There are two paths of advancement at ACME Comedy Theatre: through our sketch program and through our improv program. Some students choose to study in only one or the other, but most train in both.

Improv

Students who successfully complete Level 3: Character may be invited to join the X-Ray Company, ACME’s junior improv performance group. After demonstrating skill and potential, select members of X-Ray may invited to join the Yankee Company, ACME's mid-level improv gang, where they participate in more advanced longform narrative improv productions. Elite members of the Yankee Company are then invited to join our top-level improv troupe, the Zebra Company, named one of “LA’s Premier Improv Groups” in 2005.

Sketch

The other path open to students is sketch comedy training. Beginning with Writing Lab, students are trained in the ACME Method, learning how to take what they find funny and translate it into the sketch comedy format. Students successfully completing the curriculum move on to Level 5: Performance Lab where everything they have learned thus far comes together in storytelling, characterization, and foundation. A select few from Level 5 may be invited to join the Charlie Company to hone the sketch writing and performance skills they've learned at ACME. After participating in a few productins, the best of Charlie Company are invited to move up into Bravo where they tackle more sophisticated sketch styles and character work. The cream of the crop of the Bravo Company are eventually invited to join ACME's premier sketch comedy troupe, the ACME Company.