The following basic classes are offered on a regular basis by ExecuProv at both its training facility, the DePietro Performance Center in Santa Ana, California, and on-site at client company locations. The DePietro Performance Center offers two theaters: one an intimate 18-seat facility with a tiered stage and dressing rooms, the other a 78-seat auditorium with a large stage, video capability, projector screen, lectern, sound booth and other convenient training amenities. The center also provides private videotaping studios and technicians as needed.

All classes are also available on-site at company locations.

• Presentation Skills
  Covers all the basics used to train the improv comedy player in developing better presence and enhancing an overall performance level. The objective is to help each student improve his or her speaking and presentation skills. Proper breathing, vocal production, diction, awareness, concentration, energy, self-expression, timing, spontaneity, listening, body language and the how-to’s of preparing speech content are all part of this one-day workshop.
   
  
• Death By PowerPoint
  This class teaches the business professional the do’s and don’ts of presentations with the use of this technology. The class features 14 easy guidelines that cover both content and delivery. Students bring a PowerPoint presentation with them to work on or create a new one in class.
  
  
• People Skills
  Teaches the various guidelines and tools of scene study as they are utilized in improvisational comedy. Demonstrations of how these techniques can be implemented into everyday one-on-one communication are a hands-on experience for every student. Mirroring, listening, reacting and responding appropriately, and making positive situations out of negative ones are stressed in this class. Diffusing tension and anger with clients, learning to be more direct and concise, and understanding an individual’s subtext are also just a few of the areas covered. 
  
  
• What's So Funny?
  Aids students with the discovery of their own unique humorous style and storytelling abilities to use whenever appropriate in presentations and speeches. Students begin by understanding what constitutes humor: the magic of their own delivery, timing and style. It also prepares the student to be consistent in getting positive feedback on their presentations by the use of intermittent humor, interesting stories and anecdotes. Each student is videotaped during this class. 
  
  
• Humor In The Workplace
  Is geared to get the humor muscles working! With stress, tension and difficulties permeating everyone’s business day, the need for finding balance is essential. Students first learn what constitutes humor and begin to identify their own sense of humor; then they are shown how to use it more effectively. Each student is asked to participate in role-playing, where they are required to find only humorous solutions to tense and difficult situations. Students are also teamed up and asked to create their own humor day as well as other uplifting tasks.
  
  
• How To Think Fast On Your Feet (Without Putting Them in Your Mouth)
  Every business professional has had those instances when he/she has not been able to respond quickly and/or appropriately. This class explains why it is — when the meeting agenda suddenly shifts, an unexpected request is made, or when a confrontation occurs—that most people freeze in his/her verbal tracks. The class offers ways to eliminate fear and inhibition. It also offers ways to keep the mind quick and nimble under the most highly pressurized communication situations. Methods to speed up the response-to-the-unexpected are also part of this one-day class. Students share their inability-to-communicate experiences for re-enactment to soon find that they can respond appropriately, anytime and anywhere.
  
  
• Making A Scene
  For those who wish to get the most out of every conversation or re-do a piece of communication (to attain a more satisfactory result), this class is an ExecuProv must! Students spend the day learning how many choices there really are when it comes to handling any communication situation. Learning to lean on instincts and go with the flow is stressed in this class’ lesson plan. Before and after, scenes are re-enacted—the “after” done several times to demonstrate the many satisfactory choices there are—to build the student's confidence. This method ensures that the student will never feel disappointed or frustrated after a communication situation.
  
  
• Wit’s End
  Every business professional is faced with the “difficult” person!  Whether it’s the boss, a co-worker or client, this class offers students ways to cope with those individuals who drive them crazy!  Students learn many stand up comic basics and the performance methods improv comics use to handle the “heckler” when they are on stage, confronted or irritated by another performer or audience member. Through a process of re-enacting even the most troublesome workplace situations, students learn that there are many satisfactory options to handling such frustrating individuals. Positives are stressed in this class to bring harmony and peace of mind to those who typically find themselves at their wit’s end!  A number of advanced improv rules are introduced in this class.
  
  
• Write Away
  For those business professionals who need to brush up on their grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary and find articulate ways to convey their written communications, this ExecuProv class is a must!  During class, the composition of content deals with tone, structure, impact and effectiveness of communication.  Since “making the human connection” is at the heart of many of ExecuProv’s lessons, engaging and connecting to the reading audience is stressed. Students work on letters, proposals, emails, handouts, reports, memos, pitches, marketing materials and other forms of written communication that they may need to improve upon. Classes are kept to a minimum and teamwork among classmates on various class assignments helps to get the job done! Kerr’s extensive experience as a writer is used in this valuable lesson plan.
  
  
• Meeting Called to Order
  There is nothing worse than meetings with chaos or meetings where nothing is accomplished! The Meeting Called to Order workshop is the perfect solution for those business professionals who need strategies and a game plan to achieve results at every meeting--whether it lasts for two minutes or two days.  Students learn "tricks and secrets" used by many improv comedy directors and performers to keep ensemble get-togethers lively, collaborative, synergistic and most of all, productive.
  
  
• Email Etiquette
  With most communication between business professionals taking place via email today, ExecuProv is now offering a dynamic new class: The Bliss or “Diss” Connection: Email Etiquette for the Business Professional.  With lessons pulled from the book with the same title, released on April 2, 2007, ExecuProv founder, Cherie Kerr, has designed a one-day fun and interactive workshop tailored to help those in the workplace maximize their communications through email and to learn specific “etiquette” when using it. 

• English as a Second Language
  Designed to help business professionals whose secondary language is English, this class focuses on developing broader verbal skills such as vocabulary, articulation and accent reduction. The overall goal is to help students become more confident in speaking English both in conversation and during speeches and presentations. Students will explore their verbal capabilities and enhance their verbal strengths as well as work to eliminate verbal weaknesses. Each student will receive personalized typewritten notes and homework assignments geared to continue building on class lessons. Highly interactive drills and exercises are conducted throughout the day during the one-day workshop with emphasis on support and encouragement to master a more effective speech pattern. 

• How to BE Presidential
  Are you on the way to the top in your organization, but don’t quite know how to demonstrate to the “powers-that-be” that you are fully capable of doing the job you really want? Are you at the top but fail to show those around you that you are fully in charge? Do you lack the authority to gain the respect of your peers? Are you responsible for training tomorrow’s managers and executives but simply don’t have the tools? Do you want your clients and customers to believe you are the go-to person? If you have answered yes to any of the above then ExecuProv’s new class, “How to BE ‘Presidential’” is the two-day workshop series for you! You will learn the “tricks and secrets” used by many top level executives—the presidents of many companies—who never fail to win over and impress those around them. 

• ExecuProv Weekly
  This popular workshop series takes the business professional through 8 weeks (one night a week/two hours) of rigorous but fun improv exercises that strengthen one's mental muscles, lessen inhibitions, and build confidence and poise.  Immediately following the conclusion of the eight weeks, a mutually agreed upon weekend night is chosen by the class to perform a live improv comedy show before family, friends, and colleagues.  Class space is limited to 10 so that each participant experiences highly personalized training.

   

 

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ALL CLASSES ARE KEPT TO A MINIMUM (between three and eight students) AND SOME CLASSES OFFER TWO INSTRUCTORS. Some classes include private coaching on videotape and all classes include handout materials. The lesson plans for most of the classes are based upon each student's input and needs. Fees vary according to class size and program. We take Visa® and MasterCard® for your convenience.

Custom-tailored classes can accommodate larger groups. For more information, please call (714) 550-9900.