Description: This class focuses on the fundamental elements of scenic improv including idea generation, finding the game, and heightening. Learn how to play with a scene partner, use the environment, and sustain the relationship. Prerequisite: Improv 101 or the equivalent.

Times/Days: Mondays 6:00-8:00 PM (11/9/26 - 1/11/27) - No class 11/23 or 12/28

Class Length: 8 weeks; 2 hrs. per week

Location: Fine Arts Building - Annex Studios (410 S. Michigan Ave. - 3rd Floor)

Teacher: Lori McClain

Student Showcase: Wednesday, January 13th (7:00 PM)

*Lori McClain has been an actor, singer, improviser, voice-over artist, teacher, and corporate trainer in Chicago for the past 30+ years. She toured with The National Touring Company of the Second City, including a USO Tour to Iraq and Kuwait in 2004, and starred in Second City Theatricals productions, "Rod Blagojevich, Superstar!" (Patty Blagojevich) and "The Real-ish Housewives" (Baroness Ravonka). She has improvised with "Sirens Improv" for over 20 years, and has appeared in dozens of television commercials (Lyrica, KFC), and in TV dramas (Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and 61st Street). She's performed most recently in the fully improvised musical, "Blank! The Musical" at The Revival, and has narrated several audiobooks.

Description: Learn the fundamentals of improv in this fun, supportive, introductory class. We’ll cover listening, ensemble-building techniques, and the principle of “Yes and…” This is a great opportunity to try improv right at its birthplace in Chicago! No experience necessary. Each session concludes with a Student Showcase for friends and family.

Times/Days: Sundays 3:00–5:00 PM (11/8/26 - 1/10/27) - No class 11/29 & 12/27

Class Length: 8 weeks; 2 hrs. per week

Location: Fine Arts Building - Annex Studios (410 S. Michigan Ave. - 3rd Floor)

Teacher: Lori McClain*

Student Showcase: Wednesday, January 13th (7:00 PM)

*Lori McClain has been an actor, singer, improviser, voice-over artist, teacher, and corporate trainer in Chicago for the past 30+ years. She toured with The National Touring Company of the Second City, including a USO Tour to Iraq and Kuwait in 2004, and starred in Second City Theatricals productions, "Rod Blagojevich, Superstar!" (Patty Blagojevich) and "The Real-ish Housewives" (Baroness Ravonka). She has improvised with "Sirens Improv" for over 20 years, and has appeared in dozens of television commercials (Lyrica, KFC), and in TV dramas (Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and 61st Street). She's performed most recently in the fully improvised musical, "Blank! The Musical" at The Revival, and has narrated several audiobooks.

Description: This course provides aspiring comedians with the confidence and skills to embark on their stand-up comedy journey! Weekly sessions cover: joke structure, material development, discovering your unique attitude and persona, audience engagement, and crafting a cohesive set. The course concludes with a performance for friends and family.

Times/Days: Sundays 3:00-5:00 PM (11/8/26 - 1/10/27) - No class 11/29 or 12/27

Class Length: 8 weeks; 2 hrs. per week

Location: Fine Arts Building - Annex Studios (410 S. Michigan Ave. - 3rd Floor)

Teacher: Claire Sundbye*

Student Showcase: Wednesday, January 13th (7:00 PM)

*Claire Sundbye is a Chicago based comic. Her animated, quick-witted, and conversational delivery leaves audiences everywhere laughing! Claire is a regular at Laugh Factory, Zanies & CYSK. She performs with nationally touring acts including Jason Cheny, Ashley Gavin, Dan Donohue and more. This year, Claire’s episode of the popular show “Subway Takes” went viral, amassing over 20 million views.

Description: We all do it: presentations at work, a wedding toast, or leading a group discussion. This course is designed to take the fear out of public speaking and make it fun! What if you could communicate authentically and dynamically rather than being scared to speak up? We use a positive approach that will help you build confidence, skill, and ease in a supportive, warm environment. Together, we’ll address body language, relaxation, breathing, and voice, while learning to craft strong presentations and use improv techniques to handle questions with confidence. A series of weekly assignments will give you the reps to build your skills and culminate in a short speech of your choice. Join us and revive your love of public speaking! No experience necessary.

Times/Days: Mondays 6:00-8:00 PM (11/9/26 - 1/11/27) - No class 11/23 or 12/28

Class Length: 8 weeks; 2 hrs. per week

Location: Fine Arts Building - Annex Studios (410 S. Michigan Ave. - 3rd Floor)

Teacher: Jeremy Cohn*

Student Showcase (Optional): Wednesday, January 13th (7:00 PM)

*Jeremy Cohn is an educator and 1600-hour AmSAT (American Society for the Alexander Technique) certified Alexander Technique Instructor who has coached clients including Grammy award-winning performing artists, Olympic level athletes, and C-suite executives to keep cool under pressure and reach apex levels of performance. The Alexander Technique is a body-based centering method that teaches high-performers how to approach their work with a profound sense of presence, ease, and authenticity. He has coached hundreds of individuals and conducted workshops and group classes with The Old Town School of Folk Music, Green Shirt Studio, The Chicago Vocal Arts Consortium, and Anima Singers among many others. He is also skilled in teaching Rodenberg and Linklater voice methods and several acting techniques including Meisner and Stella Adler. He is currently Adjunct Professor of Instruction in Columbia College Chicago's School of Theatre and Dance where he teaches acting, text interpretation, movement, and theatre voice. He was first introduced to the Alexander Technique while earning a B.F.A in Acting from Boston University's College of Fine Arts and a Classical Acting Certification from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. As an actor and director, he has dozens of professional credits including performances with the Court Theatre, First Folio Theatre, The Huntington Theatre Company, and the Boston Playwrights’ Theatre.

Description: Armando, La Ronde, Harold and more! This class begins with an exploration of traditional improv forms. Then, the ensemble will create a completely original form of their own! Use everything you've learned up to now and take your improv to the next level. Prerequisite: Improv 301 or the equivalent.

Times/Days: Tuesdays 6:00-8:00 PM (11/10/26-1/12/27) - No class 11/24 or 12/29

Class Length: 8 weeks; 2 hrs. per week

Location: Fine Arts Building - Annex Studios (410 S. Michigan Ave. - 3rd Floor)

Teacher: Cassidy Russell*

Student Showcase: Wednesday, January 13th (7:00 PM)

*Cassidy Russell is a member of the Second City National Touring Company and plays with Chicago’s longest-running improv team, Deep Schwa, and Annoyance Theatre house team, Sight Unseen. Cassidy directs plays and sketch shows and teaches improv in Chicago. In the summer, she teaches comedy classes in Alaska at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp. Outside of the comedy world, Cassidy writes reviews of children’s books for a literary journal, works part time as a librarian, and was once in a commercial where all four of the other actors were cats. Her teaching pedagogy revolves around hunting down delight on stage, playing with joyful abandon, and figuring out how to combine selfishness with extreme generosity.