JEST Improv
Est. 2018
What is JEST?
JEST is Ventura County's freshest, funniest and newest comedy school! Started by a group of friends looking to create a positive space for comedy, JEST has been bringing fun, inclusive comedy to the Ventura County area since 2018 and has been featured in the Ventura County Star and VC Reporter.
Why Improv?
Improv is the art of Improvisation, making everything up on the spot with no prior preparation. Sounds pretty tough right? Well, at one point in our lives each of us were master improvisers, back when we were children. Somewhere along the way when we became productive members of society we forgot the magic of using our own imaginations. Lets get it back!
So what can we as adults learn from Improv?
It teaches us to be better communicators.
Keenly develop your skills of listening to other people and to better work with them. Its a wonderful feeling when you go up with no idea of what to do and build something with someone else on the spot.
Many times people are just waiting for their turn to speak in a conversation. Don't be that person. Great improv takes great listeners. Build better relationships by listening to what other people are actually saying.
It helps you think on your feet.
Don't have an idea of what to do in a scene?
Great! Neither does your partner, and that's okay! You will learn to trust you scene partner and that you are not in the spotlight alone!
It helps us learn to deal with failure.
In Improv, some scenes are great, some not so great. But, that's okay! We can learn from failure. And realize that failure is something we can grow from. Not something to be feared.
Most importantly, it helps us learn to enjoy ourselves more.
Life is too important to be taken seriously!
Jest Improv's History
November 2018
January 2019
September - October 2020
July 2021
November 2021
August 2022
Alex Sattler and Alex Tron had the idea to start the Jest Improv group in 2018, along with Stephanie Sacha, Josh Stallings and Olliver Perez, while all were in a different improv group. In November of 2018 Jest Improv held their very first drop-in improv class open to the general public at the Diversity Collective in Ventura.
In January of 2019 Jest Improv held their first improv comedy show for the general public to enjoy at the Diversity Collective in Ventura. Shows would continue to run at the Diversity Collective throughout 2019.
September of 2020, the drop-in improv class re-opened at Arroyo Verde park in Ventura after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 lockdown. In October of 2020, Jest Improv hosted their first corporate event for Sunshine Retirement Living.
Drop-in improv classes returned to the Diversity Collective. July of 2021, Jest Improv resumed live comedy shows.
Our first show with the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club (a major comedy club in Ventura County) in November of 2021. Shows would continue at the Harbor Comedy Club through May of 2022.
Jest Improv is featured in the VC Star and VC Reporter in August of 2022.