(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at the Oakes Center in Summit, is opening enrollment for its fall session of improv classes for adults, which runs September 9 through November 2, 2026. Classes offered this session include the Joy of Improv, both as a full session and as a Crash Course, Comedy Math, Special Effects and a one-night Improv Jam. The entire season of classes is available now, offering a full progression from beginner through performance-ready.
Vivid Stage’s improv classes are an enjoyable way to build public speaking skills, shake off stress, meet new people, or just have some great laughs. They provide a welcoming space to play, explore, and grow. Vivid Stage’s classes are taught by professional improvisers in a supportive, low-pressure environment that offers an on-ramp to improv, no matter what the student’s prior experience. Program Director Dave Maulbeck and Master Improviser Abby Sher will teach the classes.
The Joy of Improv full session class is a place to begin your improv journey and unlock creativity, confidence, and joy in every part of your life. Discover the fun and freedom of improv in a supportive, low-pressure environment. The Joy of Improv full session begins on September 14 and runs Monday evenings through November 2 from 7:30pm-9:30pm.
The Joy of Improv Crash Course provides students a condensed introduction to the foundational skills of improv comedy. The Joy of Improv Crash Course begins on Saturday, September 12, and continues on from 3:00pm-5:00pm for four weeks.
Comedy Math breaks down the hidden formulas behind humor, including patterns, heightening and juxtaposition. Comedy Math begins on Wednesday, September 9 from 7:30pm-9:30pm and continues for four weeks.
Special Effects is perfect for improvisers ready to unlock new levels of physicality and imagination, making every scene come alive in surprising ways through the use of your own body. Special Effects begins on Wednesday, October 7 from 7:30pm-9:30pm and runs for four weeks.
The Fall Improv Jam is like an open mic night for improv. Their improv jams offer an opportunity for students and friends to perform in a casual, supportive environment. The Improv Jam is Saturday, October 3 at 7:30pm, with both observers and participants welcome.
Dave Maulbeck is a veteran improv performer and teacher with over two decades of experience. He has trained with some of the most respected names in the industry, including Armando Diaz, Rachel Hamilton, and the late Gary Austin, founder of The Groundlings. With a deep love for the art of spontaneous storytelling, Dave brings a warm, supportive, and high-energy approach to the classroom. His teaching emphasizes connection, authenticity, and fearless play, helping students unlock their unique voices and grow both onstage and off.
As an actor, Dave has appeared on Law & Order: SVU, The Flight Attendant, and in numerous independent films. He was a proud member of the long-running Magnet Theater house teams Featherweight and Chet Watkins, and is the co-founder of Vivid Stage's flagship Improv team - The Flip Side, where he also serves as Director of Improv.
Abby Sher has written and performed at The Second City, The Upright Citizen's Brigade, HBO, Nick Jr., and NPR. She has also written seven books: Miss You Love You Hate You Bye (which was optioned for television), All the Ways the World Can End, Breaking Free: True Stories of Girls Who Escaped Modern Slavery, Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn't Stop Praying, Kissing Snowflakes, Sanctuary, and Solis, co-written with the phenomenal activist, Paola Mendoza.
Abby’s essays have appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Self, Jane, Elle, and one was adapted for the television series, Modern Love. She has also been the voice for several cartoons and is a member of Vivid’s improv team The Flip Side.
Registration information can be found here. Classes will be held at the Oakes Center (120 Morris Avenue) in Summit, New Jersey. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Their work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. They expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. They deepen the experience of all their patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.
The company’s activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings, works in a variety of media, and a menu of educational and senior outreach programs.
Vivid Stage’s programs are funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Union County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs, the Shubert and Summit Foundations and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.
Vivid Stage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey
