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SPARC Theater is introducing a new adult education workshop series next week for those in the Tri-Valley intrigued by improvisation.
Debuting with preview classes led by longtime improv performer and teacher Mark Duncanson, the multi-course series will continue into 2026 and center around subjects such as building a foundation, long-form improv, stage combat and Shakespearean text work.
Duncanson, a graduate of the BATS School of Improv who later cut his teeth in the episodic improvised soap opera show “Liquid Soap”, made his mark on improv in the Tri-Valley by creating the Creatures of Impulse troupe for teens during his nearly two decades working for the city of Pleasanton and its Firehouse Arts Center.
In the wake of stepping down as the city’s recreation supervisor last year, Duncanson said he took time to reflect on what would be next – and one of the people he later spoke with was Lisa Tromovitch, SPARC’s artistic director.
“After retirement, I reconnected with many people I’d partnered with over the years and was quickly reminded that my true love in recreation and the arts is building community,” he said. “I’m blessed that Lisa and the team at SPARC value community building through the arts, and I get to teach and share a form of theater like improv that has enriched my personal and professional life.”
Duncanson’s new adult improv workshops at SPARC will begin on Monday and Tuesday (Aug. 11-12) with evening preview classes designed to let prospective students “try before you commit”.
The first full workshop, “Chapter 1: Foundation Building” with multiple sets of six-week sessions designed for beginners later this summer and fall, will focus on “basic improv tools such as agreement, commitment, and support”, SPARC reps said.
The second and third workshops, sets of eight-week sessions planned for 2026, will “explore storytelling through formats like The Armando, Monoscene, and Improvised One-Act Plays” for those with moderate experience and “practice scenes, develop performance-ready work, and build ensemble trust” for advanced improvisers, respectively.
“I love the opportunity to learn new skills — especially skills like those you learn in improv that are transferable to so many other situations in life,” said SPARC board member Trish Munro, who plans to enroll. “Adults need the fun and stimulation of learning new things outside their regular work environment.”
The preview classes will cost $50, with the longer regular courses to be priced accordingly, according to SPARC. Learn more at sparctheater.org.
The performing arts nonprofit is also in the midst of its summer Shakespeare production. After its July run outdoors at Darcie Kent Estate Winery, “Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor” moves indoors at the historic Village Theatre in downtown Danville from this Friday (Aug. 8) through Aug. 24.
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