Strong Offers - 3 Week Clinic

Every scene starts with an offer — a line, a look, a feeling that gives your partner something to build on. In this clinic, you’ll dig into what makes an offer strong, and how to support the gifts you’re given in return. We’ll focus on making clear, specific choices that your partners want to play with, and turning small details into great scenes.

Space is limited, and you’ll get plenty of reps

Class meets once a week for three weeks. There is no showcase offered with this course.

Prerequisites: Completion of Improv 201 (or equivalent training) at PHIT or another long-form program. Students should already be comfortable building two-person scenes, naming relationship and environment, and working without line prompts or games.

Age 18+

Please note: All sales are final. No refunds. No credit for future sessions. No transfers. All courses must be paid in full before the first class. Please consider your schedule carefully before you register. 

Day: TUESDAY

Dates:  Jan 6, 13, 20

Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Make-up / Practice Day: N/A

Class Location: TBD

Theater Location: Hamilton Family Arts Center 62 North 2nd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106

About the Instructor:

SOHRAB HAGHVERDI is an only child from Iran who has specialized in being a foreigner in America. He schemes (in a good way), performs (in a brilliant way), and thinks creatively to perfectly fit in this new American environment. He has had memorable moments in the Philly community first as The Boy Who Mailed Himself to America and then as the one and only 9/11MAN and recently as Sohrab Is Bumbling Foriegner. He has recently performed at The Public Theater, Princeton University, and University of Pennsylvania, and has collaborated with theater companies like Lighting Rod Special, Pig Iron, and Swim Pony. He is currently teaching Acting 101 at PHIT.  www.sohrabh.com

What others Say:

From Sohrab's latest solo show Sohrab Is Bumbling Foriegner premiered at Cannonball September 2024 and again remounted by Fringe Arts in March 2025:

"restored my faith in live theatre"

"a genius performance"

"I squirmed a lot! And I laughed a lot - but it's really a kind of acting I super admire"

Pirates, Robots, and Ninjas 3 Week Clinic

You’ve honed your improv skills—creating environments, building characters, recognizing patterns, and working within the Harold structure. Now, it’s time to push your skills further by exploring a dynamic approach to scene work that will challenge you to make bigger choices, heighten faster, and edit with precision.

In this clinic, you’ll use the framework developed by Billy Merritt and Will Hines to explore three distinct styles of play:

Pirate Harold – Fully commit to bold, larger-than-life characters and fearless scene work. Step into a world where pirates mutiny, duel, and plunder—freeing you from overthinking and letting you play with full commitment.

Robot Harold – Master pattern recognition and heightening. Strip away hesitation and train yourself to quickly lock onto and escalate patterns with machine-like precision.

Ninja Harold – Sharpen your editing instincts and ability to initiate with confidence. This style focuses on rapid scene work, strong initiations, and lightning-fast edits to build momentum and keep scenes moving.

In the final week, you’ll integrate these elements, combining the boldness of a Pirate, the analytical skill of a Robot, and the speed of a Ninja to create more versatile and powerful scene work.

Meets once a week for three weeks. There is no showcase with this clinic.

Spots in this course are limited

Prerequisite: PHIT Level 401 or permission of instructor.

Adults 18+

Please note: All sales are final. No refunds. No credit for future sessions. No transfers. All course must be paid in full before the first class. Please consider your schedule carefully before you register.

Due to the collaborative nature of this course, it is strongly suggested you are able to attend all classes for maximum learning.

Day: THURSDAY

Dates: Jan 8, 15, 22

Time: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Practice date: N/A

Showcase Date: No showcase 

Room:TBD

Theater Location: Hamilton Family Arts Center 62 N. 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106

About the Instructor:

Diego is an improviser and sketch comedian PROUDLY hailing from Wilmington, Delaware and is absolutely ecstatic to be coming on board to teach at PHIT, after having graduated from the program! As an instructor, Diego has an energetic and focused energy, with a big emphasis on exploring YOUR creativity and helping to activate your funny bone. On the weekends, you can find Diego performing with teams at various spots around Philly, and at home playing some tabletop RPGs, and would be happy to nerd out about them with anyone who feels so inclined.

What Others Say:

"Diego is an absolute joy and an excellent educator. He knows when to be supportive and also when to push students to find the better “funny.” "

"Diego is a FANTASTIC instructor"

"Diego cuts through the noise to really get across the main idea each class. And he does it through different ways so it’s easy to understand. The energy Diego brings to the entire room is the reason we all are excited each class."

"Diego was honestly an amazing teacher. Very engaging, gives accurate and wonderful feedback"

"He also just has a good energy and encouraged us to do our best as well as give really good constructive feedback along the way. 10/10 teacher "