students will learn inside and out, soup to nuts. Throughout the year we offer a variety of Level Six sessions exploring different formats (chosen by the instructor). Maybe you’ll play scenes inspired by authentic stories and conversation in a Living Room or Armando. Or double down on shortform in a competitive match of Theatresports. Or explore a bizarre house full of oddball characters in The Guest Game. The formats are infinite!
-Class meets 8 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 14 students
-Culminates with a student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Five or permission from registrar

Level Seven: Intro to Narrative Longform

Level Seven is an introduction to The Hideout’s favorite kind of improv: Narrative Longform. All of your training in games, scenes, shortform, and longform comes together as you learn the basic elements of improvising a 25-mintue story (think of it as a movie or play without a script). Who is the story about? What’s the vibe or genre? When should you move things forward and when should you explore where you are? And ultimately, how do you get out of your head and let your natural storytelling instincts take over?
-Class meets 8 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 12 students
-Culminates with a student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Six or permission from registrar

Level Eight: Narrative Longform Genre

Level Eight continues your narrative longform training, drilling down into ONE specific genre or narrative format. Throughout the year we offer a variety of Level Eight sessions exploring different flavors of storytelling (Film Noir, Western, Medical Drama, Soap Opera, After-School Special, etc.) giving you the tools, tricks and special effects to not just satisfyingly that genre to life but to sharpen your storytelling instincts at the same time.
-Class meets 8 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 12 students
-Culminates with a student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Seven or permission from registrar

Level Nine: Narrative Longform Graduation

Level Nine is the culmination of your Hideout improv training. It’s time to forget everything you’ve learned—or at least stop holding onto all the “rules” quite so tightly—so you can get back to easy, playful, mischievous improvisation. And if you happen to tell a fun story in your 25 minutes on stage because you’ve developed some useful habits and muscle memory, bonus points! And because this is a graduation, there will probably be cake.
-Class meets 8 times (2.5 hours each)
-Limit 12 students
-Culminates with a student showcase for friends and family.
-Prerequisite: Level Eight or permission from registrar