Frequently Asked Questions*
* As on every other website, “frequently asked questions” means “questions we feel like answering because they make us look good.”
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Mercury Improv was founded to teach improv to nervous beginners who aren’t necessarily interested in getting onstage. Learning improv does all kinds of great things for you that most people never find out about because they don’t think of themselves as performers. Mercury Improv classes are specifically designed for those people.
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Mercury Improv classes are for ANY adult who wants to learn improv and can function in a group class setting. You DON’T have to be an introvert!
Really, the main requirement for being a Mercury Improv student is that you be willing to not act like a jerk. (100 percent success rate so far, good work everybody.) -
ABSOLUTELY NOT. This is one of the main differences between Mercury Improv and the classes offered by theaters. While we’ll play scenes in class, there will never be any audience other than the people in the class. (And it gets a lot easier once you realize everyone is just as terrified as you are.)
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Classes are capped at 12 people, so they’re usually between 6 and 12 students. Regardless of the size, there’s never anybody in the room who’s not in the class.
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Only if you stretch the definition of “kid.” We’ve had some students in their late teens, but in general if you’re looking for youth improv classes you should check out Excused Absence Comedy, run by the amazing Kristin Henn. (I can’t add a link here but there’s one on the Classes page.)
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All Mercury Improv classes are taught by John Ratliff, an award-winning teacher with almost 20 years’ experience. There’s more about him on the About page.