(SUMMIT, NJ) -- Vivid Stage, in residence at the Oakes Center in Summit, is opening enrollment for its November session of classes for adults, which runs November 4 through December 22, 2026. Classes offered this session include both Improv and new creative classes for adults. The Joy of Improv, Beyond Beginner, Intro to Longform and a one-night Holiday Mixer are all available for students seeking an improv experience. Also, there is a new one-night Clowning Workshop and a four-week Creativity Class on the Studio side. The entire season of classes is available now, offering a full range of topics and levels for all students.
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 Shereen Hickman will teach the classes.
In the Vivid Studio, students will find a variety of ways to explore their creative side, whether it’s for the first time, or a return to a beloved art form. Instructors will lead participants through explorations of subjects that are not only fun but also fulfilling. Beginners and seasoned artists will find the encouragement and challenge they need to unlock new sources of creativity that will inform all areas of their lives. Classes are taught by Shereen Hickman and Phoebe Farber.
Registration information can be found for the Improv Classes here. For the Studio Classes, click here. Classes will be held at the Oakes Center, 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, New Jersey. The venue is wheelchair accessible.
Improv Classes:
The Joy of Improv 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 among friends. The Joy of Improv six-week class begins on November 16 and runs Monday evenings through December 21 from 7:30pm-9:30pm. Instructor: Shereen Hickman.
Beyond Beginner is a four-week intensive that bridges the gap between beginner and advanced. You’ll sharpen your listening, character work, and scene-building skills, so you feel more confident and connected on stage. Beyond Beginner runs Monday evenings from 7:30pm-9:30pm from November 16 through December 7. Instructor: Dave Maulbeck.
Intro to Longform provides a hands-on, four-week introduction to longform improv, how to create connected scenes, edit between them, and explore formats like montage and La Ronde. Perfect for anyone ready to build narrative and ensemble skills. Intro to Longform runs Wednesday evenings from 7:30pm-9:30pm from November 18 - December 16, skipping Thanksgiving eve. Instructor: Dave Maulbeck.
The Holiday Mixer is like an open mic night for improv. The mixer offers an opportunity for students and friends to perform in a casual, supportive environment. The Holiday Mixer is Thursday, December 17 at 7:30pm, with both observers and participants welcome.
Studio Classes:
The Clowning Workshop is an on-your-feet workshop, in which you will explore clown history, archetypes and playful exercises in presence, connection, and laughter. No experience needed, just a willingness to be wonderfully silly. This one-night workshop is November 4 from 7:30pm-9:30pm. Instructor: Shereen Hickman.
The Creativity Class is a place to have fun exploring your imagination and creative potential. Students will use exercises in creative writing, photography, sculpture and music to illustrate the world of creativity and access their own creative power. The Creativity Class runs Tuesdays, December 1 through 22 from 7:30-9:30. Instructor: Phoebe Farber.
The Instructors:
Phoebe Farber is a practicing psychotherapist (MSW, Ph.D.) who has worked with clients in a private practice for over 25 years. She is a professor at Montclair State University, where she teaches a course on creativity, the creative process and ways to cultivate a creative mindset. She is a co-founder of Building Creative Minds, an organization that leads residencies and workshops in creative thinking as a tool for resilience, rejuvenation and empowerment. She has travelled to England, Scotland, Israel and Sweden to lead classes in accessing the creative spark that exists within all of us. Phoebe is a Fulbright Scholar and co-author of the upcoming textbook Igniting the Spark: Activating your Creative Mind.
Shereen Hickman is a physical comedienne, character actress, and improviser whose career spans Broadway, national tours, and three productions with Cirque du Soleil as their lead female clown, in Zumanity, Banana Shpeel, and Amaluna. With decades of experience in physical comedy, clowning, and improvisation, Shereen invites adults to embrace their glorious imperfections, quiet their inner critic, and discover the freedom, surprise, and joy of play. Her classes celebrate curiosity, creative risk-taking, and the wonderfully ridiculous human experience.
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.
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
There are multiple performances including:
Friday, Oct 16, 2026
@ 8:00pm
Oakes Center
Summit, NJ
