TRY AN IMPROV CLASS

Level 1 introduces students to all of the concepts necessary to become adept improvisers and performers. Students will learn how to build and apply the basic fundamentals of improvisation through a series of exercises, games, and storytelling. Level 1 is the appropriate starting point for the inexperienced student, but even those with some improv or theater experience will find value in the lessons of Level 1. The class will culminate in students learning and performing iO’s signature piece, The Harold, one of the most sophisticated and rewarding forms of pure improv ever created.

While ‘Yes, And’ is the guiding ethos in improvisation, students will go above and beyond that simple principle and learn how acceptance, agreement, honesty, connections, listening, and commitment will help them discover the truth in comedy. Our expert instructors foster a safe and joyous environment for students to play, experiment, and relish in the experimentation of improv.

Level 1 is an 8-week course that meets once a week for 3 hours. At the end of the term, each class will have a short 10-minute performance demonstration open to the public.

Level 3 redirects the focus back on to the essential building block of longform improvisation, the two person scene. The exercises in this level will help students slow down and find grounded real points of view and relationships to explore in their scenes. Rather than act like cartoon characters, Level 3 helps students understand that by listening and reacting to what someone is saying to them, they can create compelling and emotional scenes that will naturally evolve into comedy. Students will learn to develop the natural instincts that will help their scenes flourish and connect with audiences and will receive individualized feedback from their instructor about their strengths and opportunities for growth.

‘Every line is golden and every detail is golden.’ The principles of level 3 help reassure students that they already have everything they need to create a great scene. Students will stop “inventing” and start truly improvising with guidance on how to respond with real emotions and committed character choices.

Level 3 is an 8-week course that meets once a week for 3 hours. At the end of the term, each class will have a short 10-minute performance demonstration open to the public.

Level 4 synthesizes the lessons from all of the previous levels and allows students to begin creating longform pieces that are cohesive, thoughtful, and artistic. Students will learn a variety of classic longform pieces in an effort to understand how structure can inform their art. Each form taught will offer students an opportunity to learn how a form can be a motivator of creativity and authenticity, and not just a rigid structure to adhere to. The skills in this class will help students perform longer sets and will encourage true improvisational exploration of ideas, concepts, and thoughts–urging students to actually say something with their art.

Learn the rules, obey the rules, then break the rules. Additional focus will be given to iO’s signature longform style, The Harold. Developed and performed at iO for the last 35 years, the Harold is now taught and performed all over the world and is a sophisticated and rewarding form that lends itself to all styles of improvisation. Students will learn the intricacies of performing the Harold with the understanding that the form is just a launching point for inspiration and not a destination in and of itself.

Level 4 is an 8-week course that meets once a week for 3 hours. At the end of the term, each class will have a short 10-minute performance demonstration open to the public.

Level 5 pushes students into a true ensemble mindset and challenges the groups to create their own unique longform piece. Inspired by their work in Level 4 and all the previous levels, students will work together under the guidance and assistance of their instructor to brainstorm and generate a new, unique form that will be performed on stage. This level allows for a lot of personalized notes and diagnostics from the instructor and really helps students grow as individuals while also operating in an ensemble state of mind.

At the end of this 8-week course, the students will spend the following 8 weeks performing their devised piece on stage at iO every Sunday night. Following the completion of level 5 and their performances, all iO graduates will be eligible to audition for the House Team program at iO, allowing for the opportunity to continue their education and performance opportunity on a coached ensemble with weekly shows sponsored by the theater

Early Bird Special Jam

Free Improv Jam EVERY Saturday at 3:30pm!
Long form improv reps at a reasonable hour! All improv students across Chicago are welcome to join in for this late afternoon jam hosted by the iO Training Center each week!

Blueprint Lab Cast

A New Team Built EVERY 8-Weeks!
At the beginning of each new session of classes, all current students of the iO Training Center program are eligible to audition for the Blueprint Lab Cast. Directed by one of the veteran improvisers from the cast of Blueprint, this team will build, rehearse, and perform a new original form for an 8-week show run.

The Secret Show

Fantastic Improv Show & Jam EVERY WEEK – Specifically for Students!
A no-frills improv show and jam exclusively for our iO Training Center students featuring your teachers performing with the best improv teams in the city, curated by the iO Training Center to showcase the skills and playstyles made famous by the iO Theater!

Unlike anything you’ll ever experience- spend 5 weeks at the historic iO Theater in Chicago, the birthplace of improvisation, learning long form in its greatest incubator from the world’s greatest comedy teachers. Students of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome to sign up.

The iO Summer Intensive condenses five levels of our Training Center Program into five weeks. Each week, you’ll work with a different iO teaching artist on a particular level of curriculum, culminating in a class performance here in our theater! All Summer Intensive Students will receive an iO Student ID which gets you access to all regular shows at iO for free! It also gets you discount tickets at some other improv theaters in the city.

The iO Summer Intensive is a 5 week, 4 day a week, 6 hours a day program meeting  every Monday through Thursday from 11am to 5pm.

Week 1 is Level 1 – Ensemble – Introduces the basics of agreement, making strong choices, supporting your partner, exploring pattern, heightening, and intro to long-form.

Week 2 is Level 2 – The Performer’s Skill Set – Focuses on advanced character work and exploring environment, using exercises and games designed to take the improviser out of their head and into the character and the world onstage. Object work, physical investment in character choices, wants & objectives, and advanced listening exercises

Week 3 is Level 3 – Scene Work – Extensive work in two-person improvised scenes sharpens listening skills, emotional choices, and investment in the dynamics of a scene, such as status and “game”. Introduction to editing techniques, tag-outs, walk-ons, and further work with iO’s signature form, The Harold.

Week 4 is Level 4 – Long-form – Incorporating skills learned throughout the previous levels, focus is on building character, relationship, and form with emphasis on grounded scene work as the foundation for long-forms.

Week 5 is Level 5 – Form Creation – Applies the skills from Levels 1-4 to create your own piece. The class focuses on the structure, including openings, group games, and scenes. Advanced pattern work, group work, editing, and scene work are used to explore the challenges and magic of long-form. Students have class shows in addition to weekly class sessions.

Graduates of our 5 week intensive are eligible to audition for our house teams or to re-enter our year round program and can enter at Level 3.

For 2026, the Summer Intensive will begin on July 6th and culminate in a performance here at the iO. The program will cost $1800; you may make a half payment of $900 to secure your spot. Any tuition payments are non refundable.

This fully immersive experience also overlaps with our annual festival, iO Fest! All of our summer intensive students receive a free “General Admission” wristband with their intensive registration.

We are proud to partner with the James Conklin Memorial Scholarship, which covers tuition, lodging, and travel expenses for two or more successful applicants to attend our Summer Intensive. Applications typically open in late winter/early spring. Email classes@ioimprov.com for more information.

iO also offers short 1-week intensives according to the following schedule:

Music Improv Early Summer Intensive (June)

Music Improv Late Summer Intensive (August)

This is a condensed version of iO’s three-level program intended as an immersive introduction to the genre of music improv. This weeklong intensive simulates what it’s like to be a student music improviser in the Chicago improv community, introduces the basics of musical long form improv and a thematic, singing from a character-perspective, and builds students’ confidence and self-sufficiency on stage all while giving them actionable, individualized feedback. This intensive is suitable for anyone interested in music improv, regardless of prior improv or musical experience.

Classes meet from 11am-5pm Monday through Friday with an hour break for lunch each day from 1:30-2:30pm and culminate with a show on the final evening of class. Students will learn how to make up entire musical numbers on the spot, connecting iO’s signature longform and ensemble-focused improv techniques with live music and singing. Additionally, graduates of this one week intensive can place out of Music Improv Level 1-M and start Level 2-M of our year long improv program!

iO’s four-level Sketch Comedy Program gives students the tools and techniques to be a great sketch writer and performer all while expanding their expectations of sketch structures and how to derive inspiration. Specifically, we use our collaborative approach to long form improv as a starting point for generating comedic material both as individual writers and as a group. Sketch Comedy Levels 1-3 culminate in a staged reading of classwork at an end-of-session showcase, and our Sketch Performance Lab features two fully staged sketch shows! See more about each level below…

• Sketch Comedy 1 is an 8-week course introducing basic sketch structures, ensemble work, and collaborative idea generation through improv. You will learn to create, write, and perform sketches. The class will primarily utilize improvised scenes to inspire sketches. Students will gain the ability to collaboratively generate and write foundational sketches.
• Sketch Comedy 2 explores advanced sketch structures. Over 8 weeks, students will master advanced sketch types such as Solo Character Sketch, Digital Sketch, and Improv Shells. This level encourages ‘outside-the-box thinking’ and celebrates the unique tendencies of each student in the class.
• Sketch Comedy 3 examines how the mechanics of long form can inspire writers to create rich, strong, and funny sketches as well as thinking of shows as full, cohesive pieces! This 8-week level also prepares students to take on the subsequent Sketch Performance Lab level, where they will spend two months writing, producing, and performing in their own monthly sketch show.
• Sketch Performance Lab is the culminating level of the iO Sketch Comedy Program. In this 8-week course, with two sketch show performances (scheduled on an iO stage during Weeks 4 and 8 of the class), students will work with an assigned director to produce their own monthly sketch show! Class times will serve as rehearsals and production meetings, as students generate two unique concepts to be performed in front of live crowds at the theater!

To be eligible to enroll in iO’s Sketch Comedy program, students must have completed at least Level 2 of the iO Longform Improv Program or the entirety of another theater’s improv class program. No prior sketch comedy experience is required; please inquire about eligibility via classes@ioimprov.com

iO is home to the world’s best improv teachers and our favorite alums routinely return to teach one-off classes on topics that are near and dear to their hearts. Please follow the link below to see what workshops are coming up next!

The Comedy Lab was created by beloved iO writing teacher Michael Clayton McCarthy (whose credits included SNL and Sesame Street) to help students build their portfolios, hone their comedic voice across various writing styles, and submit their work at an industry standard. Currently led by Kim “Howard” Johnson, who took over for Michael when he became ill in 2018, Comedy Lab coursework pivoted to be fully online during the Covid-19 pandemic, which now allows students all around the world to partake in this iconic program. These classes are synched with iO’s Training Center sessions, but meet via Zoom and are fully produced by The Comedy Lab. Topics have included Spec Script Development, Pilot Presentations, SNL-Style Sketch Portfolio Writing, and Late Night Talkshow Joke Writing.

Click through below to find out more and see which upcoming virtual classes are being offered!