- SATURDAYS 12PM
- Next Session: January 27, February 3, 10, 17, 24 March 2, 9, 16
- SHOWCASE 3/16 1PM SHOW
- REGISTER TODAY and join the current Session at no extra charge (3 extra classes January 6, 13, 20)
Improv Theater and Stand Up Comedy classes by New York Improv Theater brings out our best selves. We combine the skills, intertwining valuable training in creativity, critical thinking, public speaking, listening, focus, self confidence, self awareness and more. We use the same games to train corporate groups in team building, leadership, sales and service skills.
OUR #1 RULE: HAVE FUN but never at another’s expense.
We are most effective because we don’t talk about LEARNING SKILLS. We focus on the the fun, creating a safe space for all to play and share. We give every student agency over their process as long as it involves providing a safe space for their colleagues as well.
IMPROV #1 RULE: YES AND….
Unless facing physical, mental or emotional harm (never say yes to abuse!), we teach to ALWAYS SAY YES! Support your team. Support yourself. NO is the insecure, lazy choice. SAY YES, suspend judgement (Don’t let middle school happen to you!). AND… follow up with choices that Support precious choices. Together we create stories on simple choice, one building block at a time.
The #1 factor in Team success is Psychological Safety. When balanced with performance drive, we grow together in a strong meaningful ways. YES AND…. is the balance. ALWAYS SAY YES is creating that Psychological Safety for all. AND… is the drive forward.
#1 SKILL IN COMEDY: LISTENING!
You cannot support your team without listening. Comedy, and all the arts, requires us to deeply observe our world. LISTEN WITH YOUR EYES, LISTEN WITH THE WILLINGNESS TO CHANGE. Great listening is also the #1 skill in a great leader. There are 100s of articles in INC. MAGAZINE and other publications discussing this.
In stand-up comedy we are Leaders in a room, leading an audience down a path to their next laugh. We can’t just lose ourself in our own writing, reciting memorized words. That’s acting, one person show stuff. Stand up comedy is a 1 on 1 conversation with 100 people, but more 1 sided (we don’t expect you to talk back from the crowd, no hecklers please).
In Improv Comedy, as we speak, we become the scene leader for a moment. Then go into service mode, listening intently to our scene partner’s offers. It is a give and take, treating our team mates as equal partner’s.
20+ years of Times Square NYC comedy!
Teacher, Walt Frasier is a cofounder of NEW YORK IMPROV THEATER with neslr 30 years of professional international credits including theater, comedy, music and TV (Blacklist, Billions, Blue Bloods, Letterman, HBO, MTV, NICK, WE, etc)
Since 2002, The New York Improv Theater is a one stop edutainment center for corporate team building, office / holiday parties and more. Our comedy shows and workshops deliver high impact results. Clients include Google, Mercedes Benz, META /Facebook, TikTok, JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, Morgan Stanley, Twitter, Roblox, Rimowa, EI Digital, Accenture, Datadog HQ, Milbank, BING/Microsoft, Band of America – Merrill Lynch, Home Depot, Ernst & Young, Johnson & Johnson, Louis Vuitton, Coach, UBS, BDO, AMEX, Master Card, Macy’s, 360i, IBM, GM, Kraft, UNILEAVER, HBO, Prudential, Convene, Conference Board and many more…
