Beat the Heat with a Sense of Humor! This Summer’s Comedy Classes at SteelStacks

Bethlehem, Lehigh Valley, PA., April 29, 2025 – ArtsQuest is excited to host a variety of adult comedy classes at SteelStacks this summer! With three levels of improv comedy to choose from, beginners to experienced comedians have a place at ArtsQuest. Classes will be taught by three of the Lehigh Valley’s funniest comedians: Laurie Wagner Storlie, Danielle Tampier and Cindy Marsh. Learn more and register for classes at ArtsQuest.org. Pricing for all classes is $179 for general patrons and $160 for ArtsQuest Members. Students of all classes must be 18+ by the first day of class.  

Improv 101 with Laurie Wagner Storlie
July 7 – September 8 (Skips Aug 4 and Sept 1)
Mondays 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: Visitor Center at SteelStacks presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network part of Jefferson Health
Price: $179 General Patrons | $160 ArtsQuest Members
Graduation Show: Monday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, Tickets $5

Improv 101 focuses on the three core principles of comedic improvisation: agreement, being active and justification. We designed our classes to create an energetic and supportive environment for play. Whether you’ve never taken the stage before, you’re a seasoned improviser or you’re simply looking to help yourself in your career and/or life, you’ll learn a lot about improv from this class.

Laurie Wagner Storlie is a long-time actor, improviser and improv team coach. She is an alum of Second City/Hollywood and IO West (Improv Olympic). She honed her improv skills in Los Angeles, CA in the early 2000’s during what was known as the Great Improv Explosion. She has studied and performed with some of the great masters of improv. Laurie currently teaches an ongoing improv class called Improv For Everyday Survival at Wunderbarn (East Greenville, PA) and Holistic Awakenings (Catasauqua, PA) and has coached improv team “Staycation.”

Improv 201 with Danielle Tampier
July 7 – September 3 (Skips Aug 6)
Wednesdays 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: Visitor Center at SteelStacks presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network part of Jefferson Health
Price: $179 General Patrons | $160 ArtsQuest Members
Graduation Show: Monday, Sept 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, Tickets $5

Must have completed Improv 101 at ArtsQuest or have equivalent experience.

Improv 201 builds on the basic principles of improv and helps develop your improv skills to make strong comedic choices. By finding and exploring Game you will expand your ‘Yes, and’ abilities while also discovering all avenues that Game can play in scenes.

Danielle Tampier is an actress and comedian located in the Lehigh Valley. Post college, Danielle found a love for improvisation while going through the improv program at ArtsQuest. She is a member of two Lehigh Valley improv teams: Staycation and Cranks & Pulleys and has graced the ArtsQuest stages numerous times appearing in the shows Pigeon City Sketch Show, The Mister Sisters, Valley Weird Squares, You’ve Died of Dysentery: An Improvised Oregon Trail Experience, Staycation’s Improvised Television and her all-time favorite show, Tony & Tina’s Wedding.  

Improv 301 with Cindy Marsh
June 11 – July 30
Wednesdays 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Location: Visitor Center at SteelStacks presented by Lehigh Valley Health Network part of Jefferson Health
Price: $179 General Patrons | $160 ArtsQuest Members
Graduation Show: Thursday, August 14th at 7:30 p.m. at the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, Tickets $5

Students must also have graduated from Improv 101 and 201 at SteelStacks or have equivalent experience.

Now that you’ve mastered the basic improv principles of “Yes, and” and Game, Improv 301 shows you how to put these skills into action in an improv form of your instructor’s choosing. Each 301 showcases a different improv form.

Cindy’s improv journey began at ArtsQuest and has continued as a student of The Second City Chicago, Upright Citizens Brigade and The Magnet Theater in New York City. Her infectious laughter and boundless energy light up stages like SteelStacks where she performs with her improv team, Synced Up. As a coach, teacher and corporate trainer, she empowers individuals and teams to tap into their own comedic genius and embrace the transformative power of “Yes, and…” Cindy is currently the Vice Chair of ArtsQuest’s Performing Arts Board and owner of Good Human Improv Company in Easton, PA.

About ArtsQuest
ArtsQuest’s mission is to provide access to exceptional artistic, cultural and educational experiences using arts and culture as key elements of economic development for our urban communities. ArtsQuest™ supports this mission via the presentation of performing and visual arts, film, arts education classes and outreach, youth programming and cultural events. Through festivals such as its flagship event, Musikfest; the ArtsQuest Creative Factory powered by PPL; and the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks arts and cultural campus, ArtsQuest’s programming reaches more than 1.9 million people annually. The organization’s programs and events, of which nearly 40 percent are free to attend, have a combined economic impact of more than $136 million annually in the region.