Since 2009, we’ve worked with thousands of human beings to help them learn to perform improv comedy, develop confidence in the spotlight, become better listeners, and enjoy being in the moment.
The third class is fun!
Soon enough, you start seeing yourself and the world in a new way.
We’ve been through that transformation, too.
Improv teaches you to adapt to change, transform pain into gold, and become more of your best self. To be fair, there’s a lot of laughing and making friends and having fun. But when you learn to improvise, you just have to deal with that.
Ben Taxy, a writer (Family Guy), founds Santa Fe Improv based on his experience learning from Jeff Michalski and Jane Morris (founders of Second City ETC, Fanatic Salon), Stan Wells (founder of The Empty Stage), Andy Goldberg (author of Improv Comedy), and Judy Carter (founder of Comedy Workshops and author of The Comedy Bible). Ben has help from Maddi Knox, Brian Crane, Ruby Peru, Charles Gamble, Kate Chavez, and Robin Holloway.
Ben moves out of New Mexico, and Santa Fe Improv becomes a nonprofit entity under the guidance of Kity Mehaffy and later John Cullinan.
Eric Weiss, a former SFI student who became a mainstage player and teacher at The Box in Albuquerque, becomes Artistic Director. SFI takes a commercial lease and builds an exciting theater space on Parkway Drive.
Eric founds Improv4Schools™, a cutting-edge educational initiative that uses improv to help teens develop communication skills and executive presence. Soon, the program is in three Santa Fe schools: Capital High, ATC, and Mandela International Magnet.
SFI receives grants from Future Focused Education, the City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture, Century Bank, and the Santa Fe Community Foundation. Improv4Schools begins work with Española High School. The program is so successful the students attend a conference with the NM Legislature and lead legislators in improv games.