Starting in January 2026, Montreal Improv will begin a new season of the House Team program. Participants will work with a dedicated coach for 3 sessions from January to June 2026. House Teams will also perform in a monthly show with 6 total shows.
Audition sign up link at the bottom of this page.
AUDITIONS
Sunday Nov 30 between 2:00pm and 7:00pm
Auditions will run in half-hour blocks at the Montreal Improv Theatre (3716 Notre Dame W)
**with possibility of opening a second date depending on how many people sign up
DEADLINE TO APPLY: Monday November 10th at midnight
HOUSE TEAM OPTIONS AND SESSION DATES
House Team - Pretty Flower
Teacher: Dale Bernier
Prerequisite: Longform 2
Day of the week: Monday
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Main Theatre - 3716 rue Notre-Dame Ouest
HT Session 1: Mondays January 12 – February 16
HT Session 2: Mondays March 9 – April 20 (no class April 6th)
HT Session 3: Mondays May 4 – June 15 (no class May 18)
Class Description:
This House Team will be built around the Pretty Flower / Spokane format — a show where one grounded scene explodes into a garden of wild, funny, character-driven tag runs and surprising connections.
Things to look forward to:
Find and play the game of the scene — then heighten it ‘til it sings
Making bold, specific choices that inspire rich worlds
Balance grounded reality with absurd fun
Build the instinct on when to blow out a game, and when to just be real and listen
This is for players who want to discover big comedy through truthful connection — not force it. Expect a show that’s one part longform storytelling, one part fever dream, and 100% ensemble joy."
About Dale:
Dale has served as an improviser, teacher, and coach at Montreal Improv for over ten years. He has showcased his versatile talent in both Canada and the US with various troupes. Most notably, his Monoscene trio ""After This We're Going To Tokyo"" emerged victorious in the Threepio and Head To Head competitions. In 2021, he also won the Hot Shots competition alongside his “Succulents!” teammates.
Dale imparts his expertise to students of all levels, excelling particularly in Game Of The Scene, premise based improv (Harold/Armando), and the grounded, slice-of-life Monoscene format. He’s also the creative force behind Troubadour and No Laughing Matter, two immensely popular and consistently sold-out shows at Montreal Improv
House Team - Thematic Improv / Custom Format
Teacher: Vance Gillis
Prerequisite: Longform 2
Day of the week: Wednesday
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Prince Arthur - 108 rue Prince-Arthur E
HT Session 1: Wednesdays January 14 – February 18
HT Session 2: Wednesdays March 11 – April 15
HT Session 3: Wednesdays May 6 – June 10
Class Description:
The Thematic Improv house team will create a custom longform that is unique to the group; the first few months will be experimentation, sampling/cycling through several different longform formats before work will begin on creating one from scratch. The goal will be to make something that is fun, motivating and plays to the troupe's strengths.
About Vance:
Vance Gillis has been teaching at Montreal Improv since 2012 and served as the Artistic and Education Director from 2020 to 2023. He was also the Education Director at Bad Dog Theatre Company in Toronto.
He's the former coach of Montreal Improv house teams Doreen, Janet, Mary Chuck Phil and Collective Agreement as well as the coach of Bad Dog's Narrative Studio Series.
Under his Mojo Comedy Co. banner, Vance produces a number of live shows in Montreal, including Confessions, 50/50, and At the Movies.
House Team - Narrative
Teacher: Monika Schneider
Prerequisite: Narrative 1 + 2 + 3
Day of the week: Saturday
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Location: Prince Arthur - 108 rue Prince-Arthur E
HT Session 1: Saturdays January 10 – February 14
HT Session 2: Saturdays March 7 – April 18 (no class April 4)
HT Session 3: Saturdays May 2 – June 13 (no class May 16)
Class Description:
There are many ways to tell stories and many different kinds of stories to tell. We will discuss what kind of stories interest us as a group and explore a variety together, such as: genre, period pieces, and stories with pre-set characters. We will explore tools to help bring these stories to life such as scene painting and becoming the scenery, costume & character work, narration and sound effects. Looking forward to going on this journey with you!
About Monika:
Monika Schneider is a Canadian actor, improviser, and instructor based in Montreal. She is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) with a B.F.A. in Acting and was awarded outstanding actress in her graduating class. After writing and touring her one woman show Nevil, she moved to New York City where she performed in a variety of plays including another one woman show at the acclaimed theatre P.S. 122.
Monika is heavily involved in the improv community, performing regularly at Montreal Improv and Theatre VME. She has performed in several productions including Kevin McDonald does improv with the best of MTL, Films in Focus, and Shakespeare with a Vengeance. She was part of Montreal Improv’s Narrative House Team and Bilingual House Team, the Shakespeare inspired duo Nonny Nonny, the narrative duo Attaboy, the Harold troupe Messhall, and the 2022 Threepio champion duo team The Actor’s Lounge.
Past festivals include OFF JFL/Zoofest, Ladyfest, MPROV, Hartford, and the Big Pond Improv Festival. Monika also enjoys voice over work and has worked on a variety of projects including voicing various characters for video games, audio books, and radio.
WHO CAN APPLY?
Anyone who is a current or past student with the prerequisites above can apply. Previous House Team members can also apply. Please note priority will go to those who have done these prerequisites at Montreal Improv.
Montreal Improv is committed to welcoming diverse voices on stage and in the classroom. This extends to our house teams as well. Performers and students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
SELECTION PROCESS
Coaches will review the auditions and make the final team selection based on audition performance and team compatibility. Each team will consist of 8-10 people.
Unfortunately, not everyone who auditions will be chosen for a team.
Teams will be chosen by Mid December
FEES
Each session will be $308 +tx and must be paid before each session starts.
One scholarship spot per team and one bursary per team will be available. Please contact admin@montrealimprov.com if you have any questions about this.
LANGUAGE
Currently the house team program is entirely in English.
Questions? Email admin@montrealimprov.com