IMPROV 501 (Sundays 8/2-9/20 @3pm-5:45pm Skipping 9/6)
Class Details
Class Runs: Sunday afternoons @ 3:00 PM - 5:45 PM MDTClass Dates: Sun 8/2/26 - Tue 7/7/26 (7 classes total)
Location: RISE Comedy, 1260 22nd St, Denver, CO 80205
Instructor(s): Asa Erlendson & Josh Nicols
Price: $361/person
- This class skips 9/6
- Students will receive an email with class details and links 12-24 hours before the class. If you do not see this email, please check your spam folder as well!
- Minimum class size is 8 students.
IMPROV 501 (Sundays 8/2-9/20 @3pm-5:45pm Skipping 9/6)
In Improv 501, you will unlock the toolset for creating more nuanced and advanced characters onstage. Learn how to generate sustainable characters that are FUN to play and easy to return to in a long form set.
Instructor: Asa Erlendson and Josh Nicols are going to tag team instruct this Improv 501!
Asa Erlendson and Improv officially met in 2007 at Pitzer College in the group Without A Box. Things got hot and heavy when he co-founded a group called ImpRAWv in which he had a transcendent experience in an experiment called The Beehive (watch “My Dinner With Andre” to get the reference). When he moved back home to Denver in 2011, Asa and Improv started going steady while at the Bovine Metropolis. First, as a student, and eventually as a coach and teacher. Things got really serious when he joined the group Governor Jack. With Governor Jack, Asa was able to meet, study with, and perform with amazing improvisers from cities and schools all around the country while absconding to festivals in Denver, and from New York City to Salt Lake City, but no further West than that… yet. Since they first met, Improv has introduced Asa to a variety of genres, styles, and forms. He can truly say he is a better person for knowing Improv. And even though he has messed around with sketch and has a growing friendship with stand-up, his heart will always belong to Improv, its community and all of its teachers and students.
Josh Nicols is the Education Director and co-owner of RISE Comedy. Josh has been a professional improv teacher, producer and performer for over 30 years. He has studied under instructors from iO West & Chicago, The Annoyance Theater, Groundlings, UCB, and Second City. He has performed and taught all around the country and abroad. Josh is the improv coach for Arvada West High School, and was the improv coach Mater Dei, Long Beach Poly and Glendora High Schools. He also served as the Training Center Director at the Westside Comedy Theater, prior to that he was the Artistic Director/ Co-Owner of Spectacles Improv Engine in Fullerton Ca. He created and directed 7 years of The Orange County Improv Festival and is a founder of The Improv Cup and Rise Cup. He is a member of the teams Community Theater 3000, KP &J and Tapestry He has also directed full length improvised plays, which included The Awkward Party, Post Apocalyptic Bunker Comedy and Prentendessee Williams, with the Awkward Party receiving the accolade “Best Play of the Year “from the OC Weekly.
Financial Assistance
We understand that financial circumstances can sometimes make participation challenging. Please know that your presence, voice and contributions are valued here, and we are committed to making our programs as accessible as possible.
We have a few ways to help folks experience our classes. First off, all of our volunteers can take up to one full level class every term. Our volunteers learn positions at the theater and agree to a regular schedule at either our box office, tech booth, or our HM position which helps get the shows started on time. If you have a skill or trade or item that could be of benefit the theater, we're open to talking to you about it. We also offer payment plans for more flexibility, look into them at check out.
If those options aren't helpful, we offer an inclusion scholarship that will help Rise best reflect Denver. If you feel that you have a perspective and experience that Rise could benefit from we offer scholarships each term for our leveled classes. Apply below.
Link to Scholarship Program: https://risecomedy.com/rise-comedy-inclusion-scholarship/
If you have circumstances beyond these options or would like more details on any of them please reach out to [email protected] with the subject "Financial Assistance"