UPCOMING CLASSES  AND WORKSHOPS

The Siren Theater is committed to offering classes in all things comedy taught by performing professionals!

Classes will take place in person at the BRAND NEW SIREN THEATER 
​ 3913 N. Mississippi Ave

Classes are for those 18+

STAND UP COMEDY  WITH
​ARLO WEIERHAUSER

PEOPLE LOVE TAKING CLASSES FROM ARLO WEIERHAUSER!
Arlo Weierhauser has been teaching at The Siren since March 2023 and they have been thrilling audiences with  their signature brand of stand up comedy for over 10 years. You've seen them on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, in Disney's Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (2020), and Women Who Kill (2019). Arlo was dubbed Portland's Funniest Person in 2017 and is one of the founding members of legendary queer stand up collective Lez Stand Up. Festivals where they've performed include Treefort, Bridgetown Comedy Fest, and High Plains! 

 LEVEL 1  STAND UP COMEDY

SUNDAYS
NOVEMBER 5-DECEMBER 10
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

$275 EARLY BIRD THROUGH OCTOBER 29 !
​$300 AFTER THAT! 

Level 1 
This is a 6 week course that covers: 
1) The basics of stand up comedy as a whole 
2) The joke writing process, broken down to three major writing principles 
3) Performance mechanics and practice every week 
4) Notes and feedback (but just from me, I don't encourage level one performers to give each other feedback)
You'll perform/present something every week and will be assigned homework with practice. Class will end with a show on December 17 at The Siren Theater!
You can come to class with some experience or none at all and get plenty of feedback over the 6  weeks!

REGISTER HERE

Interested in taking a comedy class that we are not offering currently? Complete the form below and we will let you know when we have a class coming up that may appeal to your interest!

PAST CLASSES AT THE SIREN THEATER



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BEGINNING IMPROV COMEDY WITH
​NICHOLAS KESSLER
TUESDAYS
MARCH 7-APRIL 18

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Whether your goal is to perform or not, these classes teach you  valuable skills that apply to every area of life, like 

Listening
Accepting
Building
Getting out of your head
Triggering creativity
Reducing self  judgment

Learn the basic skills of improv comedy and scene  work in a fun and supportive environment, from a skilled an experienced instructor!

SUMMER 2022
SUMMER
​SPRITZER IMPROV SERIES
with
​NICHOLAS KESSLER

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An entry- level improv class focused on introducing you to the art of improv comedy, and making you shine through! This refreshing summer series is bursting with helpful skills to make every improv scene pop. A light-hearted approach to finding the sweet spot on stage, and squeezing every last drop from your scenes. Upbeat, energetic and overflowing with fun.

SUMMER 2022
​IMPROV FOR SKETCH COMEDY WRITING
WITH SKETCH COMEDY DUO BRUNCH!

Kerri Donaldson and Allie Entwistle are Brunch: an award-winning comedy duo from Vancouver, BC. Brought to you by two women raised on Mary Kate & Ashley movies and Celine Dion’s greatest hits, Brunch promises to tell you that you’re not the Miranda of your friend group. Allie and Kerri are both on faculty at Blind Tiger Comedy and perform monthly at Little Mountain Gallery. They have performed at the All Jane Comedy Festival, Montreal SketchFest, the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Just For Laughs NorthWest & Edmonton’s Improvaganza, to name a few. Simply need to hear their voices? Check out their podcast, When Kerri Met Allie where they grapple with their love/hate, hate/love relationships with Rom Coms


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SPRING 2022
​ADVANCED SKETCH COMEDY 
WITH
​SERGIO CILLI

Sergio Cilli is an Emmy award winning writer, director and actor. He has been writing and performing sketch comedy for over 15 years in Los Angeles at the Upright Citizen's Brigade until moving with his wife and kids to Portland in 2019. He’s written and directed multiple original web series for Comedy Central including the digital content for KEY AND PEELE. He’s written for MTV, PBS, and COMEDY CENTRAL. As a performer, he’s appeared on NEW GIRL, CALIFORNICATION, MARRIED, FRESH OFF THE BOAT, HAPPY ENDINGS, TOSH.0, MARON and NEWSREADERS. His videos online have received millions of views and has been involved in over 50 live shows as a writer/director/actor. He's also a really nice guy. 

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SUMMER 2016-2020

THE SWEATHOGS
SUMMER SKETCH COMEDY INTENSIVE
with SHELLEY MCLENDON

Once a year for 5 years, Siren Theater owner and artistic director, Shelley McLendon, facilitated a sketch comedy writing and performance intensive at The Siren called THE SWEATHOGS. Students were required to apply and be accepted into the program- committing to work their ass off of 8 weeks of writing, rewriting, and rehearsing culminating in a fully produced show at The Siren Theater (except for 2020 when a live show was not possible- the students filmed and edited all of their sketches!)

Check out the gorgeous alumni...

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FALL 2019
SKETCH COMEDY INTENSIVE
with TED DOUGLASS

Regular performer at The Siren and local celebrity Ted Douglass taught an 8 week sketch comedy writing and performing intensive at The Siren in Fall, 2019 called The Other Ones. Students had to apply to get in, and the classes ended in a fully produced show at The Siren Theater! 
Ted has been writing, performing and producing sketch comedy for 20+ years, and was a founding member of critically acclaimed sketch troupe The 3rd Floor. He was also a part of the popular radio trio Daria, Mitch and Ted.

FEBRUARY 2018
​IMPROV TEACHING RESIDENCY with

The Siren Theater was THRILLED to host its second month-long improv teaching residency with this amazing improviser.
An Amsterdam-based teacher and performer in the fields of improvisation, theatre, dance and communication skills,   part of 5 Dutch improvisation groups performing theatresports, longform, and impro for children. An experienced improv performer and founding member of the Ohana project.
She has been teaching for 14 years, including 9 years in her own theatre school, with a background in theatre, dance and Business Administration.

Laura taught 3 weekly classes offered throughout February, 2018 and one weekend, two-day intensive, which culminated in a show at The Siren Theater.

IMPROV WORKSHOPS WITH JAIME MOYER

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Ms. Moyer has gifted The Siren Theater twice with improv workshops in winter 2015 & 2017. Ms. Moyer has been seen on Modern Family, Parks & Rec, 2 Broke Girls and performs weekly at IO West and Second City Hollywood. She is an alum of Second City Detroit. Locally, Ms. Moyer performed in Portland Center Stage's Twist Your Dickens.

IMPROV WORKSHOPS WITH TORONTO'S BLOODY MARYS, SUMMER 2017

The Bloody Marys' Leigh and Kirsten wowed Portland with their appearance at The Stumptown Improv Fest, so we were THRILLED when they agreed to teach two workshops on STAYING WEIRD and SO MANY CHARACTERS! Both workshops sold out so we hope they will return soon!

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JANUARY 2017- IMPROV TEACHING RESIDENCY WITH RACHEL ROSENTHAL
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Rachel taught classes in improv comedy for an entire month. Rachel is known for being in New York based the hip hop improv troupe North Coast.

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