Stage

Performing arts of all kinds! Plays, musicals, staged readings, opera, and more. Local theater houses include the Spokane Civic Theater, Stage Left Theatre, Spokane Children’s Theatre, and many others. The First Interstate Center for the Arts hosts Spokane’s Best of Broadway series, which brings touring productions of acclaimed Broadway shows like Hamilton. Find out more below!  

Event: Opens January 8
Intro to Improv

Our introduction to improv course is for everyone! Whether you’re an improv veteran looking to get a brush-up on the basics or someone who’s never even heard of improv until you came to our site, our introductory course is for you! This 8-week in-person course is a perfect first step into improv. Play and laugh while facing fears and building confidence in yourself. You may even learn a thing or two about comedy along the way. For the duration of your course, you can see Friday and Saturday Blue Door shows for free! This offer does not include any show that includes dinner. Mondays, 7-9 pm, Jan 8-Feb 26.

Event: Opens January 11
Improv Scenework: Beyond the Basics

This 8-week course expands upon the foundations built in our Intro to Improv course. We will continue to explore strong scene building, attentive listening, and committed contribution while working towards solidifying improv fundamentals to make you the best improviser you can be. “Intro to Improv” is a prerequisite for this class. If you have taken an improv course with another theatre, please contact Michael Glatzmaier at michaelg@bluedoortheatre.org to talk with him about it. For the duration of your course, you can see Friday and Saturday Blue Door shows for free! This offer does not include any show that includes dinner.

Event: Opens January 9
Improv Characters and Narratives

Our Characters and Narratives improv class is great for everyone! Whether you’re a seasoned improv veteran aiming to develop new improv skills, or someone who has started to explore improv and wants to learn more about characters, our class is for you! If you have taken our Intro to Improv class, you definitely want to take this one. This 8-week improv course is perfect for exploring character development and storytelling. Participants in this class will dive into the art of creating compelling characters, each with their own unique quirks, motivations, and personalities. Through interactive games, you will learn how to bring characters to life, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and explore their interactions with others in a narrative context. As you develop your character-building skills, you will also learn about crafting narratives, weaving your character into fun stories. For the duration of your course, you can see Friday and Saturday Blue Door shows for free!

Event: Opens February 3
Improv and Self Care

Say “Yes, And!” to self care! During this 4-week class, you’ll learn how the basics of improv can help reduce stress, deal with uncertainty and improve wellbeing. We’re often our own biggest critic. With improv, you can learn how to use your anxiety as a tool for stress reduction – and even have fun with it! Build confidence, learn to laugh at your mistakes by turning them into happy accidents, and develop your communication and listening skills. Improv can help you turn down the volume on your inner critic, bring playfulness back into your life, be confident in your own choices, and adapt to the unexpected.

Event
mprov for Lawyers

This class is for lawyers, paralegals, and law students who are interested in learning how improv can help them tell compelling stories. Improvisation and storytelling go hand in hand. This is also true for the practicing lawyer. The strength of your story, both in its content and presentation, is critical. The goal of the course is to give participants the power to not only refine a story for presentation, but also how to discover that story in the first place. This class will focus on storytelling by introducing concepts of Yes/And, If/Then, Listening, Observation, Exploration Through Character, and other elements for practical application by actively engaging in improv exercises. For the duration of your course, you can see Friday and Saturday Blue Door shows for free! This offer does not include any show that includes dinner.
Outcomes:
Participants will develop improved communication skills by learning to use Yes/And, and Playing to the Top of Your Intelligence principles for lawyers to better convey their case narratives and making legal concepts more accessible to jurors.
Participants will gain the ability to set scenes and craft narratives that show rather than tell resulting in more engaging presentations.
Participants will understand the roles characters play within legal stories to create multi-dimensional characters in their presentations.
Participants will develop creative problem solving, enabling them to think on their feet and adapt to unexpected situations during case presentations.
Participants will implement the techniques learned in the course to capture the attention of jurors and create stories that make cases more memorable and persuasive.
Overall, students will leave the class with improved storytelling techniques and the ability to present legal cases in a more engaging and persuasive manner.

Artist
Rick Rivera AKA Coach Rick AKA Ricardo Ibarra-Rivera

Rick Rivera AKA Coach Rick AKA Ricardo Ibarra-Rivera is an Actor, Acting Coach, Life/Health/Business Coach and Creative residing in Spokane, WA. A first generation American, born to Guatemalan parents, Rick was born and raised in San Francisco. He discovered theatre in high school (St. Ignatius College Preparatory) and continued pursuing the art and craft of acting through Undergraduate (Santa Clara University) and Graduate (American Conservatory Theatre) degrees.

Event: October 5
TERRAIN 14 – Preview Night

Terrain is the region’s largest multimedia art and music event. Featuring work by hundreds of artists, celebrating new energy and fresh ideas from all over the artistic spectrum, we try to showcase a little of everything that’s happening to make the Inland Empire a more vibrant, cultural and beautiful place to live.

Preview Night was created in response to requests for a more intimate way to experience Terrain. Think of it as a sneak peek of the main event, and an opportunity to engage with the artists and the artwork in a chill setting. Skip the lines, meet the artists, buy art first, and support Terrain!

Event: October 6
TERRAIN 14 – Main Event

Always on the first Friday in October, Terrain is an annual, one-night-only, juried multimedia art and music event celebrating artists in the Spokane area. From painting to poetry to interactive art and film, we try to showcase a little of everything that’s happening to make the Inland Empire a more vibrant, cultural and beautiful place to live. In addition to all the visual art, there will be a full musical lineup, literary readings, film screenings, dance and other performances, food trucks, beer garden, photo booth, thousands of your closest friends, and more!