Instructor Bio

DAN REITZ is the founder and creative director of Buffalo Improv House, a Buffalo native, and a 24-year veteran of improv comedy. In New York City he was the musical director or featured performer with several popular improv comedy shows, including the award-winning Your Love, Our Musical, Baby Wants Candy, and Blank! The Musical. He has been featured on multiple episodes of the Off Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast starring Zach Reino and Jessica McKenna, and he wrote a couple songs with Robert Smigel for Leo, the recently released kids movie by Happy Madison productions and Netflix Animation. Dan is the co-founder of Zamboni Revolution, Syracuse University's improv comedy troupe. Before the pandemic he taught improv and ensemble comedy at Sarah Lawrence College, was on the faculty at the Magnet Theater and Peoples Improv Theater, and performed regularly at those theaters and also the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, and Caveat NYC. His other improv comedy credits include the Edinburgh Fringe, the Annoyance Theater, ComedySportz NYC, the Williamstown Theater Festival, the SteelStacks Improv Festival, Comic Con NYC, and the New York Comedy Festival. He's also a trombone and piano player who can be seen around town, and recently accepted a position in the music department at SUNY University at Buffalo.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I’ve done improv before and would like to take an eight-week improv class. Which class should I start with?

A: Our Level One class is our introductory class, and is the class most people should probably start with, even those with improv experience. It is well-paced and full of great information and activities. In Level One we cover Yes/And, building a grounded foundation for our scenes, creating characters and committing to them, initiating from a suggestion and an opening, basic scene mechanics, and editing. Our Level One class is specifically designed to be worthwhile and fun for everyone, including people with improv comedy experience. Every activity in our Level One class would also be appropriate for a workshop or rehearsal with experienced improvisers, and experienced improvisers consistently report being happy they started with our Level One.

This being said, if you’ve taken long form improv classes from a place that teaches it similarly to the way that we teach it (there are a lot of places that qualify) or if you perform improv comedy regularly, it should be fine if you would like to start with either our Level Two or Musical Improv Comedy Level One class, or if you want to participate in our Adventure Club program. If you’d like to chat about whether it might be ok for you to jump right to an upper-level class, send us an email at email@buffaloimprovhouse.com

Q: I took a Level 2 or higher class elsewhere. Can I take the next higher level with you?

A: Probably not. Improv comedy "levels" are not consistent from theater to theater and company to company. Our classes are specifically intended to train people to do our style of improv comedy in a step-by-step manner, and we do not know of any companies locally who teach things the way we do. Because of this, our Level Two class is the highest one that we generally allow folks to start with, even if they have improv experience or took a level higher than "two" somewhere else. And even then, the Level One is probably the best one to start with. Our classes are not aligned with classes at any other company, and our approach may be very different than the class you took!

We hope this does not disuade you from registering! If you want to be involved with what we do, taking a class is a great way to get up to speed in our style of improv. Our classes are specifically designed to be worthwhile and fun even for folks with experience, and beginning at Level 2 we tailor the feedback to each individual student.

For more frequently asked questions, check our FAQ!

The Fine Print

This class is offered by Buffalo Improv House LLC.

Class Size Requirement: This class requires a certain number of registrants in order to run. Buffalo Improv House reserves the right to cancel and refund this class if that number is not met. We will be in touch with you if it looks like this will happen.

COVID Policy: We follow local, state, and federal guidance and requirements in regards to COVID safety policies. In addition, this class takes place at a building that may choose to enact its own COVID safety policies, and we are in frequent communication with other performing arts organizations regarding their COVID policies. Our classes are currently mask-optional, with proof of vaccination not required. However, this may change as CDC, State and local regulations and guidance changes, or as new best practices develop in our industry. We take COVID seriously and ask that you do not take our classes if you are unwilling to follow COVID safety measures if the COVID situation returns us to a place where face coverings or proof of vaccination become required or recommended again.

Cancellation / Makeup Policy: This is a one-day workshop. If it needs to be rescheduled, refunds will be provided promptly upon request. If it needs to be canceled, refunds will be provided automatically.

Refund Policy: We follow the same strict no refund policy of most Improv Comedy schools and theaters, except in the case where our class is unable to run as advertised.

Lateness and Attendance Policy: Please be on time for this workshop. Depending on the agenda of the workshop, students who are more than 15 minutes late may be asked to sit out certain excercises, or may be asked to audit the class. This is at the discretion of the instructor.

Student Discounts: Are you a student? We are happy to offer discounts to current college / university students or recent graduates. Send us an email at email@buffaloimprovhouse.com