LONGFORM IMPROV PROGRAM

Since we do not yet have our own space, our in-person classes are held at various locations in Philly with some classes taking place online. Please be sure to check the location on the individual class page, currently listed at the bottom, for the exact location of your class. This information will also be included in a reminder email that will be sent to students the day before an upcoming course begins. 

Our online classes are held through the magic of the internet via Zoom. These classes currently include options in Comedy Writing and Stand-up, potentially with more to come. These courses actually work very well online.

Crossroads Philly currently has 4 main programs: Longform Improv, Musical Improv, Sketch Comedy Writing, Stand-up Comedy, and Storytelling. We also offer a variety of electives the supplement each program. Our full Course Catalog also includes special classes offered by local, regional, and national instructors that cover topics such as Dramatic Improv, Clowning, Pilot Writing, and so much more.

This really depends on what you are looking to do! As we say throughout our site, the lessons learned in our courses go beyond the class to help improve and influence your everyday life and work. If you are looking to think faster on your feet, learn to be more adaptable and be open to collaboration, improve your listening and communication skills, and/or build confidence in front of groups in a course with no real homework – then we suggest our Improv 1 course.

If you are looking to do some writing and explore your creative side and how funny you really are or can be – then Comedy Writing or stand-up is the way to go. Both of these options do have some light homework attached, but that’s how you get better!

We do not allow anyone to audit any of our 6 or 8 week classes, however; we do offer periodic basics classes in improv, stand-up, and comedy writing that you can register for. These one day, two hour workshops give students a great idea of what to expect in a full course. They also stand on their own as you will learn something new, meet people, and have a blast with the guidance of one of Philly’s best instructors.

We accept all major credit cards through our ticket and enrollment partner site, Crowd Work. We also now offer payment plans. More info on those in the next question.

Yes we do! We are happy to say that we now offer payment plans right at checkout. Just look for the “pay with a payment plan” checkbox. Our two main payment plan options include:

• Paying in four equal, interest-free installments over six weeks.
• Paying 50% at the time of enrollment and 50% prior to the start of class.

With both options you are required to create an account and keep your card on file so your card can be charged on specified dates. Please note that payment plans currently include processing fees of $1 for our ticketing platform and 2.9% + $0.30 for Square per transaction.

Depending on when you enroll, not all options will be available as we need payment in full before class begins. If you don’t see a payment schedule that suits your needs, please email classes@xroadscomedy.com to request an invoice. This will allow you to use AfterPay to enroll using the 4 payments over 6 weeks schedule.

1. ENROLL: Click “enroll in class” above. Fill out the brief registration and make your payment.
2. CONFIRMATION EMAIL: After you make your payment you will receive a confirmation email from Fourth Wall Tickets. This email also has important information from us, so please be sure to look it over.
3. ADD CLASS TO CALENDAR: Be sure you enter the dates and times of your class into whatever you use to track your days and weeks.
4. SHARE THE CLASS: You will meet some great people in this course, but we aren’t opposed to bringing some old friends along! Share the class link with your friends or family.
5. WAIT PATIENTLY FOR CLASS: After this you will not hear from us again until a day or so before the class begins. 
6. CONTACT US WITH QUESTIONS: If there are any issues, we will email you. If you have any questions leading up to class, you can email us at classes@xroadscomedy.com. You can also come back to the website and click on the class you enrolled in to view the information.
7. REMINDER EMAIL: We will send a reminder email a day or two before class begins.  

Crossroads runs occasional sales on some or all courses. We know that no one likes paying for something and then seeing it advertised at a lower price. For that reason we have the Crossroads Price Match Guarantee. If you see your class advertised at a lower price, email us at classes@xroadscomedy.com while the sale is still active and we will refund the difference!

We understand that there are options other than Crossroads and your training there may be comparable in content to what you would learn in one of our courses. For that reason, we do allow the limited leap frogging of prerequisites in our programs with permission.

You can skip Improv 1, Sketch Writing 1, or Stand-up 1 at Crossroads if you have taken courses through another reputable training location (Crossroads Indy, iO Theater, Helium Comedy, ComedySportz, The Second City, The Annoyance, etc). In some cases, courses you have taken in college can also count. Please email classes@xroadscomedy.com – before you enroll – detailing your experience and we will let you know if you qualify to skip a prerequisite.

We typically do not allow students to leapfrog any level out than Improv 2 with rare exceptions. This is because we want to make sure we are all working form the same material and skillset.

Though we suggest students wait for a course in which they can make all the classes, we do allow students to enroll that may have to miss for any reason. It’s no replacement for actually being in class, but some instructors do offer a recap of the class along with takeaways for the week. See the next question for our attendance policy. There are no prorated discounts if you enroll knowing you are going to miss any classes.

We understand that things come up that can impact schedules and cause students to be late or miss a class. For this reason we permit students to have two excused absences without impacting their enrollment. If a student misses more than two classes they risk failing the course, or potentially being asked not to return to class or participate in the class show.

Lateness is left to the discretion of the instructor and will be dealt with on a case by case basis depending on the disruption to the class. Our classes take place in Center City and South Philly, both very busy areas. We highly suggest students do what they need to do to be at class on time.

In the event of severe weather or other city wide disruption, it is possible that classes could be canceled or postponed. Our general rule is that if SEPTA is running then classes are on as scheduled. Public transit is great!

If we do cancel a class, for any reason, we will email students with as much notice as possible and will typically err on the side of caution. In the days that follow we will be in touch with how this cancelation impacts the schedule for rest of the course. At this time we do not switch to online courses in the event of cancellations of in-person classes, but it is something we are considering for the future.

We know that some students travel from outside the city. If severe weather hits your area hard, and class is still occurring as scheduled, please put your safety first and exercise caution traveling to class. Absences due to severe weather will be excused and not counted against you according or our attendance policy hindering your ability to advance through our program (though other factors would still apply). Students that miss due to extreme weather will have the option of reaching out to the Education Coordinator for tips gathered from the curriculum and instructor to try and keep them up to speed for the next class.  In the event there are two of the same course happening during the same session, a student may request to make-up the class they missed so long as the make-up class happens after the absence. At this time we cannot offer make-up classes that extend beyond a single session.

All Crossroads Comedy Theater class sales are final. Please carefully consider your schedule and travel before enrolling. In some cases students may defer their enrollment to one of the following two class sessions. Deferment after the start of the course is not permitted. Any questions about this policy can be emailed to classes@xroadscomedy.com. Policy updated March 2024.

Coming Soon!

If you do not see this class offered on our full class page, click here to express your interest in offering it again soon.

If we cancel a course for any reason, you will be given the option of getting a credit for a future class or receiving a refund to your original form of payment. Refunds can take anywhere from 3-10 business days to receive.

Unfortunately, no. We do not allow anyone other than enrolled students to attend our classes. This is a theater policy and is not the call of any individual instructors. This is for the safety and trust of all our students as well as keeping our class size manageable for the spaces that we use.

We make an effort to record all class graduation shows, but this is not a guarantee. If your class show was recorded we will edit, encode, and upload the video to an unlisted YouTube link, which we will then share with the class. This is a time consuming process, but we aim to have links out within a month following the performance. Delays may occur. If you would like to check the status of your class show recording you can email us at classes@xroadscomedy.com.

We do! In addition to the class performance that happens at the end of some of our core program courses, we have the Improv Jam that happens when we have a performance run. Students can get up and play with more seasoned performers and get some stage time, practicing what they learned in class. We also regularly invite students from our education programs to perform in some of our productions as well as submit their writing for inclusion in shows.

You can reach out to us at classes@xroadscomedy.com or call/text us at 215-650-7360.