ORINDA, CALIFORNIA — Most people head to Orinda Theatre Square to catch a movie, grab dinner or meet friends for a drink. But now, there’s another reason to visit the downtown shopping center: learning how to make people laugh.
Lamorinda Improv Theater, known as LIT, has opened a dedicated comedy studio at 2 Orinda Theatre Square, Suite 111, bringing improv classes, comedy workshops and opportunities to perform to the heart of downtown Orinda.
The location is particularly fitting — and a little unusual. Rather than operating out of a conventional theater or performing arts center, the comedy school occupies an empty retail suite in the shopping complex surrounding Orinda’s historic movie theater.
That means aspiring comedians can learn to create spontaneous scenes, while literally standing amongst the shelves, display cases, and cashier stands left over from the former retail tentant!
A Comedy School for People Who Have Never Done Comedy
The school offers instruction in improvisational comedy, a style of performance where participants invent dialogue, characters and entire scenes on the spot rather than following a script.
Classes emphasize collaboration, creativity and thinking on your feet.
According to the Lamorinda Improv Theater website, the school welcomes both newcomers and experienced performers, with programs designed to make improv approachable even for people who have never considered stepping onto a stage.
The organization also emphasizes the benefits of improv beyond comedy, including building confidence, improving communication skills and forming connections with other people.
For adults, the idea is partly about rediscovering something that often disappears after childhood: the opportunity to play, experiment and be silly without worrying about getting everything right.
The school’s classes include opportunities for students to perform in front of friends, family and community members.
The empty retail store environment feels very much like a literal blank slate, which the performers can presumably turn into anything they want.
The big display windows also serve to put the performances on display for anyone passing by–albeit without being able to hear much.
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Founded by an Orinda Mom and Former Attorney
Behind the new studio is Michelle Swaney, an Orinda resident, mother and former attorney with extensive experience performing and teaching improv comedy.
According to her biography, Swaney first discovered improv as a student at Boston College, where she joined the college comedy troupe My Mother’s Fleabag.
She later spent years studying, performing and coaching at Washington Improv Theater, where she became the first two-time champion of its Fighting Improv Smackdown Tournament.
After moving to the Bay Area in 2014, Swaney performed with local comedy groups, including Synergy Theater and Pan Theater.
She has also performed at comedy festivals across the country, including the Chicago Improv Festival and San Francisco Improv Fest.
Today, she teaches children and adults in Lamorinda while continuing to coach an Oakland-based improv team.
The school’s website features testimonials from local residents, including Orinda resident Ari Hatton, who described Swaney’s classes as feeling like “recess for grown ups.”
Classes and Comedy Nights Are Already Underway
The new studio has a schedule of classes and events for adults, alongside the organization’s work with younger performers.
Among the upcoming offerings listed on the school’s website are:
- LIT Up Improv: A four-session Thursday evening course running November 12 through December 10, priced at $150.
- LIT Lab: Scenework: A four-session Wednesday course focused on creating stronger improvised scenes, beginning November 18, also priced at $150.
- LIT & Laughing Improv Jam: An adults-only comedy gathering scheduled for Friday, November 13, at 7 p.m., priced at $20.
Lamorinda Improv Theater is located at 2 Orinda Theatre Square, Suite 111, Orinda.
For upcoming classes, schedules and registration, visit litimprov.com.
