The Improv Trick

Pasadena, United States

5

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 323-359-8588
Website:
www.theimprovtrick.com
Address:
72 North 72 N Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA, 91101
Pasadena
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.4 miMemorial Park
0.5 miDel Mar
0.7 miMetro;Metro;Pasadena ARTS
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Parking
Private Lot
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Noise Level
Loud
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
No
Happy Hour
No
Best Nights
Tue, Sat, Sun
Coat Check
No
Smoking
Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Has TV
Yes

Today

Today –
Local time (Pasadena) 20:44 Saturday, 31 May 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

Enter Improv Trick, and you’ll become part of a community that plays together and gains strength and experience in improv. If you’re just starting out, Improv Trick is the best place to learn the FUNdamentals.

Experienced improvisers gain more specific skills and meet new friends and a support group of talented and fun professionals.

We stay connected on MeetUp​.com, so please join the conversation and be sure to know about the next free class. Our group on MeetUp is called: Improv Trick Discounts for Improv Classes and Shows

History

Established in 2005.

Have you always wanted to learn improv? Intimidated by big schools full of actors just trying to «get ahead»?

Bill Chott founded the Improv Trick to give beginners a supportive place to grow and provide a competition-​free environment for professional actors.

We’re a small supportive community that’s a BIG part of the rest of the improv world. Theaters like The Second City, iO West, The Groundlings and more ALL have students from Improv Trick in their ranks.

We’re improv’s best-​kept secret.

Meet the Business Owner

Bill C.

Business Owner

Bill Chott is the founder of The Improv Trick. He voices cartoons on Saturday Night Live and starred as «Thomas» in the Top Ten Farelly Bros. film The Ringer. Kids know him as «Mr. Laritate» on Disney’s Wizards of Waverly Place.

He has been teaching improv for over 20 years and is an alumnus of The Second City, iO, and Comedy Sportz.

The Improv Trick also recommends

72 North — CLOSED

78

reviews

Sportbars

,

Amerikaans (traditioneel)

Bill C. says,

«We’ve been celebrating here after weekly improv shows for 2 years. The food is affordable and the drinks are generous. Great location in Old Town.»

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20 reviews of The Improv Trick

No registration required
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
Bill is awesome! If you want to laugh and have a good time then what are you waiting for go see a show or take a class or both!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
In the long history of the art of improvisational comedy there are few that match the skill, creativity and humor of Bill Chott. I was fortunate enough to work with Bill on stage many years ago. He was constantly creating outlandish characters, using very smart humor, and really knew how to work an audience. The fact that Bill is willing to share his knowledge with others is astounding. If you were interested in improv and want to learn from the master you absolutely want to sign up for a course with Bill. Not only will you learn how to craft an improvisational scene on stage, you will be taken through the process, step-​by-​step, of developing yourself as a world-​class improvisational artist. This training is not only valuable for those who want to get involved in entertainment, but just as valuable for people looking to become better at public speaking, better at being a sales person or just want to feel more confident in the world. You’d be wise to work will Bill at The Improv Trick. He’s a great teacher and a makes his classes a ton of fun.
Place rating: 5
Chino Hills, CA
Bill is a good teacher and friend and mentor. I miss this place.
Place rating: 5
Scottsdale, AZ
Fantastic class for all levels of experience. Bill has really created this safe space for learning and growth! Thank you for helping me get some of my confidence back in making people laugh!
Place rating: 5
Pasadena, CA
First off, teacher Bill Chott is amazing.
I wanted to take an improv comedy class because I’ve always admired improv comedians, so smart and talented! It was also on my bucket list soooo… I found the Improv Trick. I was nervous like so many others, scared to be on stage, afraid of looking stupid instead of funny, etc.
The amazing thing about Bill Chott is that he’s encouraging, supportive, and he guides you into the improv world in a fun way. No pressure! There is no pressure to be funny, no pressure to be wildly entertaining, in fact, he says, «Don’t try to be funny. It will happen naturally.» And it does! We play games and do exercises together, the «mistakes» (which there aren’t any in his class) are usually the funniest parts of improv. Therefore, the journey of learning improv becomes more like a game. But of course, you’re learning how to successfully improv at the same time.
Bill gives you suggestions and will alert you when things can be done to improve in a positive way. To put it in a nutshell, the class was fun, encouraging, and I learned a lot about improv. Try it, I think you’ll love it!
Place rating: 5
Greenville, IL
Everybody has some funny in them and The Improv Trick is there to help you find it. Bill Chott is such a warm and encouraging leader, and an expert in the world of improv. I can’t wait to take more!
Place rating: 5
Manhasset, NY
I went to a jam hosted by The Improv Trick last year — completely on a whim — and found myself going back every week. Take a class! It’ll be one of the best improv moves you’ll ever make!
Place rating: 5
ENCINO, CA
By far the best place in Pasadena to learn improv. Great teacher, atmosphere and people. If you want to have fun, change your life, and meet great people take improv classes here with Bill Chott. Thanks Bill
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Bill is a wonderful and supportive instructor. His classes are super fun. AND he’s not only a comedy teacher, but works as a comedic actor on television. Improv class is a great way to have fun while developing wonderful skills that help in everyday life. I recommend checking out The Improv Trick… right now!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
Believe me when I tell you that I am the last person who would ever try improv. I finally dragged myself — and my husband — into Bill’s class as a way to deal with my stage fright and to learn how to loosen up and have fun. What I didn’t expect was just how MUCH fun I would have in the very first class and how completely safe I would feel. Bill Chott, instructor and owner of the Improv Trick is a phenomenal teacher. He knows exactly how to engage beginners, create a safe and exciting environment, and remove all the barriers to good improv — namely our internal judges. I was also delighted to discover that many of the key improv principles apply wonderfully to life outside of class. «Bring a brick, not a cathedral» is one of Bill’s favorite improv axioms, and I find it so useful when approaching daunting life tasks. Awesome! I am totally hooked!
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
You’d be stupid not to sign up for Bill Chott’s Improv Classes. Not only can his prices NOT BE BEAT but… He is a pro at what he does and has worked with the BEST OF THE BEST… I don’t like to name drop… AHEM… Tina Fey… But Bill deserves credit where credit is due!
Check out his IMDB… It speaks volumes for what a great teacher and improv mentor Bill is!
Place rating: 5
Saint Louis, MO
I met Bill Chott when he started the Improv Trick in St. Louis and he is an awesome teacher. He was trained by the father of modern Improv, Del Close, so when you work with him you’re learning the principles and techniques that have served many famous Improv artists over the years. Studying Improv is a great experience not just for actors or comedians but for anyone who has to speak in public or in front of a camera on a semi regular basis.
Place rating: 5
Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, CA
An amazing group. The improv 101 lifetime class is a steal, and you can repeat the course as often as you like until you are comfortable moving on. What makes the improv trick more attractive than the UCB– the endless other competition out there– the class is truly designed for ANYONE. Also, Bill Chott is a nice guy who genuinely cares for students. A caring personality in this business is such an outlier too! In addition, the class is only $ 125 dollars? To put that in perspective, the eight class session I considered at UCB cost over three times more than that!
Oh, and you get to attend the FREE sauce shows as well! You can also take the lifetime class in Pasadena concurrently with the Hollywood class.
Place rating: 5
Boca Raton, FL
The Improv Trick is not just offering Improv classes but building a community of Improvisers under the tutelage of IT Director Bill Chott. Bill is a seasoned acting veteran with a passion for Improv as well as an understanding of the needs of the marketplace. Bill also happens to be building an impressive resume himself on both the small and large screen adding to his expertise and knowledge of what the industry is looking for with regard to Improv. Most importantly IT classes provide a safe, supportive Improv environment to work in. You don’t even have to be an actor to enjoy the benefits of the Lifetime class! I’ve heard non-​actors mention it does wonders to relieve stress and it’s been proven that Improv can even help with sales and public speaking.
Improv Trick classes are unique in that once taken can be repeated at no cost over and over for as long as the class is offered. Besides being a substantial value for the money, repeating classes at IT gives the Improviser, whether beginning or seasoned, an opportunity to workout on a regular basis in a supportive atmosphere. I highly recommend IT classes as an introduction into the craft of Improv, as a supplement to classes elsewhere or as a comfortable environment to workout on a regular basis. Having been an Improv Trick student myself I’m writing this review from the viewpoint of someone who’s been in the trenches. Hope your experience with the trick is as enjoyable as mine sure has been. He ought to just rename the Lifetime Class «Laugh Therapy 101»!
Place rating: 5
Seattle, WA
I stumbled on Improv Trick through Meetup and am so glad I did. I’m new to improv and LOVE this class. It’s as fun, engaging and valuable for newbies like me as it is for professionals. And that’s all because of Bill Chott.
Bill is a master of his craft. His passion for the work and his commitment to his students is obvious and infectious. He knowingly and compassionately coaches us on tools that work both on stage and in life. I’ve learned so much in my last 3 weeks; not just about Improv «tricks», but about active listening, being fully present in the moment, storytelling, and subtext. These valuable skills extend beyond the stage and into life. I am proud to be a Lifetime Member and look forward to many more classes to come.
If you sign up, I guarantee you’ll love it too. I don’t think a better school exists in LA or anywhere.
Thank you Bill!
Place rating: 5
West Hills, Los Angeles, CA
I thought this was a very good deal since I did Groundlings years ago and they charge a leg. Then when I went there Bill said I was a member for life with this deal and could come all the time. Huh? For life? I couldn’t really wrap my mind around that. Who does that? what’s his angle? was going through my brain. I later discovered Bill is just an amazing guy that loves doing improv and teaching people improv. In Los Angeles that’s like finding a Unicorn and him leading you to a barn filled with other unicorns… I’m not sure where I was going with that.
Join Improv trick it’s great fun!
Place rating: 5
Burbank, CA
I’m marking this, «As good as it gets!» because it is. Bill recently won the INNY Award for best improv coach in the nation, and it shows. If you have any question at all about improv, comedy, stand-​up, writing, children’s television, or whatever you can think of then he will answer it as best as he can — which is typically really well.
The Improv Trick is the best deal you can get in improv monetarily. I paid for one class in St. Louis in 2007, and since then I’ve been a part of the community. Not only that, but whenever I would be off doing things in my career, Bill would check in on me to congratulate me — even if it had been months since I had seen him or checked in with him. The community surrounding Improv Trick is warm and supportive, and you will make friends that last for years here. Take it from me.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
The Improv Trick is one of the best improv schools I’ve ever seen, and an insanely good value. Bill Chott is one of the most dedicated improv coaches in the nation, and so very much wants to make improv accessible to everyone. The lifetime class offer is unlike any other improv school I’ve seen (and I’ve seen quite a few). Being able to take a class as many times as you’d like is fantastic, and completely unheard of in many improv circles. Believe me, if you want to do improv, this is a deal you should absolutely have.
And the community surrounding IT is superb. These are fantastic people who genuinely care about one another. Their dedication to bettering each other as well as themselves is a genuine delight, and that’s a quality that’s not always present in the other schools. This a truly a place where we succeed together.
Bill Chott and the Improv Trick are great, and I can’t recommend them enough, whether you’re a beginner looking to start or a veteran looking for a community. Bill is a true pro, having been in the improv scene for over 20 years, and a part of some of the greatest improv teams in history. Do yourself a favor, and check out the Improv Trick.
Place rating: 5
Los Angeles, CA
I started taking classes with Bill Chott in St. Louis about 5 years ago. This is where I got my beginnings! AWESOME! I’m a former lifetime student of IT and moved to LA to pursue my acting career. With that, I began teaching with IT here in LA, and occasionally return home to teach classes and workshops. What great fun!
Why do I love Improv Trick?
My beginnings. Homey. Comfortable. Valuable. Bill’s 20+ years of improv experience is great for anyone. Beginner or pro. Performer or office manager. I’m a graduate of iO West (formerly improvOlympic West) and currently studying at The Second City Hollywood — you’ll get the same — if not better — training at IT then other training centers in LA. With Bill’s philosophy of training and his remarkable understanding and experience with improv you’ll get the best.
Classes, workshops, and shows are just HALF of the reason why I started and STAYED with ImprovTrick. The other half — community. Plain and simple. Good, CARING people. Everyone gets close, and we form bonds and relationships. Whether we go out for coffee afterwards and talk about «who’s hiring» or go sit on my patio for a BBQ on some random night to play skip-​bo, the Improv Trick community is as strong as the syllabus that binds us.
Should you be around IT, come find me and say hello. You’ll have a fried for life.
Place rating: 5
Pasadena, CA
Fun times on Sundays.
Thanks to groupon I became part of the lifetime membership and can go anytime to a improv class. They offer other classes but I’m not doing this as a career… Just a way to release stress. So I’m good with just the improv classes.
Bill, Neil, Lizzie, and DJ teach the classes. It’s great to see pros leading the class bc they are just naturally funny and good.
I feel like I’ve learned a lot from the classes in terms of how to improv.
Service
They are really helpful and if you want to get to know them, then they meet after the class to grab food at a local place.
Games
Really fun. I’ve taken theater classes before and some games I’ve never played. Different.
Overall, I have the option of going every Sunday to have fun.