406F Fall 2026 Fun and Games: The Fundamentals of Improvisational Theater

Do you like to laugh? Do you enjoy connecting with supportive people? Do you cherish moments of joy? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then this class is for you! We'll gather in a safe, encouraging, and supportive environment to play and explore. Using our imaginations, we'll create fun worlds, collaborative stories, and an overall sense of connected joy. Students will participate in various games, activities, and exercises that involve working together, listening to each other, making choices, using imaginations, discovering that mistakes can be gifts, and most importantly, having fun. Students will develop trust not just in themselves but in each other. Everyone is welcome—no prior improv or theater experience is needed, and you don’t even need to be funny. Just bring yourself; you are enough!

Steve Pilloff, a professor with GMU's Costello College of Business, is a dedicated improv teacher, producer, and performer. He has taught improv classes for Highwire Improv, the Pozez JCC, OLLI, and Encore Learning. He frequently performs in and produces shows throughout the D.C./Baltimore area.