Instructor Bio

DAN REITZ is the founder and creative director of Buffalo Improv House, a Buffalo native, and a 24-year veteran of improv comedy. In New York City he was the musical director or featured performer with several popular improv comedy shows, including the award-winning Your Love, Our Musical, Baby Wants Candy, and Blank! The Musical. He has been featured on multiple episodes of the Off Book: The Improvised Musical Podcast starring Zach Reino and Jessica McKenna, and he wrote a couple songs with Robert Smigel for Leo, the recently released kids movie by Happy Madison productions and Netflix Animation. Dan is the co-founder of Zamboni Revolution, Syracuse University's improv comedy troupe. Before the pandemic he taught improv and ensemble comedy at Sarah Lawrence College, was on the faculty at the Magnet Theater and Peoples Improv Theater, and performed regularly at those theaters and also the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, the Brooklyn Comedy Collective, and Caveat NYC. His other improv comedy credits include the Edinburgh Fringe, the Annoyance Theater, ComedySportz NYC, the Williamstown Theater Festival, the SteelStacks Improv Festival, Comic Con NYC, and the New York Comedy Festival. He's also a trombone and piano player who can be seen around town, and recently accepted a position in the music department at SUNY University at Buffalo.

Frequently Asked Question

Q: I’ve done improv before and would like to take an eight-week class. Which class should I start with?

A: Our Level One class is our introductory class, and is the class most people should probably start with, even those with improv experience. It is well-paced and full of great information and activities. In Level One we cover Yes/And, building a grounded foundation for our scenes, creating characters and committing to them, initiating from a suggestion and an opening, basic scene mechanics, and editing. Our Level One class is specifically designed to be worthwhile and fun for everyone, including people with improv comedy experience.

This being said, if you’ve taken long form improv classes from a place that teaches it similarly to the way that we teach it (there are a lot of places that qualify) or if you perform improv comedy regularly, it should be fine if you would like to start with either our Level Two or Musical Improv Comedy Level One class, or if you want to participate in our Adventure Club program. If you’d like to chat about whether it might be ok for you to jump right to an upper-level class, send us an email at email@buffaloimprovhouse.com

For more frequently asked questions, check our FAQ!

The Fine Print

This class is offered by Buffalo Improv House LLC.

COVID Policy: We follow local, state, and federal guidance and requirements in regards to COVID safety policies. In addition, this class takes place at a building that may choose to enact its own COVID safety policies, and we are in frequent communication with other performing arts organizations regarding their COVID policies. Our classes are currently mask-optional, with proof of vaccination not required. However, this may change as CDC, State and local regulations and guidance changes, or as new best practices develop in our industry. We take COVID seriously and ask that you do not take our classes if you are unwilling to follow COVID safety measures if the COVID situation returns us to a place where face coverings or proof of vaccination become required or recommended again.

Student Discounts: Are you a student? We are happy to offer discounts to current college / university students or recent graduates. Send us an email at email@buffaloimprovhouse.com