Some Guidelines For New Comedians
You Get 5 Minutes
Our open mics last 1 hour and 15 minutes, meaning each of the 12 comedians has 5 minutes to practice their set. We flash a warning light at 4 minutes and a final light at 5 minutes to keep you on track, so you don’t have to stress about checking your clock. We ask all comedians to be mindful of this time restriction, as we want to respect all comedians who came out to perform.
Try Something New
We encourage comedians to consistently create new material by providing a monthly prompt for the open mic. We will send you the prompt at the beginning of each month if you have signed up for the open mic. It’s a lot more fun when everyone participates. Some months you may get lucky and already have a joke that works perfectly with the prompt!
You Can’t Fail
Both new and seasoned comedians love performing at Reno Improv because the audience is incredibly supportive — we want you to succeed! Our stage is the perfect spot to try new material or refine some old material that’s gathered dust.
Let’s Get Serious For a Second
Reno Improv welcomes seasoned and aspiring comedians from all walks of life to practice stand up and develop their comedic voice in a safe and supportive environment. To ensure that everyone feels welcome to perform and support comedians, we strongly discourage comedy that relies on prejudice, harassment, misogyny or language and behavior that blatantly disrespects others for the sake of the laugh.
We’re all adults here, so we know the difference between addressing a controversial topic at the top of our intelligence, and bashing someone based on their race, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. Reno Improv is not a bar, it’s a comedic training facility, so we reserve the right to inform you when your comedy is crossing a line.
Thank you in advance for respecting fellow comedians and audience members.
