How to Start an Improv Troupe
or "how to do improv outside of class"
The life cycle of the improviser typically begins by taking classes. There the improviser learns the skills necessary to survive out in the wild. Once they reach a level of self sufficiency (typically around improv levels 5 or 6 in my experience), the improvisers will start doing improvisation outside of the classroom environment. They will find other improvisers and form troupes. They do move in herds!
The problem with starting a troupe is that no one teaches you how. It’s a hard topic to cover in class, because troupes can be so different from each other. However, several students have asked me what they should do to keep learning and growing after graduating from the improv class levels. Starting a troupe is the answer, but it can seem hard. It’s certainly a lot more difficult than just showing up to class. Hopefully, this guide can help:
Getting Started
Figure out who’s going to be in the troupe.
Start small. It’s easier to add people than to kick people out.
Start with a core group that you really connect with. Then make sure it’s a group decision when someone is added.
Make sure you communicate the time commitment clearly, so people know what they’re signing up for.
Decide on a consistent practice time and place. Meet every week (or every two weeks).
Good practice spaces are someone’s living room, someone’s backyard, or someone’s office if they have access after hours. If you have a larger troupe, it may be cost effective to rent out some space and split the cost. Many places offer hourly rentals. Also try libraries and local businesses that might have an extra room during non-peak hours.
It’s okay to miss a week if lots of people can’t make it. If you miss two practices in a row, there’s a problem you need to fix.
Agree on a format. If you have a strong opinion on what the format should be, include that as part of your pitch when recruiting people. Otherwise, collectively figure out a format that everyone likes.
Keep it simple. You don’t need an original format. It’s completely fine to just do an Armando or just do a narrative. You should be able to explain your format to someone in less than 30 seconds.
Make sure the format works for a 10 min set, a 20 min set, and a 30 min set. You typically will get 10-20 min in a show. If you are the headlining troupe, you might get 30 min.
(optional) Come up with a punchy tagline that tells people what your show is all about.
Running Practice
Typical schedule:
Start on time
Do warm ups. You can take turns leading warm ups.
(optional) Do general improv exercises to strengthen fundamentals.
(optional) Review the format.
(optional) Practice parts of your format in isolation.
Run your format as if it were a real show.
Talk about what worked and what didn’t. Try not to get stuck in analysis mode.
Run your format again if time allows.
Make sure you’re signing up for shows. You need to be getting stage time periodically to make sure your format works in front of an audience. Theatres will typically do troupe nights. Figure out where the other improv troupes in town are performing. Send out emails.
Exactly one person in the troupe needs to be in charge of filling out sign up sheets and sending emails. Everyone else, make their lives easier by keeping them updated with your schedule.
Having a show once in a while is a great motivator for people to actually show up to practice. If you don’t have a show on the horizon, attendance tends to dip.
Hire a coach! You can have a coach come in every practice, every other practice, or just once in a while. It can be really helpful having someone contribute their expertise or just an outside perspective.
Not every coach will be a good fit for your troupe. In my experience, only about one in three coaches feels like they’re actually helping. That’s part of the process though. Ask them to come to one practice. After you’ve worked with a few different coaches, you can invite people back if you really liked them.
If you have a specific thing you want to work on, let the coach know. This can be things like: refining the format, playing more grounded characters, pacing, etc.
Discuss rates beforehand. It is typical to pay coaches, though some might do it for free or on a pay-what-you-want basis. Remember that having a coach come to a practice is way cheaper than taking an improv class.
Another way to bring in some outside ideas is to invite guests. You can invite other improvisers to join in on your practice.
Like with coaches, have guests once in a while. You can even have guests come in specifically on coach days. It makes hiring a coach a little bit cheaper if there’s more people to split the cost, and the guests also benefit from the coach’s expertise.
Unlike with coaches, guests are coming to your practice not as a service to you, but rather as a mutually beneficial interaction. Be respectful of their time.
If you’re down some troupe members for a show, you might need people to fill in. People that have guested at practices and already know your format are ideal candidates. Of course, you can also invite guests to perform at shows even when you’re not missing troupe members.
Keep people updated on social media. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but at least having a troupe Instagram page really helps your chances of getting booked for shows.
Even if you’re just starting out, assume there’s one person out there that’s a big fan. Make sure you’re posting well enough in advance that they know when your shows are and how to come see you.
Have clearly defined responsibilities on who is in charge of posting to social media, designing graphics, etc. Don’t make it the same person in charge of scheduling.
Remember to take lots of pictures during your first couple shows so you can use them to promote future shows.
More On Troupes
There’s a lot more to say about troupes, so this will be a series. I’ll link the next articles below:
(more coming soon)