What is an improv jam?
An improv jam is similar to an “open mic.” Anyone can participate. You can assemble your own team for a jam, or you can show up as an individual and we’ll randomly assign you to a “pickup group” for that jam.
Unlike our meetups, which focus on instruction, a jam is a relaxed and informal performance opportunity.
Location: Constellation Studios (411 E 7th St)
Cost: Free for participants and audience
Team Size: 4-8 performers
Jam Length: Around 60 minutes
Style of improv: Long-form
Age requirement to perform: 18+ (audience of all ages welcome)
How to hear about our next jam?
Join our improviser email list to be notified when new jam dates are announced.
Who can attend a jam?
- Improvisers of all experience levels
- Anyone who wants to watch (no registration required)
What to expect at the jam:
All jams follow the same basic structure:
- Doors open 30 minutes before the jam starts
- Register at the welcome table as a team or individual
- Warm up with your team, or join Helper-led warmups for individuals
- Once the jam starts, an emcee will keep the night moving by announcing which group is performing next
The role of Helpers
At every jam, there will be a few people that we’ve asked ahead of time to be Helpers for the night.
Helpers try to make sure that everyone has a great jam experience, particularly those improvisers that have registered as an individual instead of as a team.
Helper responsibilities:
- Welcome improvisers when they arrive
- Lead warmups for anyone that registered as an Individual
- Perform in all of the “pickup group” sets (these are sets where we randomly assign individuals to a group)
How much time do I get to perform?
It depends how many performers attend. We’ll divide up the time equally. For example, if there are five groups, then each group gets 10 minutes. Once the jam starts, we’ll keep the total performance time to around 60 minutes.
I’ve never done improv before. Should I participate in a jam?
Anyone is welcome to perform in a jam, even first-time improvisers. However, if you’ve never done improv before, we recommend attending your first jam as an audience member to get a feel for how it works. Then, if you’d like, you can perform at the next one.
Safety
- Do not touch other improvisers (unless you practice regularly as a team and have discussed physical boundaries)
- You never have to do anything you don’t want to do during a scene. You can always say, “Let’s do something else.”
Questions?
Visit our contact page if there’s anything else you’d like to know about jams.