The Brody Theater not only hosts an improv comedy night, High Five, every Friday night at 7 p.m. but they also teach comedy classes for those interested in being a part of their school.
Founded 20 years ago, the Brody Theater is both an entertainment spot—where they host shows seven nights a week, including High Five—and a place for learning.
The Brody Theater School hosts five levels of classes. The first is the entry level, fundamentals of improvisation; the cofounder of the Brody, Kerry Leek, asks everyone who wants to attend to start at this level.
“We ask that everyone starts at level one, and if they’ve had extensive experience and they’ve taken classes before, then we can talk and maybe move them to level two to start,” Leek said. “But everyone starts at level one.”
Level two, intermediate, is a two-class structure: scene work and ensemble. Level three is also a two-class structure, teaching students about scene work and long-form improvisation. Level four is advanced improvisation; level five is advanced performance.
“We have people in classes for all different reasons,” Leek said. “Because they want to meet people, because they want to get out of their shell, because they want to be on SNL someday, because their boss made them, because they are super shy and have really bad anxiety. So it’s a really mixed bag of ages and experiences. It’s really fun!”
High Five casts five members from their ensemble, each show with a different set of five. The ensemble consists of 29 to 30 Brody students who have been invited by the Brody family.
Sophya Vidal, house manager of Brody Theater, explained that the High Five show is composed of two separate entertainments.
“Friday nights are a split show,” Vidal said. “First showing improv and second stand-up.”
After improv, which ends around 9 p.m., the stand-up shows consist of another five or six students, performing one after another, entertaining the crowd.
Tickets for High Five are available for $12 or under. A full list of shows at the Brody Theater can be found online.
