Physical Theatre in Berkeley, CA.
Full Spectrum Improvisation Classes & Workshops
Full Spectrum training releases powerful creative energy, imagination and natural spontaneity. Beyond comedy “Improv,” FSI activates full emotional and physical range to create Improvisational Theatre of authenticity and substance, as well as joyful, intoxicating play.
Classes include expressive movement and voice, storytelling, acting technique & discovering personal material.
Make peace with your inner critic
Learn to trust your intuition
Develop confidence and ease
Practice connecting/collaborating with others
All classes are ongoing. Join almost any time. Please call or email with questions and to register. Please register at least 48 hours in advance of class. And, feel free to check with us at the last minute if you have a sudden impulse to come to class. Subsidized tuition for low-income and BIPOC folks available.
Classes:
BERKELEY IMPROV and ACTING CLASS – Intermediate / Advanced
Teachers: Joya Cory, Marcia Aguilar, Sidonie Starr
Location: Wildcat Studio – 2525 8th Street, Berkeley CA
3 SATURDAYS per month, 1 pm – 4:30 pm
February 7, 21, 28, March 14, 21, April 4, 11, 18, 25
Pay for 2 months at a time, sliding scale: 6 classes for $270 or $312.
Class Size: 12 max
Take a deep dive into creative collaboration while developing your skills as an improvising actor. Expand your range of movement and voice and practice techniques to create rich and artful improvised language. You’ll get personal attention to address your strengths and challenges. We invite you to join us for training, with the intention of performing when you are ready.
If you have training in Improvisation, movement, and/ or acting and are ready to move into performing, or already have performance experience and would like to attend our class to see if it's a good fit, please email me at Joyacory@gmail.com. Your try-it-out class is $20.
Fundamentals Beginner/ Intermediate Weekend Workshop
If you’ve never taken an Improv class but always wanted to or you’re new to Full Spectrum Improvisation but have some experience with other forms of improvisation, or you want help with your fear of public speaking, or you just want to have some deep fun, this class is for you. You'll expand expressiveness with storytelling, games and exercises that engage your full range of movement, voice and emotion. We explore creative play for the joy of it, for the way it heals and expands our mind, body and spirit.
Taught by Joya with Marcia Aguilar and Sidonie Starr, both of whom regularly perform as Improvisers in the Bay Area and beyond.
Marcia is a highly skilled improviser, actor and Drama Therapist, who has studied FSI for 14 years and has taught extensively.
Sidonie has been studying FSI since 2015 and has a background in masks, puppets, and physical theater. She is also active in the world of Narrative Improv, currently as faculty at Leela (SF)
Location: Wildcat Studio – 2525 8th Street, Berkeley CA
Saturday and Sunday, March 7 & 8, 11am-4:30pm
$175.
Come see us perform Feb 7, 2026, 3:30-4:30pm at Wildcat Studio, 2525 8th Street, Berkeley. Free admission.
Fundamentals Tuesdays
Teachers: Marcia Aguilar, Sidonie Starr
Location: Spring/Falls Studio – 2525 8th Street, Berkeley CA
April 7 to May 12 taught by Sidonie Starr
May 19 to June 23 taught by Marcia Aguilar
$270 per six-week series.
$240 early bird (at least 2 weeks before the class)
ONLINE Improv Class (ZOOM Virtual) – All Levels
Teachers: Joya Cory
Location: Zoom Virtual
Time: 10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Dates: Every Wednesday
Class Size: 10 max
We focus on 2 person scenes and a variety of storytelling structures.
5 Class Series: $125
Try your first class for free.
Click Here to View Calendar
Teacher Bios
Joya Cory
Master teacher JOYA CORY, has been performing since 1971. She is the creator of numerous original theatre pieces, acts, directs & teaches in a wide variety of venues and founded the Improvisation troupes, MOTION: The Womens’ Performance Collective & LUCKY DOG THEATRE. Her work has been recognized with grants from the California Arts Council, in addition to other grants and awards. Through years of experimenting with many forms & techniques of IMPROVISATIONAL THEATRE, Joya has developed FULL SPECTRUM IMPROVISATION drawing on principles & exercises from Physical Theatre, Dramatic & Narrative Improvisation, Movement Viewpoints, Method Acting, Comedy Improv, Creative Play & Drama Therapy. Joya has trained actors, therapists, teachers, public speakers and business people, as well as teaching movement and drama for healing. She is a dedicated and innovative teacher. Reviews of Joya’s classes and performances are on YELP.com and on this site.
Marcia Aguilar
Arriving in San Francisco in 2009, Marcia Aguilar walked into Joya Cory’s Full Spectrum Improvisation class to discover herself. As a bilingual drama therapist, Marcia fuses play, theater, and healing. She specializes in Developmental Transformations, an embodied art practice. Marcia also directs self-revelatory performances, guiding actors towards healing through original theatrical pieces. As a recent recipient of the SF Arts Commission grant, she is devising her third solo show. Marcia teaches Improv for Real Life with Berkeley Improv and hosts an Improv for BIPOC drop-in on Sundays. Visit cocreatetheater.com for more info.
Sidonie Starr
Sidonie Starr has been studying Full Spectrum Improvisation with Joya since 2015. With a background in masks, puppets, and other forms of physical theater, Sid seeks to integrate the abstract, musical, and highly-physical with improv. She is also active in the world of Narrative Improv, currently as faculty at Leela (SF), where she teaches a class nicknamed “emotional literacy for improvisors.” Previously, she was Director of Experimental Programming at Pan Theater (Oakland) where she produced the Lab Show series, which supported improvisors devising their first shows.