Best. Improv. Resources.

If you’re interested in improvisation as an art form or if you’re taking improv classes in Portland or other cities: fabulous! Maybe you’re a business leader who has taken a corporate improv workshop or received business training in Portland with us. Great! We not only want you to keep going, but we also want to help you on the next phase of your journey.

Although we believe that we offer the best long-form improv classes in Portland (and now the best online improv classes on Earth) — there are SO many great schools, teachers, and options from which to choose!

Now that you’re starting to understand how joyous, freeing, and transformative improvisation can be, here are our recommendations on the best improv classes in Portland and beyond. We’ve also got a list of our favorite books, interviews, shows, and podcasts about improv for you to explore.

We hope this list of improv resources can help take your curiosity, education, and practice of improvisation to the next level!

Members of our Portland improv class series for advanced players working on a group scene in our studio. From L to R: Sean McGowan, Susan Bertrand, & Mary Pat McCoy.

The Best Improv Classes in Portland (and beyond):

  • For IN-PERSON improv classes in Portland that focus on an acting-based “long-form” approach, we recommend OUR CLASSES. This is where we shine!

  • For ONLINE improv classes, we also highly recommend our new online improv academy which offers a very affordable, go-at-your-own-pace series of lessons to help teach anyone the foundations of improv.

  • For the best Portland improv classes that focus on a game-based “long-form” approach, we love the curriculum and teachers at Kickstand Comedy. Even better: they’re a community-run, non-profit theater. Check them out.

  • For improv classes in Portland that focus on “short-form” games, look no further than CSz (Comedy Sportz). They’re the oldest improv theater in the Portland area and one of the best-known brands on the planet. Run by Patrick Short, a master musician, improviser, and teacher.

  • For other online improv classes, we recommend another master teacher: Kenn Adams, Artistic Director of The Synergy Theater.

The Best LIVE Improv Shows in Portland:

Students from our advanced improv classes in Portland, performing at our improv showcase. Featured left to right: Mary Pat McCoy, Carrie Lederer, Susan Bertrand, & Natasha Von Salza. Summer, 2024.

  • The best long-form improvisation shows in Portland that consistently features the city’s top talent is Bridge City Improv.

  • For great short-form improv shows in Portland, we recommend shows at CSz, in NW PDX and Curious Comedy, in NE PDX.

  • For improv shows that feature both great improv AND a peek “behind the curtain” about how improv works, see our Sunday/Funday student showcases.

  • For community-based improv shows in Portland: “Open Court”, every other Sunday at Curious Comedy, where ANYONE is invited on stage to experiment with improv.

  • For long-form sets based on game theory, check out the shows at Kickstand.

Best Books on Improvisation:

The Best Talks, Interviews, & Documentaries About Improv:

The Best Blogs About Improvisation:

  • Patti Styles - Patti is a renowned teacher, improviser, and author. I mentioned her book Improvise Freely above but her blog is ALSO a treasure trove.

  • Change Through Play - David Koff, the founder of our company writes essays regularly about the art improvisation and how his improv in Portland (and in Los Angeles before that) became like a meditation for him.

The Best FILMED Improvised Shows & Movies:

The Best in Improvisation in Music:

The Best Improv Podcasts:

A Work in Progress: Latest update SEptember 4th, 2024

We’ll regularly update this page as we learn new resources to share with our students, corporate clients, and the larger improvisation community. If you think we’re missing something from our list, contact us and let us know what you’d add and WHY!