Please post new classes.

[Chris Carter]

Is UCB done for the year? There have been no new classes posted for awhile now. I have checked like 5 times each day. Do you guys at least post on Facebook when new classes will go up for L.A?

There really has to be some way LA actors can get a heads up as to when new classes will be posted. I understand UCB's dilemma not having a home base yet in L.A. but there's gotta be a way.

There's just gotta...

[thatsnotfunny]

UCB LA is the worst when it comes to doing anything. As you can tell from the lack of forum posts. When they do answer a question it has no actual "answer" in the content. For instance, we still have no idea when Maude auditions/submissions are happening even though it's been a year since the last ones and not even a heads up to when they may be. I truly don't believe anyone that works there has any real care or passion for their job unless there's an audition in it for them. UCB needs to fire everyone on their LA staff and start fresh.

[joewengert]

Hey Chris!

Sorry for the delay, I was waiting to confer with the General Manager before replying.

We are not completely done for the year, but we are definitely winding down. In years past we've noticed a lot of conflicts (and absences) among both teachers and students related to December holidays. Since we want students to actually make it to as many classes as possible, we are likely not going to be able to offer any more weekend classes starting this year.

Other than a few intensives through the end of year we are looking into offering a few 8 week courses on Wednesdays or Thursdays. There is a chance we might offer a few 400-level electives...not sure what level you are at.

We won't post class updates on Facebook because Facebook is terrible.

I would suggest setting up an RSS feed for the classes page so you'll be notified when it is updated.

I've mentioned this in other posts...we have discussed lots of options for how to best to announce classes. No matter exactly how we do it, they will remain difficult to get into for the foreseeable future. We like doing things how we currently are doing them. We are going to keep doing things that way since someone will ALWAYS complain.

I wrote this at 8:30 on a Friday night because I clearly have no care or passion for my job and should be fired immediately!

not anonymously,

Joe Wengert

[Berg]

Dear Thatsnotfunny-

Hi. My name is Alex Berg. I'm a student advocate at UCB LA who's looking to not get fired from his non-paying job as a student advocate at UCB LA. Normally, I'm one of the people you email when you have questions of this nature, and you will note that my name and email (Berg [at] ucbcomedy.com) are included on the handout you get on the first day of classes. That having been said, your email must have gone into my spam box, as I've instead been made aware of your post via someone else who knew that I could answer this question alerting me to it's existence. Please, allow me to do my best to respond to your red-faced, sputtering query about Maude auditions and it's insistence that I and my friends all be fired from our volunteer and low-paying jobs at UCB LA.

First off, as to Maude auditions:

The current plan is to hold them shortly after Harold auditions. The goal is for this to take place in late November/early December, pending the availability of theater space for holding auditions, and the availability of our sketch writing staff for reading submissions.

Since there is currently avid support in the student body for all of us losing our jobs, there is no set date as of now. Please email me, Alex Berg, at berg [at] ucbcomedy.com after Harold auditions if you wish to follow up, and I'll happily let you know as much as I do about the schedule for Maude auditions.

Secondly, to your insistance that "UCB needs to fire everyone on their LA staff and start fresh:"

As you have already surmised, we are all miserable people who have been forced into working at UCB LA because we foolishly majored in Improv Theater when we were in college. When we were 19 and full of ambition, we saw the fiendishly lucrative careers of improv comedians whom we admired, and chose a major so specific that now no other jobs are currently available to us. We are all super excited about Mitt Romney's candidacy for president, not only because we feel that Obama purposefully raised the unemployment rate to trap us into our jobs, thus leaving us with no outlet for our rage save for witholding information from the devoted and passionate student body to whom we owe our livelihood, but also because we hate the poor.

It's true that we don't care about our current jobs and have no passion for them. Indeed, if it weren't for the extra zero dollars and zero auditions I get per student query I respond to, I'd be playing lead guitar for Magma, a heavy metal band composed entirely of volcanologists who's epic three hour ode to Freya was responsible for the eruption of Mount Saint Helens back in 1980. Since then, they've worked hard to atone for pushing the boundaries of rock and roll to fatal extremes, and now play only acoustic sets far away from geologically active venues. This is why they refuse to play the Hollywood Bowl.

Just the same, UCB LA is still responsible for putting a roof over my head and most of my friends' heads. Miserable human beings though we are, we still recognize this cold, hard truth, and begrudgingly admit that without the students who take our classes and the fans who watch our shows, we'd be forced to work in cubicles and wear the torture devices known as "slacks."

We are doing our best to figure out the Maude audition schedule, and I promise to comb my spam folder for the hundreds of emails you undoubtedly sent me, Alex Berg, that guy from Convoy and Sentimental Lady who always wears the camo shorts, at berg [at] ucbcomedy.com. In the meantime, please rescind your request that I be fired. As you may be able to tell from the fact that I am responding to this message board post on a friday evening, if it weren't for this job I'd have nothing in my life save for a pretty awesome dog and an M.B.A. from UCONN in Improv Theater.

Sincerely,

-Alex Berg, the guy you probably don't recognize from TV unless you are, like, SUPER obsessed with Reno! 911 or are one of the 14 people in America who watched Terriers during it's original run on FX, UCB Student Advocate who's volunteer job it is to answer questions just like these as soon as they are emailed to berg [at] ucbcomedy.com

Dear Chris Carter-

Normally classes taper down at year's end because teachers start buying plane tickets out of LA for the holidays and it's tough to schedule classes. That having been said, I'm not sure what the posting schedule is, but I'll look into it. Drop me an email (you've got the address) and I'll let you know whatever I find out.

Rock on,

-Berg

[Chris Carter]

Will there be anymore 101 classes on the weekdays -non intensive- posted before the new year?? Want to take classes before the new year, but if not at least i know to sign up right after New Years. If u can give me a heads up on that id def. appreciate it thanks. Just trying to budget my expenses and money for Xmas time. Feel free to PM me if need be. Thanks for the feedback.

[joewengert]

Chris-

Most likely there will be. It will start after Thanksgiving and probably register a few weeks before.

Nothing has been confirmed yet, but this is what we are shooting for.

Joe

[LauriRoggenkamp]

I would like to thank both Alex Berg and Joe Wengert for taking the time to answer these questions. I was just wondering when there would be new classes posted and I did the adult thing of checking on that myself and found out the answer.

I also continuously check the ucbtheatre.com news updates for information on upcoming auditions and shows because I don't expect people to just hand me the information like I'm a baby.

I also belong to the mailing list which sends me updates constantly.

All of these services UCB LA provides are amazing and all it took was for me to actually look for them. Weird.

Thank you Joe and Alex for taking the time out of your day to answer these questions. I really appreciate it.

Sincerely

Lauri Roggenkamp

PS - I also put my name in this feed because I am not a coward who wants spew hate because I feel courageous that no one will find out who I actually am.

[rayolson]

Once again, the improv "Fat Cats" circle their wagons (to say nothing of what they're doing IN those wagons) and barricade themselves behind a wall of administrative red-tape, safe and sound from Joe Consumer's innocent scheduling-query grenades. When did Franklin Street lose touch with Main Street? Last time I saw Diamond Lion I had to pay FIVE WHOLE DOLLARS, and I swear I could hear those "Funny Folks" laughing backstage while they divided the booty -- then I saw one of them after the show, DRINKING A BEER! Tastes sweeter I bet with the sweat and tears of Mom-and-Pop student/audience member mixed in. Meanwhile I have performed at Crashbar MULTIPLE TIMES and I STILL have not received my first improv check!

Good luck waiting around for new classes, I'm going to hit the street and see what I can get for market price.

[lindsay]

Hey Chris,

I am always available to answer questions via email at lindsay@ucbcomedy.com. I do it all day long!

Best,
Lindsay

[OMG4reals]

FYIsies If you are browsing "the internet" in Chrome, you can use Page Monitor to track changes and a lil pop up window will alert you to any updates.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... e-ntp-icon

I think it is like the RSS feed thing but I don't know how to use an RSS feed? Page Monitor is super easy!!

I use it for classes AND reservations!!

xoxo