Jason Nisavic

is a high school social studies teacher and is excited to be coaching improv with Fine Arts StageWorks. Aside from being handsome and athletic, he is an improv and speech coach, is the only adult male in the world who still rollerblades, and has performed in comedy shows and Second City Showcases in Chicago. He can occasionally be found working on poetry and sketches for his comedy troupe, Big Dog Eat Child.

Eric Kallenborn

Eric teaches at Shepard High School in Palos Heights and head coaches the Shepard Speech Team, the Shepard Group Interp, and Co-Directs the Shepard High Improv Army. These groups have seen much success at Shepard in recent years, crowning three individual event state champs in the past three years. The Group Interp has awarded at least four All-Sectional cast members over the past three years, including four All-State cast members last year. The Improv Army (founded by Eric and Jason Nisavic), in three years, has grown in skill and popularity, qualifying, for the second year in a row, for the Chicago Teen Comedy Festival. You can catch the Improv Army monthly on the Shepard High School stage in monthly "School's Out Comedy Nights."

Eric is also Second City improv trained, advancing through the improv program with teacher Jason Nisavic. He brings his improv knowledge, skill, and experience, to the Fine Arts Stageworks' stage. Eric also has sketch and stand-up comedy experience which he brings to the improv classes as well. He is a true student of comedy and attempts to train his improv students in other comedic crafts as they advance through the improv classes , creating well-rounded comedic actors and actresses.

Adult 21 and Older

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY! Be prepared to have fun, to learn, and to laugh! Designed for adults and recommended for persons 21 or older. Our courses are designed for a variety of students - those who want to perform comedy, as well as people who want to study improv for fun. Key improvisation techniques will help you to think on your feet, create new ideas effortlessly, actively listen to others, and work productively inside team environments. Learn to read any audience and heighten your professional flexibility. You'll be amazed at how the lessons apply to your life both on and off stage. A black box theater performance night with live audience will be scheduled at the end of class!

Teen and Tween

This class is FUN FUN FUN! Why else would 95% of previously enrolled students continue to return? The Tween and Teen Programs were created out of the desire to give the youth of today what we wished we would have had at their age ....a safe, creative, fun and inspiring artistic home. The improv programs at Fine Arts StageWorks reflect the skill and experience founded in our unique and ground-breaking approach to improvisational acting and comedy. Our classes are designed to provide each actor with an opportunity to obtain a greater understanding of the importance of physical and mental stage presence and to nurture and build confidence, while celebrating diversity, individuality and creativity. In this class, Teens (13 - 18) & Tweens (10 - 12) will separate and train apart from each other. Then both groups will join back together for the last 45 minutes of class. A black box theater performance night with live audience will be scheduled at the end of class!