Improv Birthday Party: How It Works, What It Costs & How to Plan One
Updated: 6 days ago
Every once in a while, someone reaches out to me about organizing an improv birthday party. I've found these events can be incredibly fun and rewarding, both for the instructor leading them and the birthday revelers taking part.
So I wanted to put together a comprehensive guide to improv birthday parties: what they are, how do they work, how many people you need, what they cost, what games you'll play, what to wear and just about everything else you might want to know before planning one.
What is an improv birthday party? Is it a class or a show?
OK so to start, what is an improv birthday party, is it a class? Is it a show? Is it both?
It can be either, but more often than not it is a class where participants play classic improv comedy games that are sure to get everyone laughing and interacting with each other. There are variations that include a performance and I’ll cover those later in this post, but my recommendation for a birthday party is a class format. That's because our birthday classes are a really fun, low pressure experience that are highly interactive and social, which I think is what you’re looking for when you’re putting a party together.
How many people do you need for an improv birthday party?
In terms of party size, ideally you would have a group somewhere between six to sixteen individuals. You can fudge the upper limits of this a little bit, maybe up to twenty or twenty-one, but more than that becomes a little unmanageable for a class. For the best experience, you would cap it at sixteen individuals.
On the lower end, less than six can become tedious for participants because they never get a chance to take a break from all the games. We have successfully provided parties for groups as small as four individuals, but I wouldn't recommend it.
How long should an improv birthday party last?
I’ve organized improv birthday parties that last from as long as three hours to as short as just one hour, but my recommendation is a ninety minute improv class. That gives you enough time to play a number of really fun improv games without going on so long that participants get burnt out. And you can keep the duration a little flexible if you want, plan for a class that lasts ninety to one hundred and twenty minutes and then the instructor can make a call as to when it should end based on how people are feeling in the moment.
What ages are improv birthday parties good for?
Improv birthday parties work equally well for adult groups or kids. I’d say you don’t want to go younger than fifth grade, but fifth, sixth graders, and up all do really well with improv. Junior high and high school age students are perfect ages fopr improv birthday parties since they are naturally irreverent and love to laugh.
Quick note, we will make sure that while your kid's improv birthday party is bonkers fun, it doesn't drift into any inappropriate topics or language. You give us a movie rating (probably PG or PG-13) and we'll match content to that.
Are improv birthday parties fun for adults?
Adult parties are particularly fun, because it is often a very unique experience for them. Improv invites participants to enter into a state of play most of us left behind in our childhood. For adults, the reintroduction of this way of interacting is often profoundly fun and perfect for a birthday celebration between friends.
Where can you hold an improv birthday party?
You want to hold your Improv birthday party in a room that is large enough to create a circle of chairs, one for every party goer with nothing in the center. This room should be private so that everyone feels comfortable taking risks, and also free of tripping or head banging hazards so that everyone is safe. If your home or party venue (restaurants, hotels, community centers and the like are all fine) has a room like this, great we can send an instructor to hold the party there.
If you don’t have a suitable space, no problem. It is easy enough for us to arrange a space for the party to happen in that is conveniently close to where you are coming from. In cities with thriving arts communities like New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, or DC we rent professional rehearsal studios. In less entertainment heavy regions we often use dance or yoga studios to hold improv birthday classes in.
How much space do you need?
You can cheat a little on the circle of chairs. That's an ideal not a requirement. Rooms with couches and coffee tables that can be pushed back a little will work.
Can you have food and drinks?
Having food and drink at your venue or ours is typically fine, we don't cater though and you would have to arrange for setup and clean up.
Do you have to be funny to do improv?
You do not need to be funny, or an actor to have a ton of fun in an improv class. The art of improv was designed to be for the every day person. This blog post covers this idea in a bit more depth.
What if someone is shy or doesn't want to participate?
A good improv instructor isn't going to drag a reluctant participant onto an imaginary stage and demand that they "be funny." We start with easy, low-pressure group games in which nobody is singled out. If someone would still rather watch, that's completely fine. In my experience, though, people who initially sit out often end up joining once they see how silly and low-stakes the games actually are.
What should I look for in an improv birthday party instructor?
Teaching beginners is different than teaching experienced comedians. You want your instructors to have yearts of experience teaching intro level classes at a respected improv theater. Fortunately The Radical Agreement Project works a wide network of exactly those types of instructors, thanks our thriving national corporate training and team building business. Believe it or not, as funny as some of the things you hear coming out of coirporate America are, the people who work there are not experienced comedians. That's why our instructors have honed their ability to successfully lead first time improvisers in classes similar to an improv birthdayt party.
What improv games do you play at a birthday party?
The games themselves are played in collaboration with the group, without putting people on the spot to perform by themselves. This isn’t karaoke or stand up, it is an ensemble based art.
To give you an idea of what actually happens in an improv birthday party here’s a quick list of games that your instructor is likely to lead you in. The hyperlinks bring you to facilitator guides that describe the games and how they are played.
What does a sample improv birthday party look like?
Here's a quick itinerary for an improv Birthday Party:
0 to10 minutes:
Introductions
10 to 30 minutes:
Whole group warm up games
30 to 60 minutes:
Improv games played in a large group that introduce concepts like Yes And, Treat Your Teammates Like Poets & Geniuses and Remember, Don't Invent
60 to 80 minutes:
Bigger scene-based games
80 to 90 minutes:
A final group game that feels like a SNL sketch and wrap-up
What do you wear to an improv birthday party?
One other prep note, be sure to tell your guests to wear clothes they feel comfortable moving in that aren't heirlooms. Some people are extremely sure footed in high heels, I don't understand it, but I can't deny what I've seen with my own eyes. That said, if you are like me, new balance sneakers are probably a better choice.
Also, improv classes never require you to get down on the floor and roll around, but sometimes they do inspire that behavior. For that reason, guests should wear clothes they wouldn't mind a little wear and tear on. So not their Loro Piana vicuña sweater, please.
How much does an improv birthday party cost?
Pricing for an Improv birthday party is pretty affordable. We charge a minimum of $250 or $30 a participant, whichever is higher. If you need us to provide the space you will want to budget another $100 to $150 for space rental. Maybe as much as $200 for the space rental, if you want a three hour class.
To be clear, here is a little price list:
8 people → $250 (Since 8 x $30 is $240, you pay the minimum)
10 people → $300
16 people → $480
Space rental → typically an additional $100–$150.
Can you have an improv birthday party anywhere in the US?
We make parties like these available anywhere in the United States, but are particularly active in Asbury Park, NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, DC, Atlanta, Denver, Raleigh, Charlotte, Columbus, Orlando, Miami, Nashville, Austin, St Louis, San Diego, Los Angeles, Virginia Beach, Richmond, Trenton, San Francisco, Chicago and Minneapolis.
Can we put on an improv show after the class?
If you’re looking for your partygoers not just to play improv games but also perform them, a fun option is to hold a class and then a quick show just afterwards. For the show you invite family and friends to come watch the people who just took the class give a quick performance. It costs an additional $500 for this option and you want to schedule the party to last an additional hour to make space for the show.
Can we hire professional improvisers to perform instead?
If you want a live performance by professionals, we can arrange to have four hilarious comedians perform a hilarious, highly interactive, fifty to sixty minute show for $2,500. The only technical requirements are that the performers be able to be easily seen and heard, and again we can provide a suitable space if you don’t have one. Rental spaces suitable for a performance might cost a bit more though.
Can the party be customized for the birthday person?
Yes.
How far in advance should you book?
You will make my life much easier if you give us at least a month's notice, but speaking honestly, we only need a week.
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