Improv in San Rafael and Berkeley, CA
Full Spectrum Improvisation Classes & Workshops
Full Spectrum training releases powerful creative energy, imagination and natural spontaneity. Beyond comedy “Improv,” FSI activates full emotional and physical range to create Improvisational Theatre of authenticity and substance, as well as joyful, intoxicating play.
Classes include expressive movement and voice, storytelling, acting technique & discovering personal material.
Make peace with your inner critic
Learn to trust your intuition
Develop confidence and ease
Practice connecting/collaborating with others
All classes are ongoing. Join almost any time. Please call or email with questions and to register. Please register at least 48 hours in advance of class. And, feel free to check with us at the last minute if you have a sudden impulse to come to class. Subsidized tuition for low-income and BIPOC folks available.
Classes:
BERKELEY IMPROV and ACTING CLASS – Intermediate / Advanced
Teachers: Joya Cory, Marcia Aguilar, Sidonie Starr
Location: Wildcat Studio – 2525 8th Street, Berkeley CA
3 SATURDAYS per month, 1 pm – 4:30 pm
April 6, 13, 20 & 27, May 18 & 25, (June 8 & 9 Weekend Intensive, info below), June 29, and July 13 & 20
Try your first class anytime for $20!
4 class series: Sliding Scale: $170-$210. Your tuition for 4 classes must be used within 8 weeks.
Class Size: 12 max
If you want to go deeper than you have in comedy improv class, this training is for you. Take a deep dive into creative collaboration while developing your skills as an improvising actor. Expand your range of movement and voice and practice techniques to create rich and artful improvised language. You’ll get lots of personal attention to address your strengths and challenges. We’ll have some big fun playing and performing together.
Please come Saturday, April 13, at 3:30 to OPEN STUDIO, for our Berkeley class. For the last hour of class, we'll perform for an audience who will be invited to ask questions about our training process. We'll have Open Studio every other month until further notice. Yay!
New Berkeley Beginner/ Intermediate class, All welcome.
Teachers: Taught by me (Joya) and Marcia Aguilar for the April 28 class, then by Marcia after that. Marcia is a highly skilled improviser, actor and Drama Therapist, who has studied FSI for 13 years. Her teaching style is supportive and gentle.
Location: Wildcat Studio – 2525 8th Street, Berkeley CA
Sundays, April 28 and June 23, 3-5:30pm
Single class $45, 2 classes: $80.
If this class fills we'll continue it twice per month.
Class Size: 12 max
We explore creative play for the joy of it, for the way it heals us and expands our mind, body and spirit. 😊
If you’ve never taken an Improv class but always wanted to or you’re new to Full Spectrum Improvisation but have some experience with other forms of improvisation, or you want help with your fear of public speaking, or you want to free your authentic self, this class is for you. You'll expand expressiveness with storytelling, games and exercises that engage your full range of movement, voice, and emotion
Berkeley FSI Weekend Intensive — Intermediate / Advanced level
Here's your opportunity to experience a deep saturation of FSI body-based technique and principles. Join us to be inspired and transformed by the practice of improvisation. If you've been wanting to open up and deepen your improvisation skills this training is for you. Come practice creative collaboration while developing as an improvising actor. Expand your range of movement and voice and your ability to create rich and artful improvised language. You’ll get personal attention to address your strengths and challenges. We'll invite friends to watch our 60 minute Open Studio performance at the end of class on Sunday.
Teachers: Joya Cory, Marcia Aguilar, Sidonie Starr
Location: Wildcat Studio – 2525 8th Street, Berkeley CA
Sat & Sun, June 8 & 9, 11am-5pm. (with lunch break)
Tuition: $190
Class Size: 12 max
SAN RAFAEL IMPROV Classes. All welcome.
If you’ve never taken an Improv class but always wanted to or you’re new to FSI but have some experience with other forms of improvisation, or you want help with your fear of public speaking, or you just want to have some deep fun, this class is for you. We’ll focus on creative play and expand expressiveness with storytelling, games and exercises that engage your full range of movement, voice, and emotion.
Teacher: Joya Cory
One Sunday per month, 11am-1:30pm,
April 7, May 5 (June 2, One Day Intensive 11-4, info below) June 23, and July 14
Try your first class anytime for $20!
2 classes: $90. 4 classes $170.
Class Size: 12 max
One Day FSI workshop, Sunday, June 2, 11am-4pm
(with lunch break) All welcome.
Tuition: $85.
Class Size: 12 max
ONLINE Improv Class (ZOOM Virtual) – All Levels
Teachers: Joya Cory
Location: Zoom Virtual
Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Dates: Every Wednesday
Class Size: 10 max
We focus on 2 person scenes and a variety of storytelling structures.
5 Class Series: sliding scale – $100-$125
Click Here to View Calendar
Teacher Bios
Joya Cory
Master teacher JOYA CORY, has been performing since 1971. She is the creator of numerous original theatre pieces, acts, directs & teaches in a wide variety of venues and founded the Improvisation troupes, MOTION: The Womens’ Performance Collective & LUCKY DOG THEATRE. Her work has been recognized with grants from the California Arts Council, in addition to other grants and awards. Through years of experimenting with many forms & techniques of IMPROVISATIONAL THEATRE, Joya has developed FULL SPECTRUM IMPROVISATION drawing on principles & exercises from Physical Theatre, Dramatic & Narrative Improvisation, Movement Viewpoints, Comedy Improv, Creative Play & Drama Therapy. Joya has trained actors, therapists, teachers, public speakers and business people, as well as teaching movement and drama for healing. She is a dedicated and innovative teacher. Reviews of Joya’s classes are on YELP.com
Marcia Aguilar
Arriving in San Francisco in 2009, Marcia Aguilar walked into Joya Cory’s Full Spectrum Improvisation class to discover herself. As a bilingual drama therapist, Marcia fuses play, theater, and healing. She specializes in Developmental Transformations, an embodied art practice. Marcia also directs self-revelatory performances, guiding actors towards healing through original theatrical pieces. As a recent recipient of the SF Arts Commission grant, she is devising her third solo show. Marcia teaches Improv for Real Life with Berkeley Improv and hosts an Improv for BIPOC drop-in on Sundays. Visit cocreatetheater.com for more info.
Sidonie Starr
Sidonie Starr has been studying Full Spectrum Improvisation with Joya since 2015. With a background in masks, puppets, and other forms of physical theater, Sid seeks to integrate the abstract, musical, and highly-physical with improv. She is also active in the world of Narrative Improv, currently as faculty at Leela (SF), where she teaches a class nicknamed “emotional literacy for improvisors.” Previously, she was Director of Experimental Programming at Pan Theater (Oakland) where she produced the Lab Show series, which supported improvisors devising their first shows.