Join us on March 30th from 4-7pm for a one time opportunity to play and learn like a Hip-Hop pro, improv style! This workshop is great for those who want to try musical improv in a low pressure environment, or if you want to infuse #improvswag into your normal performances. It’s all about confidence and belief in you! What you will learn: stage-worthy words and how to rhyme them; fantastic rhythms and how to find them; being hype AF about your choices; finding volume notch 11 on your voices; and how to have FUN every damn second you’re in the mix. … Read More
Improv vs Toastmasters: Which is the Right Fit for You?
When it comes to improving communication and connection, there are two popular options: improv and Toastmasters. Many of our own 800+ students have confirmed this, mentioning that both local improv training and Toastmasters of San Diego were part of their searches into personal development. Deciding between the two programs can be a challenge. So, how do you know which one is right for you? Finest City Improv is proud to have a longstanding relationship with many local Toastmasters groups (including some that we have brought training to!) so, we wanted to provide some easy answers to our similarities and differences. … Read More
Kevin Langdon
Kevin is an amazing addition to our teaching staff. We laugh that he IS the MIT of improv, having taken every class we have ever offered, and having driven to Los Angeles to train at UCB, Second City, and ioWest. Meet Kevin:
How Improv Increases Self-Esteem
by JillAnne Aden, FCI Community Manager That voice inside your head that everyone has- is it being kind to you lately? No matter who you are or what your situation may be, life can sometimes take its toll on your self-esteem, causing you to doubt yourself and your abilities. Have you always struggled with your own perception of yourself? Or have events recently made you feel less than worthy at things you once found easy to do? No matter your position in life, having a healthy self perception makes a huge difference. Self-confidence is a key ingredient for positive mental … Read More
(Re)Learn to Listen with Community Spotlight: Ariel Weingarten!
We feel so lucky to have a community member like Ariel in our midst. Not only do they have an infectious joy whenever we are all together, they have an amazing amount of insight and intellect. They are one of the few exceptions of our student community, having had a bit of improv experience in Toronto before googling improv here in San Diego and finding out about us. One of the most interesting parts of their journey is that they jumped right on stage during our open jams and played with students and house team members before ever taking a … Read More
Get Caffeinated with May’s Single Lady: Yasmine Kalhor!
Bring your Venti Cups and catch up on that latest episode of Judge Judy, as we are coming in GUILTY with another edition of our hit show A Single Lady! For the month of May, we are featuring Yasmine Kalhor. She grew up in Huntington Beach before moving to Los Angeles to complete her degree in political science at UCLA. She now lives in San Diego in pursuit of her Juris Doctor at USD School of Law. Since starting law school, she has made it her mission to find the best coffee shops to study in. Her current favorite? Moniker … Read More
Improve Your Career With Improv!
The word “improv” often strikes fear in most people who are not familiar with the term. Improv is a tool used by comedians to create comedy in the moment on stage. The benefits of improv training go beyond the stage to help those who study it become more connected, adaptable, and present in all of life’s situations. We’ve delivered these benefits to teams at GO PRO, Sony, Kaiser Permanente, and dozens of other companies large and small for many years. We loved the variety of exercises to get us all working together. It was exactly what we needed! Tana Lorah, … Read More
Awesome New Opportunity for FCI Grads!
We are excited to announce our brand new graduate program, THE CLUBHOUSE. We got together 20 of our house team members, teachers and artistic staff and asked them… “how do we give more opportunities to Level 6 grads so they can keep learning, keep playing, and of course… keep laughing together?! And, help them get ready to audition for a FCI House Team one day?” They came up with an exciting new program that takes the best of the Conservatory and the best of the “PDI” teams (Figment & Yer Baby) and combines them into one awesome 6-month “Sunday Company” … Read More
Amy Lisewski featured on Find Your Passion Podcast!
Amy Lisewski is the founder of Finest City Improv and the San Diego Improv Festival. As a keynote speaker, Amy helps companies improve communication and collaborations using improv skills. She is also the author of Relax, We’re All Just Making This Stuff Up!: Using the tools of improvisation to cultivate more courage and joy in your life. Before becoming a professional improviser, she ran an information and research consulting business, taught with Teach for America and was a video and new media producer. Now she helps others improvise both on and off the stage. “Make a bold choice, and go for it,” said Amy. … Read More
Get Vulnerable with Community Spotlight Pete Olsen!
Pete and his partner, Travis started a cross country journey to San Diego and happened to find founder Amy Lisewski was looking at that time for roommates. Is there anything more “Yes! And…” then a new life beginning, in a new city, with a brand new home? Well luckily for Pete his roommate owned an improv theatre and he dove right into our community! As a student and current work study participant, Pete has found his improv family here at Finest City Improv. His life has changed most distinctively in the fact that he has found himself off the side … Read More
Shawn Roop teaches the value of improv for disaster management at Red Cross
One of our esteemed teachers and community leaders Shawn Roop recently brought together volunteers at the San Diego Red Cross for an afternoon of learning and laughing. “Talking with the team, they shared with me how serious their jobs are due to the nature of their business and that they really wanted to bring more humor into the office place. I look forward to help them use humor to connect to deeper levels for the projects are doing.” says Shawn leading up to the event. Improv comedy teaches us that we can harness positivity with the phrase “YES! AND…” Teams can … Read More
We find love for salsa loving, yes anding, uke playing Alex Briceno!
Alex is a 32 year old who is haphazardly looking for love. He is a licensed psychotherapist. And has decided to devote most of his time to his career of running a drug treatment program. He has dated multiple women, but they never lasted more than 3 months for a variety of reasons. He tried the online dating scene but didn’t have the time or wherewithal to be successful and discovered he had better success (though still limited) meeting women in the real world. He decided to join many meet ups, take several dancing classes, and improv classes to up … Read More