The Pack Theater is the scrappy contender of LA's improv triangle: grown from Miles Stroth's workshop (Stroth being one of the most respected improv teachers of the iO Chicago generation), renamed in 2015, and since July 2024 running its own venue on Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz with shows roughly six nights a week.
Classes run in eight-week terms at a published $330, cheaper than its famous rivals, covering improv through three levels, two sketch levels, stand-up, character work, TV pilot writing, voiceover, and clown, with teachers whose credits run from SNL to Netflix and Adult Swim writers' rooms. Four-week online intensives with Stroth himself run $150 to $165, and one-day workshops start around $50.
Two Pack policies matter to shoppers: attendance is enforced (miss more than two classes in a term and you repeat the level), and yearly house-team auditions are open to everyone with no class prerequisite, a rarity that keeps the school honest, since you cannot be forced to buy the ladder to reach the stage. Weekly jams and open mics let anyone sample the community free. August-to-October 2026 classes were selling at verification, several with waitlists.
Techniques taught
- Improv and sketch: Improvisation and sketch training: agreement, spontaneity, and ensemble play.
- Comedy technique: Craft-first comedy training: joke structure, sitcom rhythm, and comedic character work.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
Open enrollment for Level 1/Intro; higher levels require prerequisites or prior experience; house teams cast by yearly open audition. Schedule: Rolling ~8-week terms; next cycle Aug-Oct 2026 (e.g. Intro to Improv Mon 7-10pm Aug 10-Oct 12, 2026); shows ~6 nights/week; some classes Zoom-only. Duration: Core classes 8 weeks; intensives 4 weeks; one-day workshops.
Audit, trial, or intro class
Weekly improv jams and open mics are open ways to sample the community; no formal audit policy published
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| Intro to Improv, 8 weeks (Aug 10 - Oct 12, 2026) | $330 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| Standard 8-week classes (sketch, improv, etc.) | $330 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| 4-week courses (e.g. Miles Stroth online improv intensive) | $150-$165 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
| One-day workshops | $50-$99 | source 路 2026-07-16 |
Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.
Instructors
- Miles Stroth, Founder / Teacher. teaches online improv intensives (Position Play & Scene Type)
- Eric Moneypenny, Co-founder / Sketch program. built sketch curriculum from 2010
- Lauren Knutti, Teacher. Intro to Improv, Fall 2026
- Rich Sohn, Teacher. Fearless Scenework
- John Conroy, Teacher. Improv and Acting
- Andres Parada, Teacher. Improvising In Character
Practical notes
Parking: Current venue described on official history page as a dedicated space with parking
Location
Questions actors ask
Where is Pack Theater located?
What acting technique does Pack Theater teach?
Is Pack Theater suitable for beginners?
How much do classes at Pack Theater cost?
Does Pack Theater offer online classes?
Does Pack Theater teach children or teenagers?
Is admission to Pack Theater by audition?
Who teaches at Pack Theater?
Is parking available at Pack Theater?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- Pack Theater, Comedy Classes, accessed 2026-07-16
- Pack Theater, Improv Classes, accessed 2026-07-16
- Pack Theater, Our Story, accessed 2026-07-16
- Pack Theater, FAQs, accessed 2026-07-16
Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.
Nearby schools
Atwater VillageBerg Studios
Atwater Village studio founded in 1998 by Yale School of Drama graduate Gregory Berger-Sobeck, teaching a Yale and Stanislavski-derived system through a gateway technique intensive and three levels of scene study, with free audits.
Little Tokyo, Downtown LAEast West Players
The nation's longest-running Asian American theatre (1965) in Little Tokyo, whose Actors Conservatory track offers open-enrollment Acting I through III with a public showcase, plus a playwriting institute and youth outreach.
Los FelizImpro Theatre
The school of Impro Theatre in Los Feliz, LA's home of narrative long-form improv: full-length unscripted plays in literary genres, a C.O.R.E. curriculum, published pricing, and a $40 drop-in playground.
Related by technique
Hollywood9th Level Acting Studios
Small Hollywood on-camera studio run by working actor Alex Boling, built deliberately for new and nervous actors, with Thursday classes, a free audit, and published $200 monthly tuition.
Sherman OaksThe Acting Center
Sherman Oaks school founded 2006 teaching its own proprietary technique in a strictly no-criticism classroom, with published 2026 session dates and pricing for scene study, intensives, and improv.
Culver CityThe Actors Circle
Culver City workshop founded 2003 by Marcie Smolin teaching film and TV craft with improv as half the curriculum, in a positive-feedback-only room serving ages 5 through adults at published per-class rates.