How are PHIT Ensembles different from an advanced class or independent team?

Classes are where students learn and practice technique.

PHIT Ensembles is where advanced performers apply those techniques inside a committed ensemble over time and under real performance conditions.

In class, the emphasis is on learning specific skills and building proficiency through a structured sequence.

In Ensembles, the emphasis shifts toward performance application: how individual choices affect the ensemble, the structure, pacing, focus, audience experience, and the performance as a whole.

Participants should expect substantive notes, repetition, rehearsal discipline, experimentation, and the opportunity to test the work in front of an audience, then return to rehearsal and adjust.

Not everything will work. That is part of the process. The rehearsal room is where performers can take risks, make imperfect choices, discover what does and does not serve the work, and try again.

The goal is to become more responsive, more aware, more generous, more intentional, and more effective as an ensemble performer.

This program is not simply “more class.” It is advanced performance training built around a repeated cycle of rehearsal, feedback, public performance, reflection, and refinement.

This program may not be the right fit if:

• you are looking for a beginner, intermediate, or casual improv class
• you are looking primarily for occasional drop-in stage time
• you are looking for a permanent or long-term house team
• you are looking for a low-commitment performance opportunity
• you are unable to commit to the full rehearsal schedule and all three public performances
• you want performances to be optional or separate from the training process
• you are looking for guaranteed casting, teaching, paid performance, or leadership opportunities
• you are looking for a shortcut around advanced long-form training
• you are primarily interested in individual spotlight time rather than ensemble growth
• you are not interested in receiving substantive notes, adjusting your work, and revisiting material over time
• you prefer a rehearsal process that is primarily social, informal, or self-directed
• you are under 21 or are unable to present valid photo ID for entry to 254. Because all three public performances are an essential part of the program, PHIT cannot waive this requirement.

Applicants should already have substantial long-form experience and be ready for a focused advanced performance-training process that includes rehearsal, feedback, experimentation, public performance, and refinement.

What experience should applicants have?

Applicants must have completed PHIT Improv 401 or comparable advanced long-form improv training elsewhere.

Comparable training or experience should include sustained work with core long-form skills such as:

• performing within an established long-form structure
• generating material from a suggestion or group opening
• emotionally grounded scene work and relationship development
• recognizing, repeating, and heightening patterns
• second and subsequent beats or other forms of thematic or scenic development
• group games and ensemble scenes
• scene-serving edits and support moves
• stage picture, focus, and awareness of the full performance
• ensemble-based rehearsal
• receiving and integrating individual and group notes
• rehearsing toward public performance

Experience may have come through forms such as Harold, La Ronde, Armando, Monoscene, Spokane, Evente, Close Quarters, or other long-form structures. Applicants do not need experience with every form or technique listed here.

Applicants with public long-form performance experience beyond a student showcase, graduation performance, or similar training showcase may be especially strong candidates, but professional or extensive public performance experience is not required.

What matters most is that applicants arrive with enough long-form foundation that Ensembles can focus on advanced ensemble development and performance refinement rather than reteaching foundational skills.

What does the program cost, and is financial assistance available?

Program tuition is $1,100, paid in four monthly installments of $275.

For participants receiving 50% financial assistance, tuition is $550, paid in four monthly installments of $137.50.

Participants receiving full financial assistance pay $0 tuition.

For full-pay and half-assistance participants, installments are scheduled for the end of December, January, February, and March.

No payment will be collected until PHIT has confirmed that the cohort is moving forward.

Financial assistance is offered on an honor-system basis. Applicants will not be asked to provide income documentation or prove financial hardship.

The number of awards available at each level will depend on final enrollment, available resources, and the overall financial composition of the cohort. PHIT cannot guarantee a specific number of 50% or full-assistance awards in advance.

Accepted participants will receive confirmation of their tuition or financial-assistance amount, their payment schedule and instructions, and a Participation Agreement before any payment is collected.

What happens if the cohort does not have enough accepted students?

PHIT Ensembles require sufficient enrollment and program resources in order to run responsibly.

Each cohort will include approximately 7–12 participants. Final cohort size and the number of financial assistance awards available will depend on enrollment, applicant need, and the overall financial viability of the program.

PHIT will confirm that the cohort is moving forward before any payment is collected.

If the cohort cannot move forward as scheduled, accepted applicants will be notified and may be invited to participate in a revised or future cycle.

If the program is postponed after acceptance notifications are sent, accepted applicants may be invited to hold their place for the revised start date.

If the revised schedule does not work for an accepted applicant, they may decline the revised offer and are welcome to apply again for a future cohort.

What are the participation expectations?

Because PHIT Ensembles are small, every participant affects the group. Consistent attendance, timely communication, reliability, and commitment to the ensemble are essential.

Participants are expected to:

• be 21 or older and able to present valid photo ID for entry to 254
• attend rehearsals consistently and participate in all three scheduled public performances
• arrive on time, prepared, and ready to work
• communicate promptly about illness, emergencies, or unavoidable conflicts
• receive, consider, and actively apply individual and ensemble notes
• participate fully in rehearsal, experimentation, and performance
• support the development of the ensemble as a whole, not only their own stage time
• treat fellow participants as essential members of the group
• contribute to a rehearsal environment where people can take risks, make imperfect choices, and continue working
• represent the ensemble and PHIT respectfully on and off stage
• follow PHIT’s Code of Conduct , Discrimination & Harassment Policy, and Ensemble specific program policies

Ensemble work does not require everyone to become best friends. It does require participants to work together with care, respect, generosity, reliability, and a shared commitment to the work.

Participants are expected to support the ensemble in rehearsal, in performance, and in how they speak about the work outside the room. Persistent gossip, trash-talking, undermining fellow participants or instructors, or other behavior that damages trust within the cohort may affect continued participation.

Repeated absences or lateness, last-minute cancellations, inconsistent communication, withdrawing from or failing to appear for a required performance, or an ongoing inability to meet the rehearsal and performance commitment may also affect continued participation.

If accepted, participants will receive a Participation Agreement outlining these expectations and program policies before payment is collected.

How Does Selection Work?

1. Applicants complete the PHIT Ensembles application and provide one reference from someone who can speak to their work as an improviser and collaborator. PHIT will contact the listed reference using a short online form.
2. Applications and submitted references will be reviewed by PHIT’s Executive Director and all three Lead Instructors as they are received.
3. Applicants will be considered based on a combination of factors, including:
   • advanced long-form experience and readiness
   • availability and ability to meet the full program commitment
   • reliability and communication
   • responsiveness to feedback and ability to integrate notes
   • collaboration and ensemble behavior
   • self-awareness and growth potential
   • fit with the experience level and developmental needs of the final cohort
4. Some applicants may be invited to a brief Zoom interview with PHIT’s Executive Director and the three Lead Instructors during the week of November 16. Interviews are used when additional conversation would help the selection team better understand an applicant’s readiness, goals, working style, or potential fit within the cohort.

Other applicants may be selected based on their application, reference, and demonstrated experience alone.

An interview invitation means only that PHIT would like additional information before completing the selection process; it is not a guarantee of acceptance.

5. Following the review and interview period, PHIT’s Executive Director and the Lead Instructors will meet to consider the full applicant pool and select the final cohort.
6. Accepted applicants will receive a written offer of participation, their financial-assistance determination if applicable, and a Program Participation Agreement.
7. Payment will only be collected once PHIT confirms that the cohort is moving forward.

A Note About Selection

Selection or non-selection is not a simple judgment of talent.

PHIT is building a small ensemble, which means considering how each applicant’s experience, readiness, working style, and developmental needs fit with the group as a whole.

A talented and experienced performer may not be selected if we cannot assemble a cohort that will challenge and support them appropriately. Likewise, we do not want to place someone into a group where the pace or expectations would be overwhelming.

Our goal is to create an ensemble in which everyone has room to stretch, contribute, receive meaningful feedback, and grow.

Submitting an application does not guarantee acceptance or placement.

If I Am Not Selected, Will PHIT Tell Me Why?

Yes. Applicants who are not selected will receive a brief, general explanation of the primary consideration affecting the decision as part of their non-selection email.

This may include eligibility, schedule availability, readiness for the program, developmental fit, limited space, or the overall composition of the cohort.

Because selection involves building an ensemble as a whole, the explanation may not identify a specific deficiency in the applicant. In some cases, an applicant may be qualified but not selected because PHIT cannot offer them the appropriate level of challenge during that cycle or because a different combination of participants is needed to create a balanced cohort.

PHIT does not provide additional individual assessments, comparisons with other applicants, confidential reference responses, internal selection notes, or extended feedback following the decision.

Selection decisions are final for each application cycle.

Applicants who are not selected are welcome to apply for a future cohort.

Where will rehearsals and performances take place, and are the spaces accessible?

Hamilton Family Arts Center
62 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia

All three public performances will take place as part of PHIT Community Night at:

254
254 S. 12th Street, Philadelphia

254’s cabaret stage is located on the third floor and is accessible by stairs only; there is no elevator. Everyone entering 254 must also be 21 or older and present a valid photo ID at the door.

PHIT does not currently have in-house ASL interpretation, audio description, or specialized accessibility staff.

Applicants will have an opportunity to share access-related needs or questions as part of the application. Sharing this information will not be used as a selection criterion; it is intended to help PHIT identify potential barriers and communicate honestly about what accommodations may be possible.

PHIT will make reasonable adjustments within its current capacity and will provide applicants with as much information as possible about rehearsal and performance spaces so they can determine whether the program will be accessible to them.

What is the refund / cancellation / drop-out policy?

• PHIT Ensembles are offered as a complete training and performance experience, not as individual sessions or drop-in classes.
• Payment will not be collected until PHIT confirms that the cohort is moving forward.
• Once the program is confirmed and payments are collected, payments are non-refundable and non-transferable, except where PHIT cancels or postpones the program before it begins.
• If PHIT cancels the program before the first rehearsal, payments already collected will be refunded.
• If PHIT postpones the program before the first rehearsal, accepted participants may choose either to hold their place for the revised schedule or receive a refund.
• Once the program has begun, voluntary withdrawal or removal from the program does not cancel remaining installment obligations.
• PHIT does not guarantee make-up dates, extensions, credits, refunds, or prorated adjustments for individual absences or for rehearsals or performances canceled due to circumstances beyond PHIT’s reasonable control, including severe weather, public emergencies, government orders or closures, public health events, venue closures, or instructor illness or unavailability. PHIT may attempt to reschedule or provide an alternative when practical, but cannot guarantee that a missed meeting or performance will be replaced. The program may therefore conclude with fewer meetings than originally scheduled.

   Cancellation of one or more individual rehearsals or performances under these circumstances does not constitute cancellation of the full  program.

• If PHIT ends the program after it has begun and cannot provide a reasonable alternative, PHIT will determine an appropriate remedy based on the circumstances.