Theatre Classes for Adults
Come explore the power of play in an acting class at Piven Theatre Workshop!
We offer a variety of theatre classes for adults and youth! Our offerings range from classes that are suited for beginners and advanced students. In each of our classes, you will receive training in the Piven methodology, which is a specific method of training unique to the workshop. The Piven technique is a method of theatre training that explores rich storytelling and adaptation through theatrical expressions of character, third person narration and engaged physicality through object work.
We also offer a number of special workshops geared towards professional theatre development, like our on camera classes and scene study intensives.
Theatre Classes for Adults at Every Level
Whether it is your first acting class, you are revisiting the stage for the first time in many years or you are a working artist looking to continue to develop your craft, we welcome you. Theatre classes at the workshop are the next step in developing and reigniting your creative spirit. Our classes focus on developing effective communication, imaginative thinking and problem solving skills that are important in any field. Many of our adult students speak about their experience in our classes as a way to reignite their creative spirit and to unlock renewed energy through play. Further, students note increased confidence and a shift in how they carry themselves. Taking the time to invest in your creativity and to hone your storytelling skills has an immense impact, visible in many facets of our lives.
Some of our theatre classes for adults include, improv, scene study, comedy and playwriting.
“Piven not only provided me with a unique approach to theatre, it also offered an interesting approach to life. The games and techniques taught at Piven are based upon group interactions that help develop creativity, clarity of expression, a sense of humor, and sensitivity to the ideas and emotions of those around you. After six years of training at Piven, I found myself equipped with skills that enabled me to adapt to a variety of situations.”
Leave Self-Consciousness at the Door and Dive into a World of Creativity!
Each week, our teachers will lead you through exercises rooted in the Piven technique to achieve specific learning outcomes. For instance, in our summer playwriting class, previously taught by the talented Stephen Fedo, students were asked to write scenes each week centered on a specific prompt. The class would then discuss these scenes, offering feedback and continuing to explore ideas like, ‘finding the beat,’ through Piven theatre games. Our class offerings for adults are all structured to offer a focused approach to the study of theatre.
Our classes are also a great practice in risk taking. Our teachers create a safe and encouraging environment that helps students exist in the present moment. Our core circle games, which are a key part of our curriculum, foster a sense of ensemble and community that makes it possible to trust your instincts and follow the energy in the space. Our more advanced performance games similarly invite you to explore techniques like object and character work at a higher level but with the same comfort we develop through learning in a supportive cohort of artists.
Improv, Games And Risk-Taking
Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8:30pm
March 31, 2026 – May 5, 2026
$225
Want to know what Piven is all about? Are you interested in getting into a theater class, shaking off the dust, and activating your creativity? This class allows students to discover the Piven Technique by learning theatre games and improvisation in a fun, supportive, ensemble-based environment. Perfect for all studetns looking to discover and re-discover our work. Great for beginning and intermediate students!
Taught by senior teacher, Robin Chaplik
Improv and Games for the Stage!
Tuesdays, 6:30pm – 9:00pm
May 12, 2026 – June 16, 2026
Prerequisite: Improv, Games and Risk-Taking
No more than one absence permitted.*
$250
Discover the sheer joy of play with a taste of performance! Learn new (and perfect old) skills in a fun and supportive environment. Experience an extended version of Piven’s signature mix of theatre games,scene-based improvisation, and ensemble building techniques.
*This class culminates in an open workshop for an audience of friends and family and requires a strong attendance commitment.
Taught by senior teacher, Robin Chaplik
photo credit: Mark C Weidling
Theatre Games & Story Theatre With Robin Chaplik
Thursdays, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
May 14, 2026 – June 18, 2026
$225
Join renowned Senior Teacher, Robin Chaplik, in this exciting new class focused on the art of story theatre. Robin is both an expert at adapting literary works, folk tales and poetry utilizing Piven’s story theatre approach and a master teacher of Piven Technique. This class, which is open to new and returning students, will help actors deepen their knowledge of Piven’s improvisational games and utilize them as tools to create new works. Students will explore literary texts through improv, games, and scene work finding new ways to bring them to life on stage. Come join the fun and create with us!
Playwrights as Actors: Applying Piven Acting Principles to the Writing of Effective, Playable Scenes
Mondays, April 27 – June 8, 2026 (no class May 25, 2026)
6:30pm – 9:00pm
$250
This is a class in playwriting fundamentals for anyone of any level of experience who wants to learn about writing playable scenes. What a writer does in creating a scene is similar to what actors do in playing it: each looks to explore and reveal the connections between characters and to heighten not only the sense of a line of dialogue but also what the line is “doing” in the characters’ shared relationship. In this class, we’ll apply acting principlesdeveloped by Joyce and Byrne Piven to the writing of short scenes or “beats” for two characters. There will be brief home assignments each week to be shared, read and discussed in class.
Instructor: Stephen Fedo
Join us and unlock the power of play!
Our teachers are renowned artists in their own right and are longtime members of our community. Many grew up themselves training at the workshop and have come back as teachers and mentors for our younger students. We would love for you to join our community of actors and theatre makers.
From our classes, many have gone on to great success in a variety of fields. The tools that you will learn in our classes will serve you in any career path, creative or otherwise.