The Boom Chicago Academy is your gateway to improv and comedy! Whether you’re a beginner or ready to refine your craft, we offer a variety of opportunities to learn, perform, and have fun:
Not sure where to start? Take a two-hour Taster Class for just €30, and we’ll credit the fee if you join a full course. Stick around after class to socialize with your new friends at the Boom Bar. It’s all part of the experience.
Come for the laughs, stay for the community. Join us today!
Session Dates for 2026
Summer Intensives (On Sale January 1)
Unsure about improv? Let us give you a taste!
Spend two hours on a Saturday afternoon with Boom Chicago’s actors and experience what we do best: creating comedy on the spot. You’ll laugh, play, and discover the thrill of thinking fast and working together. No experience necessary.
Unsure about improv? Let us give you a taste! For 2 hours on a Saturday afternoon, Boom Chicago actors will give you an insight into what we do on stage. Feel the thrill of improvisation and get ready to have fun! No experience is necessary.
Taking an improv taster class is not an essential part of our training program, but it is a great introduction. A taster class costs €30, but if you decide to join a full class (Intro to Improv), we’ll deduct this from your fee.
This is where it all starts! An exciting eight-week course for beginners of all backgrounds. Join to increase your confidence, performance skills or join a fun community.
Unlock the world of improv with our engaging Introductory Improv Class! Perfect for beginners, this course dives into the essentials of improvisation, guiding students through fun exercises in agreement, commitment, spontaneity, and active listening. No prior experience or special training is needed—everyone is welcome to jump in and discover the magic of improv!
After class, keep the good times rolling! Head to our Boom Bar, where you can unwind, share laughs, and connect with your new improv friends over drinks. At Boom Chicago, we believe the joy of improv doesn’t stop when the class ends—it’s a community that keeps the fun going. Join us and discover the endless possibilities of improv in Amsterdam’s most dynamic space!
Curious about improv? Try it out!
Spend two fun-filled hours on a Saturday afternoon with Boom Chicago’s actors and discover the thrill of improvisation. No experience? No problem! This taster class is the perfect intro to thinking on your feet and having a blast. At just €30, it’s a great deal. And if you join our Intro to Improv course, we’ll credit the fee toward your class. Come as you are and leave with a smile (and maybe a new hobby)!
Eight Weeks – No Experience Needed!
In this introductory eight-week course, students explore the fundamental principles of improv through exercises in agreement, commitment, spontaneity and listening. You don’t need any experience or training to join. And the excitement doesn’t end there! Stay for a drink with your (new) friends at our Boom Bar!
In this level, students will explore the foundations of good scene work, including how to form scenes based on emotions, relationships, points of view, and the environment. The two-person scene is the foundation of short and long-form improvisation.
Continue your development! This course focuses on giving students the tools to develop interesting and well-rounded characters. Various frames of reference will be used including physicality, emotion, status, and music.
Now that you have the basic tools of improv, we’re going to dive into the energy and commitment of short-form game play. Each week we will learn a different subset of games, with focus on a different point of inspiration.
The final showcase on our Upstairs Theater stage will be on Saturday, July 11th @ 17:30.
Get out of your head and onto your feet! This workshop will focus on owning the stage. Learn the most concise way to host an improv game or an entire show. In addition, we will dive into the ins and outs of editing in order to make everyone in the audience and on stage feel like rockstars.
The final showcase on our Upstairs Theater stage will be on Sunday, July 12th @ 17:30.
This level expands on the students’ previous scene work experience and delves deeper into building dynamic and supportive scenes. Topics include starting scenes organically, exploring support moves and understanding opening devices.
The final showcase on our Upstairs Theater stage will be on Monday, July 6th @ 19:00.
In this course, students will explore the concepts of game and point of view, and how they can use them to drive scenes. They will be introduced to concepts like shiny objects, gift-giving, justifying and straight-manning. These will help pinpoint interesting directions scenes can go and help all players to get on the same page as to what the next moves might be.
The final showcase on our Upstairs Theater stage will be on Wednesday, July 8th @ 18:00.
4-Week Elective taught by Deshawn Mason
Tuesdays from 19:00-22:00 starting August 11th
The monoscene is a format where one location becomes the star of the show. Learn how to love the scene you’re in!
Learn how famous acts like TJ + Dave stay in a scene for upwards of an hour. This elective prioritizes how to invest and reinvest in your scene and scene partner, how to turn your spacework and object work into a joy, and how to work with your ensemble to make the most of every minute.
During these four weeks, you will be taught different types of monoscenes like the Slacker, the Spokane/the Pretty Flower, Shotgun, Living Room, The Event, The Storm, and Entrances & Exits. You’ll learn all of these forms while also gaining skills applicable to all types of improv. See how far one scene can take you.
Prerequisite: finishing Level 3 or higher at Boom or an equivalent improv school. Email [email protected] directly to check if you’re unsure whether you’re eligible to sign up.
6-Week Elective
Saturdays from 14:00-17:00 starting September 5th
Performance showcase on October 12th
Boom Chicago cast member Simon Lukacs (coach and director of Boom Chicago horror-inspired house team Uncanny Valley), in collaboration with Boom Chicago technical director Emil Struijker-Boudier, brings you a course in improvising comedy within the world of horror.
In this course we will cover:
The conventions and tropes of the horror genre
Using pace, tone and staging to create an unnerving atmosphere
Finding and developing weird and sinister games from within “normal” scenes
Playing huge heightened characters at 200%, and knowing when to play them
Responding to and using music and lighting to create scenes and choices
Prerequisite: finishing Level 3 or higher at Boom or an equivalent improv school. Email [email protected] directly to check if you’re unsure whether you’re eligible to sign up.
10-Week Elective taught by Boom Chicago cast member and Boom’s Academy Manager Laura Maynard
Mondays from 19:00-22:00 starting September 7th
Three sketch shows on October 26th, November 2nd, and November 9th
Come be part of a full sketch ensemble process from start to finish! This ten-week elective includes four weeks of creating sketches, three weeks of learning to act and perform these sketches, and then a three-week run of shows.
NOTE: There will not be a general on-sale for this class. A prerequisite for registering for this class is a 3-hour sketch workshop available to anyone, with any improv experience level, on either June 20th or June 21st. Attending this workshop will give you a good preview of what skills will be covered in the class. Laura wants to ensure the sketch ensemble’s casting is balanced and diverse, so on June 22nd, Laura will reach out to the attendees of the June 20th or 21st prerequisite to register for the course from there. You will be able to sign up for your free spot in the workshop this Friday, June 12th.
6-Week elective taught by Boom Chicago cast member Deshawn Mason
Sundays from 14:00-17:00 starting September 13th
Performance showcase on October 18th
Viewpoints is an approach to improvised theatre based on movement, response, and awareness. During this class, you will build a rich toolkit of techniques to keep you out of your head and maximize fun. Get ready to explore the 9 Viewpoints (Tempo, Duration, Repetition, Kinesthetic Response, Topography, Spatial Relationship, Shape, Gesture, and Architecture) and their teaching pedagogy.
This class is for the improviser who wants to explore scenework, ensemble, characters, movement, and more with a new perspective these viewpoints provide.
4-Week Elective taught by Katie O’Reilly
Tuesdays from 19:00-22:00 starting October 6th
This comedy writing course is designed for people who want to explore comedy beyond traditional setups and punchlines, with a focus on alternative comedy, absurdism, character work, satire, storytelling, sketch concepts, and finding unique comedic ideas. Through a series of writing exercises, prompts, and workshops, students will learn how to generate original material, develop a distinct comedic perspective, and experiment with different forms of comedy writing. Whether you’re interested in creating solo shows, sketches, characters, satirical pieces, humorous essays, videos, or simply writing stranger and more inventive comedy, this class will help you expand your creative toolkit. No previous comedy experience is required, just curiosity, a willingness to take creative risks, and an interest in making weird, wonderful, and memorable comedy.
The course covers a wide range of techniques and styles to help you discover your own comedy voice along with exercises to boost confidence, creativity and imagination. You will learn the basics of joke writing, presentation and you will leave these four weeks with the beginning of a stand-up routine.
6-Week Elective taught by Katie O’Reilly
Two sections available in 2026:
Saturdays from 14:00-17:00 starting August 29th, with a showcase on October 3rd
Sundays from 14:00-17:00 starting November 8th, with a showcase on December 13th
Ready to take your stand-up to the next level? This advanced course is designed for comedians who have already completed our introductory class or have prior stand-up experience and are looking to sharpen their material, strengthen their stage presence, and develop a more distinctive comedic voice.
Students will focus on writing stronger premises, crafting longer-form bits, improving transitions, refining crowd work skills, and developing a cohesive set. Through in-depth feedback, writing exercises, and performance workshops, comedians will learn how to edit more effectively, elevate their joke-writing, and create material that feels uniquely their own.
The course will end with a live showcase where students will perform an extended set in front of an audience.
Thursday, July 9th from 18:30-21:30 – Book now!
Do you wind up deep inside your head in improv scenes? Your old friend, former SNL cast member and iO alumnus, Luke Null, was just like you. Join Luke for a workshop full of exercises that challenge you to quit planning things on the backline and start having fun and reacting in the moment. You will be so far out of your head by the end that you honestly won’t even need a head anymore. You could probably rent it out you will be gone so much.
Sunday, July 26th from 14:00-17:00 – Book now!
In this class, we will focus on character-forward and situation-forward initiations and how to make decisions in order to quickly build the top of a scene and allow what the scene is about to come into focus. This will give you a strategy at the top of your scenes that you can repeat over and over again. Guest instructor James Mastraieni is a live improv and sketch performer and founder of the indie comedy theater, “The Shared Experience Studio” in Los Angeles. His background is extensive and varied. He’s toured with Second City, performed for a decade at iOWest, and for almost 20 years with The Upright Citizen’s Brigade. James has accumulated over 25,000 hours of teaching and coaching. He’s a dedicated teacher who has taught all over the world, coached over a dozen Harold teams at UCB and iO, and taught comedic acting and improvisation at the esteemed Beverly Hills Playhouse. His Advanced Drop In has been the most popular drop-in class in Los Angeles for almost ten years. He also teaches US Army soldiershow to use improv to express themselves creatively and restore their safety in collaboration with others. James teaches a practical, organized framework that combines traditional theories and philosophies of comedy with the nuances of theater acting and improvisation. His guiding principle is “The Shared Experience,” a theory of live comedy that highlights the performer’s understanding of the abstract connective tissue existing between the performer and the audience.
Join Boom Chicago cast member and Academy Manager Laura Maynard for a day long workshop all about how to take an idea for a sketch and prevent it from dying in the notes app on your phone.
Laura will teach you how to translate your idea into something others can understand and build upon. This workshop is perfect for improvisers who have always wanted to do sketch comedy but have no idea where to begin. Apply all the skills you already hold as an improviser to crafting your own hilarious and unique sketches- no script or previous experience required!
This day-long workshop will include an hour break for lunch. This class will be held on Saturday, September 12th, from 11:00-17:00 at Boom Chicago, and the attendance will be capped at 12 students. Book now!
The workshop will immediately be followed by a solo improv show, open to the public, performed by Anděl in our Attic Theater at 6PM.
Anděl Sudik is a director, improviser, actor, and writer based in L.A. and Chicago, known for her explosive energy onstage and in the classroom as well as her experiential teaching style. She is a faculty member of the Second City, where she teaches sketch writing and improvisation remotely and iO, where she teaches summer intensives in Chicago. She is an alum of Boom Chicago in Amsterdam, the Second City Touring, and resident ETC Company and has directed Sketch, Improvisation, and Solo shows at The Public House, Annoyance, iO, Lyric Hyperion, Thymele, and Second City and Edinburgh Fringe. Before 2020, she could be found traveling, teaching and performing all over the states as well as across Europe in festivals and privately. Now she can be found doing… the same, but sometimes over Zoom. Full bio at YesAndel.com
Luke Null and his guitar famously need to be plugged in for you to hear their sounds. Tonight, in this show only, his guitar will still need to be plugged in (literally) but metaphorically, the words coming through the microphone will be unplugged because they have the potential to be out of pocket and wild. But above all else, everything coming from Luke and his guitar tonight is guaranteed to be outrageously funny.
The show will also feature Alan Knaani. There will be stand-up, there will be music, and you will not want to miss this! Book now!
Boom Chicago Academy students and instructors join forces! On the first Sunday of every month, we’ll feature students of our academy. They will be joined on stage by the instructors of the Boom Academy to create a unique improv comedy Jam once a month.
Get ready for a night where the rules of comedy get delightfully rewritten. The Comedy Lab is an experimental playground – a space where our Boom Chicago cast tests out bold, funny, and gloriously strange new formats.
From wild new improv structures to hybrid sketch shows, stand-up experiments, and ideas that simply defy definition, this is where creativity runs free and funny gets fearless.
Come see comedy in its most exciting form: inventive and straight from the lab. Who knows? You might just witness the birth of Boom’s next big show.
History has seen greats like Carol Burnett, Ed Sullivan, Van Kooten en De Bie name a show after themselves… and now Lesley Presley will join their ranks. Who is Lesley Presley? Lesley Presely is a host persona that anyone in the Boom Chicago community, from month to month, might embody. What we, and the fictional character Lesley, can guarantee is a night of improv, sketches, comedy, music, and so much more than we could try to describe here. Boom Chicago’s Academy Manager, Laura Maynard, programs a completely different show every month.
Celebrate fresh talent at Thuis Party! This show highlights Boom Academy graduates as they hit the stage with brand-new acts and unstoppable energy. Come support the next generation of comedy stars!
Join our newest improv jam, where students of different experience levels can mix, match, and of course above all else-improvise! This hour-long program is perfect for students to get on our Attic stage to do lots of scenes while also meeting more members of our community!
We’re thrilled to open up The Attic Theater for performer and student-led shows every 3rd Saturday of the month at 19:30 & 21:30! This is your chance to bring your own creative vision to life – whether it’s a bold new format, a passion project, a variety show, or a fully polished performance ready for an audience.
You and your team take the reins – host, promote, and run your own show in our cozy, intimate attic theatre. It’s your night, your stage, and your chance to make something unforgettable.
Dream it. Create it. Perform it. In the Attic Theater.
Big Game Comedy is your monthly ticket to an unpredictable comedy experience! Featuring a fresh lineup of sketch comedy, stand-up, character acts, improv, music, and more, each show brings together new performers and writers to create an all-new comedy night. Don’t miss the fun!
Come watch our Boom Chicago Academy students shine in their end-of-session showcase! Each show runs about 90 minutes, packed with laughter, talent, and surprises. Don’t miss it!
Step into the spotlight and explore the world of musical long-form improv in this immersive 5-day intensive! Perfect for performers looking to expand their skills, this workshop focuses on chorus building, dynamic choreography, crafting compelling stage pictures, and singing in style and character.
Led by expert instructors, you’ll learn how to harmonize storytelling with movement, bring songs to life with authentic emotion, and master popular musical improv formats. The intensive wraps up with a vibrant live showcase where you’ll debut your newfound talents.
Find your voice, move with purpose, and create unforgettable musical moments. Spots are limited—secure yours today!
– July 19: Check-in & Mixer
– July 20-23: Intensive Sessions (11:00 AM – 5:00 PM, with a 1-hour lunch break)
– July 24: Rehearsal (2:30 PM – 5:00 PM) and Showcase Performance (6:00 PM)
Dive deep into the art of long-form improv with this dynamic 5-day intensive! Designed for improvisers ready to elevate their craft, this workshop focuses on advanced scenework, sharp editing techniques, discovering and playing the game, and mastering popular long-form formats.
Guided by experienced instructors, you’ll learn how to create compelling scenes, seamlessly transition between moments, and build engaging narratives that captivate an audience. The intensive concludes with a live showcase, giving you the chance to perform your new skills in front of an audience.
Push your boundaries, refine your craft, and unleash your full improv potential. Space is limited—reserve your spot today!
Dive into an intensive, hands-on training experience where you’ll master the core games, learn how to host with confidence, and unlock the secrets of styles and themes that make short-form sing. Across five transformative days, you’ll collaborate, experiment, and stretch your creative muscles – guided by expert coaches who know how to bring out your best.
By the end, you won’t just understand the mechanics of great short-form…you’ll create and perform your very own original show.
Perfect for performers ready to sharpen their craft, push their boundaries, and take the stage with power.
Five days. Infinite fun. Your next big leap starts here.
This advanced intensive is designed for performers who’ve mastered the foundations of long-form and are hungry for deeper challenges. Across this immersive multi-day experience, you’ll push beyond familiar structures, explore a range of sophisticated long-form formats, and discover what truly makes each style tick – from pacing and world-building to group mind and thematic cohesion.
Guided by top-tier instructors, you’ll experiment boldly, break patterns, refine your instincts, and expand your toolkit with formats you’ve only scratched the surface of before. This is not a refresher -it’s a deep dive into the craft of long-form, built to stretch your creativity and transform your performance approach.
If you’re ready to explore, innovate, and grow in ways you didn’t know were possible, this intensive is your next step. Challenge yourself. Elevate your ensemble. Redefine your long-form.
From this page, you can see our available courses.
You can register for classes 4-6 weeks before the next session begins. Our “ON SALE” dates for 2025 are listed on our website. The best way to stay up to date with electives is to follow our Academy instagram page (@boomchicagoacademy).
Yes. Please email Stacey at [email protected] with what class (day/time) you’d like to be on the waitlist for and we will notify you if a spot becomes available.
Our core courses are €300 (classes that run 3 hours for 8 weeks). Our electives, workshops, and intensives vary depending on duration and length.
New students at Boom should begin with ‘Intro to Improv’. If you have previously taken a course at another improv school, you may join us in The 2 Person Scene.
Please email [email protected] for permission to join us in The 2 Person Scene or higher.
Most of our courses are held at Boom Chicago (Rozengracht 117, Amsterdam). Occasionally, due to volume, we hold them offsite at De Hallen (Hannie Dankbaarpassage 47, Amsterdam) and Akademie Vogue (Rozengracht 133, Amsterdam)
Our Advanced Levels (Level 4-6) in both our Long-Form and Short-Form programs will have a class performance. This show takes place at Boom Chicago after completing the final course.
Thuis Party (our House Team) members will have a monthly show at Boom Chicago on Sunday evenings. Auditions for those will be twice a year and you’ll have to be a graduate of our program to audition.
Our courses are taught by individuals who have graduated from the Academy and have a wealth of experience performing in Boom’s unique style. Our trainers are trained and selected to teach the level that best suits their specialist skill set.
Our core curriculum classes are 8-week courses that meet for 3 hours, once a week.
Because all of the teachers at the Boom work in the entertainment industry, their schedules can change at a moment’s notice. It’s for this reason that we do a blind registration. Since all of our teachers have gone through the same rigorous training and are experts at what they do, you are in safe hands with the person we allocate to your class.
In order to encourage Boom’s philosophy of commitment to a group and an ensemble, students are allowed to miss no more than two classes in each 8-week session. (You may make up a class, but make-ups will still count as an absence.) If a student misses more than 2 classes they are required to repeat the level. You can schedule a make-up course with [email protected]
No. To maintain course integrity, we do not allow auditing. Only students who have registered and paid will be allowed to attend. Prospective improv students are encouraged to attend a show at Boom Chicago or join us for a 2 hr Taster class.
You’ll be absolutely fine. In fact, that’s the best way to do it! Regardless of the other participants’ performance or comedy experience, they will share the same nerves on the first day. Don’t worry – your trainer and the rest of the class will have your back!
Boom Chicago reserves the right to hold a student back or move them forward according to ability and need. Feel free to inquire with your trainer before registering for the next level. If you repeat a level, you can do so for 40% off.
Sorry, not at the moment. However, this is something we are looking at.
You can email us at [email protected]
