Being more than 30min late to class will count as an absence. Students who are continually more than 15min late to class may be asked to repeat the level at the instructor’s discretion. Email your teacher if you are going to be late. A teacher can structure that day’s lessons differently if there are multiple students who won’t be there on time. Also, your teacher and your fellow students will worry about you!
Leaving class 30min early will also count as an absence.
If you must miss a class, please check in with your instructor to see what you missed.
Participation in the student showcase is not a requirement and does not impact advancement. Showcases are a ton of fun though and most students prioritize their schedules to be able to perform.
Participation in the showcase is not guaranteed. Showcase schedules may change due to unforeseen events (the most common being weather related changes). If the majority of the class is able to perform on a certain date, a showcase may be scheduled for a date that some students cannot attend. If you are absent from the last two class sessions of a class your teacher may ask you to not participate in the showcase. Weeks 7 and 8 of class contain most of the showcase preparation. It is not fair to other students to have someone unprepared to do a specific format.
For Levels 1 thru 3, you may request to attend another day of the week if you are going to miss a scheduled class. WIT cannot guarantee a make-up class will be scheduled! Do not assume it’s possible. We will try our best to accommodate requests that meet the following guidelines:
- Make-up classes are only scheduled if it will cover the same week of material missed. Classes on different days of the week are not always aligned.
- Requests should be made at least two weeks in advance from the date you will be absent.
- Make-up classes are only allowed for weeks 1 thru 7. No make-up classes will be scheduled for week 8 of class.
- No make-up class will be scheduled that occur after Week 8 of your class.
- Level 1 classes are capped at 14 students. Level 2 and 3 are capped at 13. Once those limits are reached, you will not able to attend that class to make-up material.
- You may not schedule more than two make-up classes per session.
- WIT does not allow makeup classes for Levels 4 and 5.
To schedule a make-up class, please fill out this form for Spring 2024. The Education Manager will then contact you with potential makeup dates. Once you have confirmed these dates you will be emailed the room info and your teachers will be notified of the make-up classes. You will not need to email teachers about the make-up date.
After you have attended your make-up class, your primary teacher will mark you as present for that week so that your absence is not counted against you.
With appreciation of the risks associated with Washington Improv Theater’s programs or activities, you hereby fully and completely release and waive any and all claims for personal injury or loss, including costs and attorneys’ fees, that may arise against Washington Improv Theater, including its teachers, staff members, volunteers, students, or other persons associated with its programs or activities. This release and waiver apply to any personal injury or loss that may occur as a result of any other program or activity of Washington Improv Theater.
Participation in classes involves the recording and preservation of an improv performance by your class. As a participant, you give permission to record the performance of your class show. You are not required to participate in this class show and it has no impact on your eligibility to take future classes. The main purpose of recording this class show is to provide students with the ability to share their performance with people who are unable to attend the show in person. However, Washington Improv Theater reserves the right to use this performance for promotional material.
You release and hold harmless Washington Improv Theater and its agents from any and all liability or claims in connection with and arising out of the performance, including but not limited to claims for invasion of privacy, right of publicity violation, copyright or trademark infringement, slander, libel, or misappropriation. You hereby grants, assigns, and transfers to the Washington Improv Theater a world-wide, perpetual, nonexclusive, royalty-free license to use, in whole or in part, all of the rights, including all literary, publicity and property rights, to publish in any media, language or technology now known or later developed, to duplicate, remix, edit or otherwise use and dispose of the recorded and/or transcribed performance.
WIT retains absolute control over its class enrollment. WIT has the right to remove any student from class at any time for any reason, on a temporary or on a permanent basis, at WIT’s sole discretion with full tuition granted. WIT also reserves the right to restrict registration to any student, on a temporary or on a permanent basis. WIT does not remove a student from class lightly, but sometimes it may be necessary to maintain a welcoming and safe creative atmosphere.
WIT classes are suitable for adults 18 years of age or older.
Refer to the WIT’s Code of Honorable and Fun Behavior to get a sense of what we expect from our students.
Please talk to your teacher about non-WIT shows that count towards your two-show minimum. We understand that some of you can only manage one night a week out for class. WIT shows are released online and you are encouraged to watch videos on our YouTube channel if you are unable to come to a show. That being said, we strongly encourage you to see live shows. It’s incredibly helpful for your growth as a student and your enjoyment of the craft in general.
WIT’s core curriculum has five levels. Students are encouraged to enroll in the next level before their current class ends. The overwhelming majority of students complete classes and are ready to take the next level. If you are concerned about missing more than two classes while in class, or if your schedule is uncertain for a future class, we recommend you wait before signing up.
A teacher listed on an individual class may change after you register. While it is exceedingly rare for a teacher’s schedule to change, it does happen sometimes. There is no guarantee that you can take a class with a specific teacher. WIT will do its best to notify students of any changes. However, changes may happen the day class starts or after a class starts due to unexpected events. If a new teacher is assigned to a class, the same transfer and refund policies apply (see below). No refunds will be given because a different teacher has been assigned to your class.
Teachers may also require substitutes from time to time. Substitutes are managed entirely by the teacher. They may need to step in for planned or unplanned absences during classes or showcases. There is no guarantee that every scheduled day of class will have the same teacher. If a substitute teacher is scheduled by your teacher for any part of class, the same transfer and refund policies apply (see below). No refunds will be given because you had a substitute teacher.
Students often form a tight bond with their classmates. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to be in the next level with all your improv buddies. WIT classes have a very competitive registration process, so you should all coordinate what teacher or day of the week you’d like to take classes well in advance. Be prepared to split up with some of your friends for one term if necessary—playing with as many new people as possible will make you a better improviser overall!
We strongly encourage you to choose classes based on your schedule. Coming to all eight classes, focused and ready to work, has a more significant impact on your success than trying to stay together with classmates. Participation in the student showcase is not a requirement and should not be prioritized above the class schedule.
Enrollment for a given section is locked after the second class occurs. Students must transfer into either the first or second class of an eight week course. Courses that are less than eight weeks may be subject to different transfer rules on a case by case basis.
All withdrawals are subject to a $15.25 fee. Students who withdraw from class up to 5 days before the class starts will receive a refund, minus the fee. Students who withdraw less than 5 days before the class starts will receive a refund, minus 15% of tuition plus the $15.25 fee. Students who withdraw before the second class occurs will receive a refund, minus 15% of tuition plus the $15.25 fee.
There will be no refunds after your second class.
There will be no transfer after your third class.
Transfers do not reset your clock. If you transfer for free into the next session, and then decide to withdraw later, the refund the rules apply to the session you were originally signed up for.
- Scenario 1: You transfer for free 5 days before class starts. You then decide you need to withdraw. You incur a $15.25 fee.
- Scenario 2: You transfer for free before your second class. You then decide you need to withdraw. This costs you $15.25 + 15% of your tuition.
- Scenario 3: You paid $15.25 to transfer to a new session after your second class. You decide you need to withdraw. You get no refund.
No refunds are given for WIT workshops. We recommend utilizing Facebook and friend networks to find someone to take your spot.
If a class is full, it will be listed with the option to Add to Waitlist on the registration page. Students are able to sign up for a class waitlist via their student portal. Should a spot become available for you, you will be notified immediately by email and given 24 hours to respond to sign up for the class.
Students may join class in the second week. No one will be added to a class after the second week. Registration costs are not prorated. The wait list is disabled one week after the class commences. You are welcome to sign up for another class and stay on the waitlist for a specific day. If a spot opens you, you can be transferred into the class of your choosing for free.
Within two days of a class starting, WIT reserves the right to fill open spots regardless of waitlist position. We will do our best to hold spots based on the list order but decisions to fill an open seat may happen in a matter of hours, including putting the class online available to the public, as opposed to the normal 24 hours.
Level 1 classes, will not always include managed wait lists for individual days. Your email may be added to a waitlist group and the group will be emailed when openings occur. Registrations for Level 1 are first come first serve. After 24 hours the open spot is made available to the public.
If it has been more than two years since you were enrolled in class you may be asked to repeat a level. Please contact classes@witdc.org before signing up. You are still subject to the transfer and refund policies if you register for a class you are not eligible for.
Students who successfully complete our Level 5: Harold class, and are certified by their Level 5 teacher, are eligible to take the core curriculum classes–Levels 1 thru 5–with a 50% discount. Eligibility for Advanced Format classes requires additional certification from either the Education Manager or teacher.
If you have completed the curriculum at another long form theater, please be prepared to provide the following information:
- Where did you previously study improv (university, other improv school)?
- Who were your instructors?
- When did you complete the curriculum?
- Any additional classes or relevant experience we should know about?
If you have not completed a curriculum at another long form improv theater the highest level you will be placed is Level 2. If your Level 1 did not provide 20 hours of long form instruction, or it’s been more than two years since you’ve taken classes, you will be asked to start at Level 1.
For information regarding class cancellations due to inclement weather, decisions and announcements will be made by:
- 4 p.m. for evening classes (for start times between 7 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.)
- 10 a.m. for afternoon classes (start time of 1 p.m.)
Class cancellations due to inclement weather will be announced in the following ways:
- Via email from WIT and Education Manager Kacie Peterson
- Via the alert banner at the bottom of the witdc.org homepage
- Via WIT’s Instagram stories and the WIT Students and Alum Facebook Group
In case of class cancellations due to inclement weather, a make-up class will be scheduled. The Education Manager and the teacher will work together to schedule a make-up class, if necessary. Make-up classes may be scheduled after a class showcase has occurred, if needed. If a student is unable to attend a make-up class scheduled outside the original class schedule, they will not be penalized for not attending.
In the event that WIT needs to cancel a course due to force majeure (public health crisis, COVID-19, fire, terrorism, etc…), we use the following guidelines to ensure an equitable outcome:
- If your class completed Weeks 1 thru 8, but the showcase was canceled, you receive $20 off your next class.
- If your class completed Weeks 1 thru 7, you are given a choice between a pro-rated refund or the larger $50 off your next class if you want to advance to the next level. If you want to re-take the same level you may do so for free.
- If your class completed Weeks 1 thru 6, you are given a choice between a pro-rated refund or the larger $100 off your next class if you want to advance to the next level. If you want to re-take the same level you may do so for free.
- If your class completed anything less you will receive a full refund.
- These discounts or offers to re-take the same level are non-transferable.
In the TA program, you are training to be a teacher for WIT. You will be paired with a Supervising Teacher to observe and get some hands-on teaching experience and guidance in the classroom.
The role of the TA entails: training with a Supervising Teacher for ideally three sessions of classes; attending at least six of the eight classes per session; observing the Supervising Teacher for classroom management techniques, exercise explanations and feedback, etc.
For those entering our TA program, we are seeking a long-term commitment. This program is designed to train people to be teachers. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, by being a part of the TA program, you are committing to at least two years of teaching for WIT upon finishing the TA program.
Our classes are for students ages 18 and older. We do not offer classes for children or teenagers at this time. For the under-18 crowd, we’d recommend checking out Imagination Stage.