Improvisational theater (“improv”) is a type of live theater in which the performance is unscripted and created on the spot. All aspects of the performance — including characters, environments, plots and dialogue — are made up in the moment by the performers. No two shows will ever be the same!

Long form improv tends to resemble a play without a script. The performers may take a suggestion from the audience to inspire them and then create characters, dialogue and scenes right before your eyes. A single long form performance usually runs between 20 and 30 minutes, but could run an hour or longer, depending on the format.

Short form improv looks more like quick-fire scenes and scenic games, usually between 3 and 5 minutes in duration. At a short form performance, the performers may ask for new suggestions prior to each scene or game, and perform 8-10 of them in a single show.

At Reno Improv, we perform both long form and short form. While our training program is oriented more toward long form improv performance, the skills we teach are just as valuable in short form.

We have a small parking lot that can be used on Friday and Saturday nights only (our neighbor, Aikido of Reno, uses the lot at all other times). There is also plenty of street parking on Willow St., Wells Ave., and surrounding neighborhood streets. Please remember to lock your vehicle and take your valuables with you.

We’ll definitely feed your appetite for comedy, but we do not serve food at our theater. There are many great places in our neighborhood to grab a bite to eat before the show or a drink afterward. We encourage you to support our local businesses and make a night of it!

If you’re experiencing any of the following symptoms — and cannot attribute them to another non-contagious condition — please do not come to the theater:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

We have a flexible refund policy for ticket holders who stay home when they are feeling unwell. We will refund or reschedule your ticket if you contact us in advance. Refunds are processed as soon as possible to the original payment account and may take 5-7 business days to post.

Ticket prices vary, but most shows are $10 and under. Tickets to our events can be purchased here.

We encourage you to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets can also be purchased at the door 30 minutes before showtime.

Tickets are generally available 14 days prior to the date of the show.

All seating is general admission (first come, first served). If you’re coming as a group of 3 or more, we recommend you arrive when the doors open to ensure you can get seats together.

We will leave that up to you. Our shows are uncensored and intended for adults, and the spontaneous nature of improv means that strong language or mature themes may come up at any time. While we won’t turn anyone away, we recommend a minimum age of 18. Children under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Absolutely not. We love our audience members and want you to have a great time at our shows. We may ask for a suggestion to inspire our performance, and some shows may ask for volunteers, but that’s about it. We do not pull members of our audience on stage or single them out unless they volunteer.

Because our improv shows are unscripted, the length varies. Most shows are about 1 hour long.

We keep our ticket prices as low as possible for everyone, so we do not offer discounts for groups.

All ticket sales are final and we are unable to provide refunds or transfer tickets to another show.

The following guidelines are in place to ensure that each guest has a great experience at Reno Improv. Our management team and show night crew are present to uphold all our house rules.

1. Please keep all cell phones off or on silent, so as not to disrupt the show.
2. Please refrain from texting during the show, as the glow from your phone and the clicking noises can be distracting to the performers and the guests around you.
3. No Heckling. Heckling is defined as attempting to harass or disrupt a performer by shouting disparaging comments, or otherwise interrupting a performance with questions, challenges, gibes or other disruptive behavior. If, in the discretion of our show night crew, an audience member is heckling, they will be asked to leave and no refund will be given.

Class prices vary. For pricing, check out each of the individual classes on our Classes page.

To request a payment plan for a class, please send an email to info@renoimprov.org with Payment Plan in the subject line. We cannot guarantee that all requests will be honored.

We do not offer refunds on class or workshop registrations, but we are happy to apply your payment to a future class or workshop. If you have registered for a class or workshop that is canceled (e.g., due to low enrollment), you will be offered a refund, or you can choose to apply your payment to the class or workshop the next time it is offered.

We encourage students to start at Level 1 as community- and ensemble-building are fundamental elements of Reno Improv classes. Students who have prior improv training may be eligible to join more advanced classes. Please reach out if you have questions.

In general, our classes are uncensored and designed for adults. If you are under 18, we will ask for your parent’s or guardian’s permission to take our classes.

Each level of our training program has specific learning outcomes — in other words, specific things you should be able to do upon successful completion of the class. In addition to the specific objectives of the individual classes, we teach students to be attentive listeners, collaborative workers and bold decision makers, with elements of public speaking, stagecraft and acting.

We love to make these kinds of events happen when we can, but booking our theater for a private event is subject to scheduling availability. Feel free to contact us to discuss it!

Absolutely! We love sharing our passion for improv with businesses, schools and other organizations. Please contact us for more information.

That depends on when you’d like to use the space. Scheduled classes and shows always take precedence over rehearsals, so weekday and Saturday evenings are pretty solidly booked. Mornings and afternoons tend to be a bit more flexible. Feel free to contact us to discuss it!

Teams who use the space for rehearsals must be issued a key to the building. A deposit of $100 is required, to cover the cost of a locksmith in the event the key is lost. The deposit is refunded upon return of the key.

Reno Improv is committed to providing performance opportunities for improvisers of all backgrounds and experience levels. Here are some of the ways you can get involved:

Take our classes. Levels 1-4 of our training program culminate in a showcase performance, where students can demonstrate their skills before a supportive audience of family, friends and fellow improvisers. Students who have completed all four levels of the classes in our training program are invited to pitch their own show ideas.

Request to join the Reno Improv Players, Students, and Volunteers Facebook group to learn about upcoming performing opportunities.

Reach out to us on our Contact Form.

Reno Improv is committed to creating a community that is free from harassment of any kind. Please view our anti-harassment policy for more information.

When you participate in classes or shows at Reno Improv, you’re allowing us to use your likeness in photography, social media posts and other promotional materials.