Rocket Improv Policies

FOR AGES 6-16

• Arrival: Please arrive early and be ready to go by the time your program is supposed to start.

• Phones/Smart Watches: Phones and smart watches must be left at home or where indicated by the instructor (NOT in a pocket) and turned off or on silent.

• Late Arrival: Please text the instructor as soon as you know you will be tardy. If you arrive late, enter quietly, hang out off to the side, and wait for your instructor to invite you in to join the others.

• Water Bottles: Please bring a water bottle with your name on it.

• Food/Gum/Candy: No food, gum, or candy during lessons. If it is urgent that you have a snack, you are welcome to hang out away from the class and eat until you are ready to rejoin. You are allowed to do this once per class. (No going back for seconds unless accommodations have been requested in advance.)

• Attire: Class is very active! Wear comfortable clothes in which you can move freely and kick up your heels without feeling inhibited. Close-toed shoes like sneakers are preferred to prevent having toes stepped on by a classmate during one of our more active activities. Avoid wearing flip-flops or crocs or any other kind of shoe that can easily come off. Loose fitting shoes typically end up being launched off someone’s foot. We launch rockets. Not crocs.

IF A PARENT IS READING THIS, PLEASE REVIEW THE CODE OF CONDUCT WITH YOUR STUDENT/S BEFORE THE START OF CLASS OR CAMP.

FOR AGES 17 AND UP

• Be on time: Class begins right away with warmups and games. Arriving on time shows respect for your instructor and classmates, and keeps the group energy flowing.

• Stay present: Improv works best when everyone is fully in the moment. It is advised that phones are turned off or on silent. If a student is expecting an important call, they are to notify the instructor in advance. If it is urgent that a student needs to send a text or make a call, we would appreciate them leaving the room to do so.

• Text if you’re running late or can’t make it. A quick heads-up helps your teacher plan activities and keeps the group from waiting around. If arriving late, enter quietly, have a seat, and await instructor invitation to join.

• Respect your classmates and instructor: Improv is built on trust. Everyone deserves to feel safe and supported while trying new things.

• When giving feedback, highlight what worked: If you’re asked to comment on a scene, focus on what you enjoyed, what inspired you, or what stood out as a strong choice This helps build confidence and keeps the atmosphere supportive.

• Limit side conversations: Save side conversations for before class, after class, or during breaks so everyone can hear instructions and stay focused on the game. You and your fellow classmates get more out of the exercises when you’re tuned in.

• Take care of your body and voice: Move in a way that’s safe for you, and let your instructor know if you have any limitations. You don’t need to push past pain to participate fully.

• Water Bottles: We highly recommend bringing a water bottle with you to class.

• Food/Gum/Candy: No food, gum, or candy during lessons. Urgent snacks are allowed away from the class - off to the side or in the back of the room.

• No alcohol or substances before class or before performing: Improv works best when we’re present, alert, and safe. Substances interfere with your focus, judgment, and respect for your scene partners.

• No hateful, discriminatory, or deliberately offensive material: We play with all kinds of characters and ideas, but we don’t tolerate humor or behavior that puts down people based on identity, background, or lived experience. Sometimes we might accidentally say or do something because it’s improv. If you have an issue with anything that happens in class, please email Director Lulu French (lulufrench@rocketimprovcomedy.com) after class and we’ll figure out the best way to handle it together.

• Keep it clean: Avoid overt “blue” (sexual) humor, scatological material, and cursing. We want everyone to feel comfortable, and the challenge of being funny without leaning on shock value makes for better improv.

• Don’t play intoxicated characters as a default choice: One of the foundations of improv is creating a shared reality with your scene partners. Characters who are extremely drunk, stoned, hallucinating, severely disoriented, or otherwise unable to understand and respond to what’s happening make that difficult. Scenes work best when everyone can give and receive coherent information that others can build upon.

• Attire: Wear comfortable clothes for free movement. Close-toed shoes like sneakers are preferred to prevent accidental stepping on toes; avoid flip-flops, sandals, crocs, or loose-fitting shoes.

• Please share your concerns with Rocket Improv first: If you have a problem with anything Rocket Improv related, please approach Rocket Improv with your concerns first and respectfully refrain from discussing your problems with other students in the Rocket Improv program. Please do not text your concerns but instead please email or call.

As much as you are able, please inform Rocket Improv of any absences by texting the instructor on the same day as class. Before the start of classes / camp, you will be given a number you can text for same-day communications about your student being absent, arriving late, or needing to leave early.

An instructor / counselor will be at the space 10 minutes before the start of class. Please do not drop off your student more than 10 minutes before the start of class / camp.

Students are not penalized in any way for missing classes, being late, or needing to leave early.

If our area experiences an extreme weather event like Hurricane Sandy that results in prolonged power outages, please refer to Rocket Improv’s Facebook page for updates and communications.

If you have a problem with anything Rocket Improv related, please approach Rocket Improv with your concerns first and respectfully refrain from discussing your problems with other parents/guardians in the Rocket Improv program. Please do not text your concerns but instead please email or call.

If you need a reminder of dates, times, or location please check the website or Sawyer before reaching out with questions about when and where classes take place. You’ll get the information a lot faster that way!

In review…

If your student will be absent or is running late, please text your student’s instructor the same day as class.

If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback, please call or email.

Parents/guardians of Firecrackers and Rocket Fuel: For pick-up after class, the instructor will need to be able to see you before releasing your child/ward. 

Parents/guardians of Jet Packs, Rocketeers, Moonwalkers, and Blast Off for Teens: Students are not monitored at the end of class and are allowed to leave of their own accord. If you would like for your student to remain in the building until they are picked up, please let Rocket Improv know in advance. Once your student has left the building, Rocket Improv is no longer responsible for them.

Thank you!

We highly recommend that our students be vaccinated but it is not mandatory.

All of our instructors are vaccinated and boosted.

INDOORS: Mask optional.

A share is when the parents are invited to watch a brief 45 minute demonstration of what the improv students have been learning in class.

A showcase is a 1 hour long improv show in a performance space.

Showcases and shares are considered a “class,” and the cost is included in the overall program fee. Showcases are free to attend and are open to the public. No reservations or tickets are required. No student is required to perform in a showcase.

There will be class shares and showcases for the fall and spring sessions and during each week of camp. The students will not have a share or a showcase for the winter session.

Rocket Improv does not prorate for missed classes.

There are no guaranteed opportunities to make-up a missed class.

If Rocket Improv needs to cancel a class due to unplanned circumstances such as weather-related events or instructor illness, Rocket Improv will schedule a new class that may or may not be at a time that is convenient for all participants.

In the event of a class rescheduling, Rocket Improv will make an effort to accommodate as many students as possible but cannot guarantee that a make-up class with be rescheduled at a time when everyone is able to attend.

If a registration is canceled, the registrant will receive a refund minus a $50 cancellation fee. We do not offer credits for future sessions.

If after one class a student decides to withdraw, Rocket Improv will issue a refund for the class minus a $50 cancellation fee. There will be no refunds issued after a student has attended three classes.

There is a discount for siblings and additional classes. Each sibling will receive a 10% discount off their session tuition. If a student elects to take more than one class during the same session, they will receive a 10% discount off of all of their classes.

How Invitation-Only Classes Work

The Rocketeers and Blast Off for Teens programs are by invitation only. These classes are designed for students who have spent meaningful time training at Rocket Improv and are ready for more advanced ensemble-based work.

FOR CURRENT JET PACKS STUDENTS / MOONWALKERS

After an improv student has trained in the Jet Packs program for approximately 1–3 years, they may become eligible for invitation into the Rocketeers class.

Invitation to Rocketeers is not guaranteed. Multiple factors are considered, including (but not limited to):

• the student’s readiness for more advanced material

• age and developmental fit

• current enrollment numbers and available space

• the goal of maintaining established ensembles whenever possible

Rocket Improv places a strong value on ensemble continuity. In some cases, this means students may need to wait until the right moment to move forward together.

While we make thoughtful efforts to keep friends training together, placement is based on ensemble balance and readiness, and continuation with specific peers cannot be guaranteed.

FOR CURRENT ROCKETEERS / MOONWALKERS / ADVANCED MOONWALKERS

Students who have developed a strong sense of ensemble and wish to continue their training may be invited to form or join a Blast Off for Teens improv troupe.

Blast Off for Teens is a performance-focused ensemble program in which students:

• develop a shared group identity

• have a voice in shaping the direction of their training

• rehearse consistently with a dedicated director

• present an end-of-session, professional-level improv show

Occasionally, an individual student who has trained with Rocket Improv for at least one year and demonstrates readiness for advanced ensemble and performance work may be invited to join an existing troupe.

Blast Off for Teens troupes are composed of students who have trained together over time and are prepared for a higher level of collaboration, commitment, and performance expectations.

Invitation is not guaranteed. Considerations include:

• readiness for advanced improv concepts and games

• maturity, focus, and teamwork

• the ability to attend rehearsals consistently

• ensemble fit and overall program balance

Full privacy policy here