Training
Mistakes encouraged. Growth required.
The Program
This isn’t just a place to take classes—it’s a system designed to make you better. Clear expectations, consistent stage time, honest feedback, and a community built to challenge and support you. Whether you’re new to the work or deep in your craft, this is where comedy stops being a side hustle and starts becoming a practice.
On this page, you’ll see how it all works—from the journey members take, to the people guiding them, to the tools and relationships that carry them forward.
The Journey
Most programs teach how not to make mistakes. We teach how to use them. Our training is intensive, focused, and unapologetically practical - built to get you on stage often and performing at a high level. We’ve stripped away the filler and built a curriculum that’s more in-depth and more efficient than anything else in Chicago. No overpriced classes. No fabricated end points. Just structured growth, high standards, and a community that never sends you home.
We don’t train improvisers to agree. We train them to think, adapt, and respond. Improvisation isn’t about nodding along—it’s about awareness. Of yourself, your scene partner, your audience, and the moment you’re all in together. That’s why we don’t rely on oversimplified mantras or a list of “don'ts.” We give you the tools to make bold choices and take responsibility for them—on your feet, in the scene, with clarity.
Comedy is messy. Our training honors that. Instead of shutting scenes down or softening risk, we let members lean in—learning how to recover, reflect, and move forward with control. Our method is collaborative, not corrective. Supported, not scripted.
Rooted in long-form improvisation, our system builds versatile comedic minds. Members use the shared language of improv to develop stand-up sets, scripted work, video projects, and more. Because this isn’t about mastering one format—it’s about building the instincts to create something that resonates, whatever the medium.
Your Guide
Mike is the founder and Artistic Director of One Group Mind and The Titanic Players, and the architect behind our entire training system. A veteran of Chicago’s comedy scene, he’s coached over 100 teams (some for more than 7 years), performed for 30+ years, and helped shaped the careers of hundreds of working comedians.
He performed with house teams at iO, understudied Keegan-Michael Key at Second City, and toured with Second City’s Outreach & Diversity Company. His iO ensemble, Valhalla, won two Del Awards for Best Team during their six-year run. His original play, Wishin’ Control, earned a critic’s pick in PerformInk.
Under his direction, The Titanic Players became the only two-time winners of the National College Improv Tournament and The Comedy Clubhouse has become the highest rated comedy club in Chicago.
He’s the recipient of the Chicago Star Award, Beygood Award, and Chicago Community Development Award—recognition for his contributions to comedy, education, and the Chicago arts community.
His students have gone on to work in The Office, SNL, Brooklyn 99, Community, Parks and Rec, The Mindy Project, Key & Peele, Reno 911!, to name just a few.
Mike brings decades of experience, a long track record of success, and a deep commitment to the work—both on stage and off. His training has helped launched careers, built championship teams, and shaped the culture of long-form improv in Chicago. And he’s not just the architect—he’s still performing every week, coaching in the room, and evolving the craft alongside his students.
Our Community
At One Group Mind, you’re not just entering a training program—you’re joining a network of performers who support, challenge, and create with one another. Some teams have been together for over a decade. Many members had never stepped onstage before joining. What unites them now is a shared language, a shared ethic, and the shared drive to keep evolving.
This isn’t a cast list. It’s a collaboration. We train together, perform together, and build together—inside rehearsals, on the Comedy Clubhouse stage, and in projects that happen far beyond it. Because when everyone speaks the same language, the ideas don’t stop when the lights get pulled.
Our Craft
Our work only begins with rehearsal. Members get access to the One Group Mind Improv Comedy Hub—a curated library of recorded performances, theory breakdowns, archived drills, and tools to deepen the work offstage.
We record every show—not just for promo, but for progress. Members review performances, unpack their choices, and track growth on their own terms. It’s a simple but powerful process: watch back, spot patterns, and bring sharper questions into the rehearsal room.
The goal? To build performers who don’t just train harder—they train smarter. With every rep, they’re learning to direct themselves, reflect with intention, and expand their creative instincts well beyond the classroom.
And now, we have even more space to do it—in our Community Green Room designed for rehearsal, study, creativity, and play. A dedicated space for the moments between the work that make the work stronger.
Your Next Stage
A lot of performers walk through our doors with no credits and no industry plan—just curiosity, hustle, and the willingness to train. What they leave with varies. For some, it’s a weekly show, a team they trust, and a deeper understanding of their craft. For others, it’s the start of a professional journey that takes them far.
Our alumni have gone on to write for Saturday Night Live, perform on The Daily Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Mindy Project, The Office, Key & Peele, and beyond. Some became mainstays at Second City and UCB. Others became Emmy-winning puppeteers, stand-up headliners, or creators of web series and festivals of their own.
And not all of them stayed in comedy. One became a doctor and used his skills to create videos that help kids understand their illnesses. Another rapped with Elton John. Each found their own way forward—armed with the instincts, tools, and creative clarity they sharpened here.
Because the point of this training isn’t just to get laughs. It’s to empower you to create.
Become a Member
You’ve seen how we train. You’ve met the people behind it. Now, if you’re ready to do the work, we’d love to see what you’ve got.
This isn’t some magic formula or comedy cult. It’s a space where people put in the reps, support each other, and get really, really funny along the way.
Auditions help us make sure you’re ready to dive in. But if you’ve got potential, a good attitude, and a hunger to grow, that’s a great start.
Membership gets you weekly rehearsals, real stage time, experienced coaching, and access to our private education hub. But more than that, it gets you a permanent place in a community that’s truly on your side.
We’ve kept membership affordable from day one. Just comedians building something better—together.