Improv Theater Blog | Pan Theater

Pan Theater has been offering an acting class program in the San Francisco Bay Area since February of 2002. Our acting class program focuses on improvisational theatre and a theatre games approach to acting.

At Pan Theater part of our work is focusing on the focus. Viola Spolin used the terms "point of focus" and "point of concentration" to describe the focus. The notes in her ground breaking book Improvisation for the Theater detail her choices and the various side coaching terms she developed over the years. Her work focused on the use of theatre games as a non intellectual approach to acting.

Pan Theater has been providing improv theatre shows and
improv theatre acting classes since February of 2002. Our classes blend traditional improv technique with Meisner technique to create confident, strong performers that can commit to their imaginations.

Pan Theater's class and rehearsal space has always been within walking distance from BART. Pan is currently one block from BART and only 13 minutes from the Powell Street BART station.

At Pan we focus on improv theater. We perform both long form improv (dramatic improv) and comedy improv (short form improv). We provide improvised comedy that is a fun all ages alternative to many San Francisco comedy clubs. Our work is typically
G or PG so it is family fun.

(Pan Theater Awkward Face performers Short Form Theater Games show: Say What)

Meisner Technique is an acting method that focuses on improvising emotionally. Performers trained in Meisner Technique practice exercises that help them become more emotionally open and expressive.

Improv is the art of making up stories, scenes and characters on the spot. Improv actors use improv technique typically taught through theater games to create shows that are either completely or partially improvised.

The shows typically begin with an audience prompt such as the name of a story that has never been told, the name of a mythical town, or a relationship between two characters.