Rocket Improv FAQs!

For our kids classes, we offer a small, community-supported scholarship fund called Give a Penny, Take a Penny, which helps make our programs more accessible. Families may use a $15 or $30 discount, no questions asked, based on available funds. Discounts may be used once per session and are supported entirely by community contributions.

We also offer early bird discounts during the first week after registration opens for each session.

For adult classes, we offer a work-exchange option. Participants assist with classroom setup and breakdown and take occasional photos for social media in exchange for a class.

All kinds — from shy, quiet kids to big, gregarious hams. Our kids classes are designed for children of many different temperaments and experience levels.

Shyer kids often grow more comfortable expressing themselves, while more outgoing kids learn important skills like listening, teamwork, and sharing focus. Our classes are structured to support both — so everyone is learning, growing, and having fun together.

Rocket Improv has experience working with many neurodivergent kids, including those with ASD and ADHD. Small class sizes and clear structure allow us to support a range of learning styles — and for many kids, improv can be a joyful, confidence-building experience.

That said, readiness and timing matter. Improv is fast-moving, collaborative, and unpredictable, and it works best when kids are able to share focus, listen to others, and stay regulated in a group setting with limited support.

To help families think thoughtfully about fit, readiness, and timing, we’ve put together a short guide:
Is Improv Right for My Neurodivergent Child?

Sorry, but a student needs to have trained in one of our open-level classes for placement in the Rocketeers or Blast Off for Teens classes. All classes are composed of students with different levels of experience and abilities. The students develop trust, a sense of ensemble, and a shared vocabulary and knowledge of the games as they move up through the program together. Those in the Rocketeers and Blast Off for Teens classes have already been working together and have created a shared bond. We at Rocket Improv are a big believer in ensemble, trust, and group mind and do our best to foster those values in our kids classes.

We get asked this one a lot! So out of fairness to everyone who has asked before, we decline this particular request. We have learned over the years that older kids are generally not crazy about being with younger kids, and younger kids prefer to be with older kids. It's a conundrum! So over the past decade of teaching older kids, tweens, and teens we have experimented with putting different grade ranges together, and we have found the groupings that seem to tolerate each other the most. And like we stated in the answer immediately above this one, all classes are composed of students with different levels of experience and abilities. Every student of every grade level is unique and has the potential to inspire other students both older or younger!

Absolutely! We understand that your kids are busy and have a variety of interests. If your child misses a class, we will review all games that they will be performing twice before the end of session showcase. Unfortunately we cannot discount a session because of absences nor do we provide make-ups (unless Rocket Improv cancels due to unforeseen circumstances), but if your child has a conflict every now and then, he or she is welcome to come to class as much as they are able.

Nope! Even though the name says “Outside School,” our D&D sessions are held indoors. The space is comfortable, weatherproof, and set up for long, temp-controlled adventures at the gaming table.

Not at all. Our workshops are geared to those who may have never performed before in their entire lives! But we do ask that everyone participate and at least give it a shot. If your guests are willing to play, an improv experience will be a great fit for your event.

Improv workshops for businesses are all the buzz these days because the corporate world has discovered that improv techniques are not only important tools for the theater but can also be used to improve professional performance and office dynamics. A typical workshop focuses on team building, listening, creativity, effectively building ideas off of another team member’s ideas, and going with the flow. It’s also a great way to bring some fun and creativity into your team’s day.

Ermm, no. We at Rocket Improv believe that anyone can learn to improvise. And we believe it because our decades of experience have shown us that even those who may struggle greatly as beginners can become excellent improvisers in their own right as long as they are willing to put in the time and the training. Improv is a technique that can be learned and improved upon. It’s like learning a sport that’s brand new to you – like skiing or tennis. An introductory course will teach you the basics, and with practice you’ll get better, but it takes time to get good. But we at Rocket Improv are not so much about end results, we are about the improv journey and enjoying ourselves along the way.

Technically that’s not a question, but it’s a valid point! I can assure you that you are not alone. We hear this from a lot of new students just starting out. We know that it can be scary, which is why we structure our workshops and classes to feel easy, doable, and most importantly – safe. We want you to feel safe to take risks, and that feeling of safety comes from feeling supported by your classmates and your instructor. The idea of “support” is introduced from the get go. Improv is not about obtaining perfection or an end result of any kind. It’s about the process and the learning curve that comes with it. We also learn from the start that we want to embrace the idea of “yes” – saying yes not only to each other’s ideas but to our own ideas as well. Are you starting to feel the zen of it? It may be a little scary at first, but it’s not too scary. We promise!

Yup. You gather up the people, find a space, create a schedule that works for everyone, and a Rocket Improv instructor will come in and guide your group through as many improv lessons as you desire.

Our workshops and classes are pretty active. You will be moving around a lot, so you want to wear comfortable casual clothes in which you feel you can move about freely. You may want to avoid wearing a skirt or dress so as to not feel limited in any way. Close-toed flat shoes like sneakers are recommended for footwear. You might even sweat a little, so bring water!

Short-form improv is comprised of improv games that often have a very specific structure designed to put the actors on the spot. Suggestions for the games are taken from the audience and are meant to inspire the content of the games and also show that the games are truly being completely made up right then and there. The best reference for short form is the show Whose Line Is It Anyway which helped to popularize improv for the masses.

Long-form improv is a more theatrical style of improv that typically consists of a series of scenes with no breaks for audience interaction. The improvisers may or may not get a suggestion at the top, and then they will typically improvise for anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. There are many different structures of long-form and new ones are being created all the time!

We at Rocket Improv have experience performing and teaching BOTH. While we recognize the popularity of long-form we do not discount the commercial appeal – and fun – of short-form. While long-form is amazingly creatively satisfying when it clicks, it can also be very challenging. We start our students out learning short-form, and for those who wish to continue and want a greater challenge we introduce and start to work on long-form. Long story short, good work is good work. And we stress good work with both forms.

“Yes and” is often referred to as the golden rule of improvisation. “Yes and” moves improvised moments forward. It means accepting what is happening in the moment – the “yes” – then adding to it – the “and.” You can also think of it as “agree and assume.” It keeps us in the moment and in the flow and open to a myriad of possibilities! Take a class and learn all about it!