Best Drama Theater Oakland Near Me

4worldlovers: On May 5, 2019, Company Members from the Oakland Theater Project took the stage at TedX Palo Alto for a performance and talk exploring how theater can bridge divides in a broken America.


Amid the dense arts scene of California’s Bay Area, Ubuntu Theater Project has proudly distinguished itself with a mission statement of being “radically inclusive.”

As I learned more about Ubuntu from talking with its leadership, I began to see this three-year-old company as an heir to the movement in American theater that began in 1931.

“One of the most exciting young companies to emerge in the Bay Area in the past decade”

“The Ubuntu Theater Project’s absolute belief in community leads them into strange and revelatory productions… Oakland’s most dynamic theater company“

“One of the leading art theatres in the Bay area, and, quite possibly, in the entire United States of America”

4worldlovers: An introduction to Meisner Technique and Improv Theater. Connect and transform.

A fun, affordable, mixed level drop-in style workshop and class offered on Sundays.

Spend a weekend with the original Improv Guru. Learn from the former director of Second City, LA directly.

Improv Jam - June 10th. $10 to play or be in the audience. Doors open at 8pm.

Pan Theater is the East Bay’s oldest improv theater. Pan has been bringing improv goodness to Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area since 2002.

Tens of thousands of people have come to Pan shows and taken classes at Pan over the years.

Pan is located at 120 Frank Ogawa Plaza in Oakland, a 30 second walk from 12th Street BART. Pan is convenient to the entire San Francisco, Bay Area.

Pan Theater offers improv classes, workshops and improv shows in Oakland. Pan is the San Francisco Bay Area’s favorite improv hot spot offering you top notch improv comedy shows and affordable improv classes for every skill level.

Pan Theater alumni have gone on to graduate school in theater and conservatory programs, launched stand up and acting careers and brought more fun and excitement to their lives.

Pan alumni have also gone on to start troupes, theaters and related journeys. Others have used improv to enhance their careers and personal lives.

For those new to improv checkout the Rules of Improv Parts I.

Choosing an improv class can be difficult when you are first starting out.

Improv from the Heart is our Meisner based signature improv class. The class is one of our more popular classes. The class explores bringing more emotion to improv. It is not a “comedy” improv class. The class is for those that want to sharpen their acting skills and be able to explore a deeper and more emotional approach to improv.

Pan focuses on learning by doing and we offer troupe opportunities based on experience level. Group auditions are quarterly.

4worldlovers:
OSA Alumna Leila Mottley appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers!


Read more about this homage to Oakland artists, past and present!

Good Evening, Here is the agenda for the Special Board meeting. This meeting is in person and will be held on campus in RM 216. Please note that... Read More >>

Good Evening, Here is the agenda for the Special board meeting. This meeting with be at the following location: New DVM Building 2018 SAN... Read More >>

Good Evening, Here are the board agenda and materials for the upcoming board meeting. Please note that the board will be on recess for the... Read More >>

Hello OSA Community! Please enjoy the latest OSA newsletter for the 22-23 school year. We will be sending weekly updates to our community to... Read More >>

Hello All, Here are the agenda and materials for the board meeting on 5/25/23. Please note that we do have a closed session on the agenda. Our... Read More >>

4worldlovers: On Saturday, April 22, over 80 OUSD students performed their hearts out for over 400 audience members at the Mosswood Park Amphitheater for our 2023 Showcase, Umbrella People. Performers consisted of Prescott Circus Theatre students from six school based programs, youth musicians of the Oakland Spirit Orchestra led by Alison Balano, Tarika Lewis, and Baba Wainwright, and participants in the Young Adult Program Choir led by Michelle Jordan.


The show was directed and MC’d by Tristan Cunningham (NCIS, CSI Vegas, Family Reunion, and All Rise) and accompanied by Spanish Language MC, Edna Mira Raia (Potatoes Mashed Comedy), and ASL interpreter, Sierra Picket with Pro Bono ASL. Umbrella People, celebrated the people in our lives who care for others and bring people together for common good. Umbrella Awards were presented to Prescott Circus Theatre’s founder and matriarch, Aileen Moffitt, and Oakland Unified School District principal and educator, Deitra Atkins – two women who have dedicated their lives to creating quality arts education experiences for children and uniting communities through the arts.


Special thanks to Terri Westbrook and the Mosswood Recreation Center, event sponsor Mechanics Bank, our dedicated teaching artists, and all of our audience members who supported our young stars.