Niagara's Home for Improv Comedy
Improv Niagara’s “Improv 2: Story & Character” class builds on the basics learned in Improv 1 and leans into character development and story creation, giving your improv games and scenes a wider variety of characters and more fun and interesting places to go!
Join us for Improv Niagara’s Improv Jam Night. Come give improv a try!
Open to all levels of experience! We warmly welcome individuals at any stage of their journey. Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience under your belt, this opportunity is for you. Embrace the excitement of learning and growing, as we believe that every level of experience brings unique perspectives and valuable contributions. Come join the fun and unlock your potential!
Tips: Dress comfortably (we’ll be moving around quite a bit) & bring a bottle of water.
REMINDER! Don’t forget to bring your indoor shoes.
Join us for Improv Niagara’s Improv Jam Night. Come give improv a try!
Open to all levels of experience! We warmly welcome individuals at any stage of their journey. Whether you are just starting out or have years of experience under your belt, this opportunity is for you. Embrace the excitement of learning and growing, as we believe that every level of experience brings unique perspectives and valuable contributions. Come join the fun and unlock your potential!
REMINDER! Don’t forget to bring your indoor shoes.
Get ready to celebrate 6 years of laughter, creativity, and unforgettable moments with Improv Fallout at our epic anniversary bash!
Welcome to Improv Fallout’s 6th Anniversary Bash! Join for a night of laughter and celebration at Mahtay Café & Lounge. Get ready for hilarious improv, special guest appearances, and plenty of surprises AND prizes. It’s going to be a night to remember, so mark your calendars and bring your friends along! Let’s make this anniversary bash unforgettable. See you there!
Welcome to the Women’s Day Eve Comedy Show happening at the Niagara Artists Centre on Thu Mar 7, 2024 at 8:00 PM! Get ready for a night of laughter and fun as the hilarious and talented women of Improv Niagara take the stage and leave you in stitches.
Grab your best gals and get ready to giggle. It’s Women’s Day Eve with Improv Niagara.
Join us for a night of laughter and love at Improv Fallout: Cupid’s Revenge! Get ready to witness hilarious and unpredictable improvisational comedy that will leave you in stitches. This in-person event will take place at Mahtay Café & Lounge on Sat Feb 24, 2024 at 8PM.
Prepare to be entertained by talented comedians who will create side-splitting scenes and sketches on the spot, based on audience suggestions. No script, no rehearsals, just pure unadulterated fun! So grab your friends, family, or that special someone, and come enjoy an evening of laughter and good vibes.
Located at Mahtay Café & Lounge, this cozy venue provides the perfect atmosphere for a night of comedy. Sit back, relax, and let our talented performers take you on a hilarious journey. With its warm ambiance and delicious refreshments, Mahtay Café & Lounge ensures you’ll have a fantastic time.
Don’t miss out on this unforgettable event! Mark your calendars and get ready to laugh until your cheeks hurt. Whether you’re a comedy enthusiast or just looking for a fun night out, Improv Fallout: Cupid’s Revenge! guarantees an evening filled with laughter, joy, and plenty of surprises.
It’s time! Finally. Celebrate the holidays! Enjoy friends, drinks and live comedy. And rejoice. Spend time with your pals at Improv Niagara!
So, come on out! Have fun. It’s the “Improv Fallout End of Year Bash!”
Don’t miss out.
Evie Jones recounts her recent experience representing Improv Niagara at DSBN’s Fall Professional Development Day. Teachers, take note!
Many years ago I had the pleasure of meeting a soft, kind, talented man by the name of Jack Wieler. Jack is an actor in St. Catharines, and during my youth, my mother was making lots of independent theatre in our town. She would often bring me to rehearsals and I would get to watch from the distance, with my young, fresh, impressionable child’s mind. One of her colleagues was Jack. They would put on shows together at the old NAC- you know when it was on Bond Street before our friends from Liberty Bikes arrived on the scene. It was through these in-and-out rehearsal halls that I would come to formulate my dreams, by watching people with talent, dedication and a love for the Arts.
Jack is now the Secondary Consultant for the Arts in Education programs with the District School Board of Niagara. He helps to generate social momentum surrounding arts and culture in our city and within our educational system. He works with high school students and educators.
Much of what we do with Improv Niagara- other than performing our monthly “Improv Fallout” each month at Mahtay- and building a lively, fun and interactive comedy presence in Niagara- is outreach to the community. We reach out to groups such as seniors, youth groups, people struggling with anxiety- etc. We do this because improv offers wide variety of activities and games that help relieve stress, build self-confidence, and support team building!
It only made sense to have an afternoon coffee with Mr. Weiler to discuss how Improv Niagara could bring our skills, knowledge and expertise to our local high school teachers.
Each year the District School Board of Niagara hosts a few Professional Development Days. Their purpose is to facilitate new and innovative ways of teaching for educators to bring into their classrooms and help guide their students through their learning journeys. Myself and Brie, Head Instructor and Owner of Improv Niagara had the pleasure of being able to offer what we do in a workshop setting. Teachers participated in games, discussed some improv theory and focused on some basic themes that cover how improv supports learning.
It was an awesome experience for all. We learned so much! We learned that high school students struggle with self-confidence and that can sometimes make or break their openness to a learning environment. It can prevent their cognitive processes and hinder them from getting a full experience of a lesson. We showed teachers how improv can relieve some those issues. Improv is designed to generate “messing up.” It is designed to allow participants to “let go” and have fun. Once those two goals are accomplished, the sky’s the limit!
It was a great opportunity for me to reconnect with Jack. He has inspired me over the years, and now I got to bring something that I am practicing in my own artistic life to the table. Brie and I had a fantastic experience holding such a unique, important workshop. Repping IMPROV NIAGARA in the community is a great feeling, and we hope to keep connecting with Educators and students alike. Let’s keep up that social momentum surrounding arts in St. Catharines and beyond!
– Genevieve (Evie) Jones
Actor, Director, Playwright
Cast Member at Improv Niagara
Improv Niagara recently held a Variety Comedy Show in St. Catharines. We wanted to challenge our comedic abilities and present a show completely different from the improv shows we normally perform. Our newest member Pat shared the following about his experience branching out into the word of musical comedy:
I’ve been a super fan of Improv Niagara since their very first show at Mahtay Café. I’ve attended improv shows in Chicago, New York City and Toronto. And I love shows like ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ It became very clear to me how quick, versatile and in-tune one had to be to ‘play’ in the big leagues.
I wanted to play in the big leagues.
I was lucky enough to study improv at The Second City Training Centre in Toronto, but driving two hours around the lake was becoming less and less of an option for me. Along came Improv Niagara; led by amazing improv and theatre professionals, they’ve added to the heartbeat of downtown St. Catharines. I watched as they found their rhythm, grew their skills and packed the house!
I wanted to get involved. Just over a year after seeing their first show, I was finally in a place where I could participate in my first show with Improv Niagara. And it wasn’t even Improv! It was a Variety Comedy Show!
Watching the gang perform improv over the year, I thought I knew what they were capable of. But gee golly, was I wrong! Every single person left their comfort zone at the door and took a chance doing something spectacular! Collectively, we had acts ranging from stand-up to sketch comedy and even interpretive dance!
I chose to combine my love of music and a few accents and performed a Christmas song I used to hear when I “lived above a hostel.”
It was a great and eye opening night, one of many I’m looking forward to sharing with my new peers at Improv Niagara.
Patrick Gagliardi, Improv Niagara’s Newest Cast Member
Don’t miss Pat in our upcoming Holiday Edition of Improv Fallout, actually performing improv this time, on Friday December 27th 2019 at 8pm.