Caveat Academy course · Grades 7 to 12

Improvisational theater: scenes made up on the spot

A semester of improv: accept an offer and add to it instead of blocking, set who, what and where in your first three lines, build a character from the way they walk and the status they play, find the game of a scene and heighten it in steps, tell a story with the story spine and follow a Harold, and turn a stumble into the best idea on stage. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Arts & Creativity collection, $69 for 23 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 12 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Agreement, listening and ensemble

    Explain where modern improv came from and apply Yes, and, listening and ensemble habits in scenes.

    • What improv is and where it came from
    • Yes, and
    • Listening and ensemble
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Building a scene

    Build scenes that establish character, relationship, objective and where, and use platform, tilt, endowment and object work.

    • Who, what and where
    • Platform and tilt
    • Specifics and object work
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Characters

    Create characters from physical centers, movement qualities, status and an emotional point of view.

    • Building a character from the body
    • Status
    • Voice and point of view
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Short-form games

    Analyze short-form games, find and heighten the game of the scene, and plan and host a short-form set.

    • How short-form games work
    • The game of the scene
    • Suggestions, hosting and timing
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Story and long-form

    Structure improvised stories with the story spine and explain how long-form uses beats, callbacks and edits.

    • The story spine
    • Long-form and the Harold
    • Callbacks and edits
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Performing, and improv beyond the stage

    Evaluate scenes with specific notes, manage nerves and mistakes, and apply improv skills safely and respectfully beyond the stage.

    • Warm-ups, rehearsal and notes
    • Nerves, mistakes and recovery
    • Improv in everyday life
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 4 · The game of the scene

Worked example: finding and heightening a game

  1. Platform: two campers set up a tent.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Enrichment · Arts & Creativity$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished semester of improv: you can accept and build on offers, listen to the end of a line and play as an ensemble, open a scene with character, relationship, objective and where, use platform and tilt, endowment and object work, create characters from physical centers, movement qualities, status and point of view, play and host short-form games, find and heighten the game of a scene, structure stories with the story spine, follow how a Harold connects its scenes, give specific notes, handle nerves and mistakes, and keep scene partners safe. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 7 to 12 who want to try theater without a script, drama and debate students who want to think faster on their feet, students preparing for an improv team or a theater class, and homeschool families who want a lively arts semester. Exercises work alone, with a sibling, friends or a parent, in any open space.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 147 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 12 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Arts & Creativity collection ($69) and the Enrichment Suite pass ($119), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The Arts & Creativity space in Caveat Enrichment.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Viola Spolin, Improvisation for the Theater (1963), and the Spolin Center's account of her theater games: violaspolin.org
  2. The Second City, history of the theater founded in Chicago in 1959: secondcity.com
  3. Keith Johnstone, Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre (1979), on status, platform and tilt and storytelling
  4. Kenn Adams, How to Improvise a Full-Length Play (2007), on the story spine
  5. Charna Halpern, Del Close and Kim Johnson, Truth in Comedy: The Manual of Improvisation (1994), on the Harold and long-form

Improvisational Theater is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical one-semester improv elective but does not replace a school course, a director or rehearsing with a group, and awards no credit. Keep physical contact mimed and agreed in advance, warm up before movement exercises, and respect every partner's boundaries. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.