Don's improv class has been such a positive addition to my life. I originally joined looking for something fun and different, and it ended up being so much more than that. The class has genuinely helped me with public speaking and communication and I feel more confident thinking on my feet, speaking up, and connecting with others more naturally. Beyond that, it's brought so much laughter into my life. Every class is fun, energizing, and something I truly look forward to. Don creates such a welcoming and supportive environment where it feels safe to be yourself, take risks, and have fun without worrying about being judged. Whether you're hoping to improve communication skills, build confidence with public speaking, or simply laugh more and meet great people, I highly recommend Don's improv class. read more

A few things I came to appreciate about Don's "Beginner's Improv" class: Curriculum: It's efficiently and thoughtfully organized. We covered a lot in just 6 classes. Good time: Games are played for warm-up and practice of specific skills, and the classroom vibe is good old wholesome fun. Energizing: As a busy working mother of young children, I found these classes didn't drain me -- Instead they gave me a boost of energy and positivity. Applicability: Improv not only helps with communication, but I feel that many of the guidelines (like the famous "Yes And") are useful reminders of how to be a good person in day-to-day life. Personalities: Don established a safe space so that everybody felt comfortable. Some students were shy vs. outgoing, younger vs. older, had vs. didn't have stage experience, etc. After only a couple classes, we established a comfort level that enabled everybody's personalities to really shine through in their improv. Even if you're only mildly curious about it, I would highly recommend that you just go ahead and sign up for Don's classes! read more

I took Improv 101 with Don last December, and it was genuinely one of the best classes I've taken. I work in a corporate environment and I speak at events regularly, but this class still pushed my communication skills to a new level. Don is an outstanding teacher - funny, sharp, and incredibly good at helping people communicate with clarity and confidence. You can tell he has real experience coaching executive communication (including in tech environments like Google), and he brings that same practical, high-impact approach to improv. Before this class, I didn't realize how much improv can unlock - imagination, acting, presence, and even emotion. Don breaks it down in a way that's easy to apply right away. You learn how to truly listen to your partner and build a scene using simple principles like: who you are, where you are, and what you're doing. He also creates a supportive, high-energy environment that makes it easy to participate. Everyone was engaged, willing to jump in, and genuinely fun to work with--and it was just as fun to watch others grow throughout the class. If you want a class that can meaningfully improve how you communicate--at work and at home--this is it. I'm already looking forward to taking Improv 201 the next time Don offers it nearby. Thanks, Don! read more

I took Don's public speaking class and improved a lot of my stance and gestures in my speech. The class is very interactive and encouraging. Highly recommended for people who are interested in sharpening their public speaking skills. read more

I was part of Don's Sketch writing class this summer. I'm both an experienced writer and an experienced speaker/ speaker trainer and I still learned so much over the six weeks about timing, escalation and clarity. Super fun class, and highly recommended!! read more

I recommend Don's public speaking class! Don's class is different than normal public speaking classes because it's curated to you and your needs. I've learned to focus on my presentation stance and gestures. and have fun giving a talk, and now, my speaking is different because I have the big picture in mind. read more

I took an Improv class from Don, and I loved it! He really helped me by starting out telling us it would go better if we didn't try too hard to be funny, and I thought phew! The humor came out more naturally, and we learned a lot and laughed a lot. read more

I took Don's Sketch Comedy Writing (or was it Comedy Sketch Writing? I always get it wrong) through Redwood City Parks and Rec. I could not have been happier with the course. There were about a dozen of us. Each week we would learn about one part of the structure of comedy sketches. Don would assign us to submit a 2 1/2 page sketch based on the topic for the week. we would submit them for discussion the following week. Each person's sketch would be displayed and then read by various members of the class. After it was read there would be discussion about it. I was nervous the first week about the feedback I would get, but Don and the class were always supportive of each other. I'm thinking about taking the class again, I enjoyed it so much. read more

OMG His class is amazing! The public speaking is so encouraging and helped me address my stage fright! Don is very knowledgeable and helpful! read more

I took an Improv 101 class with Don, and I also attended an intro to sketch writing seminar with Don. Don does an incredible job of teaching. He comes in prepared with lessons, whiteboards concepts for us, and keeps us on track. He delivers his knowledge in a manner in which we understand and is enjoyable! He is a very engaging, thoughtful, and fun teacher. Most importantly, he manages the entire cast of characters and personality types that arrive to learn. I can speak from personal experience that I became friendly with everyone and close to many of the other students in the six week time period. I credit this to the environment Don created and the encouragement we all received. I highly recommend attending any of Don's classes or trainings. I personally will be continuing on in my learnings with a full sketch comedy class he is teaching in the winter. I also intend to attend his 201 improv class whenever he teaches that in my area next. Lastly, I wish that he creates his vision of an improv and sketch comedy community in the Bay Area. I know he can and I want it to happen too! read more

Don is very patient, does not judge and allows you to grow in your improv and public speaking skills. Don is a true gift to the peninsula community. read more

Don's training at our workplace on public speaking was incredibly practical and high-value. His instruction focuses on immediate, actionable skills - specifically vocal variety, purposeful gestures, effective pausing, and clear content structuring. If you are looking for the single best way to develop your professional communication skills, look no further. Don is an outstanding instructor. read more

Don's public speaking class was the most engaging professional training I've ever experienced. He uses humor and real-world examples to make complex concepts easy to understand. He created a supportive, non-judgmental environment where everyone felt safe practicing and taking risks. I learned a lot from Don't class! A phenomenal coach and a genuinely inspiring person! read more

I signed up for an improv class with Don Colliver at the local rec center and I was excited to have something like this so close to home. He had a good background and I was overjoyed that he turned out to be even better than I expected him to be. His way of teaching such an illusive style of theater turned out to be very concise, well thought out, progressive in terms of techniques and so much fun that everyone left class with huge grins on their faces. He was able to start from the beginning with simple exercises and build on them beautifully, both each evening and from class to class, so that the next thing we did followed naturally from the previous one. Then he sent us all an outline of what we had learned that evening. He also wrote the main ideas on a white board so it all helped us on every level take in that evening's experiences. He did a great job as an instructor and it was a really terrific class. I will take more from him whenever I can. read more

I recently took a public speaking course with Don and it was excellent! In 6 sessions I became a much more confident speaker, and learned many practical skills. Don was knowledgeable and engaging, creating a very supportive environment where everyone felt comfortable practicing and challenging themselves. read more

Don's public speaking class really helped me. He explains things clearly and makes you feel comfortable. I feel more confident speaking in front of people now. read more

This is the train to take to clown town. Don is warm, funny, engaging, and knowledgeable. Highly recommend!!

I took a one-on-one private from Don and walked away with more knowledge about the craft of engaging an audience, tapping into vulnerability, and physicality connected to emotion, than I even knew to expect. Don was fantastic at pushing me past my comfort level in a way that I never felt attacked, or took personally. He was encouraging and knowledgeable. I'd do this again in a heartbeat. read more

Don is awesome! His workshop was not only informative, but fun! He helped me realize new aspects of myself as a performer and an individual. Try out one of his workshops! Come with an flexible mind, a limber body, and an open heart... Don will help you challenge interesting new levels of yourself. read more

I took a 3-hour workshop with Don and loved it. He had a number of exercises that promoted an understanding of how vulnerability helps performers connect with audiences. Don has an easy-going style, but he also doesn't let you slide through the exercises without learning something. read more

Life changing. Revelatory. And a heck of a lot of fun! I took Don's three-hour Intro Clown workshop and am hard pressed to remember when I've experienced that much gleeful joy in any learning situation. We practiced very simple disciplines -- connecting with one of four basic emotions and maintaining eye contact with the audience -- but the result was profoundly funny and deeply freeing. I left wanting more! read more

Don's workshop was such a refreshing mind reset for me on public speaking! Everything I learned has already dramatically changed the way I use the stage as the speaker and how that use of space, along with the concept of the 4th wall, creates more connection with the audience. Another attendee said, "Don's program should be mandatory for all Toastmasters." I agree. Not a Toastmasters member, well this workshop would be helpful for corporate groups too because you learn about interacting with others and there is so much value in that. Amazed by all that I learned in one workshop! read more

I took a one-day clown workshop with Don and loved it! The class was small enough that we all got plenty of individual time and the feedback was very helpful. Don is great at being both constructive and critical without tearing you down. We did individual and group exercises and really focused on keeping our eyes on the audience. We also worked on incorporating some emotional work from the Actor's Gang (joy, fear, anger, sadness). I was nervous, but I ended up having a blast, learned a lot, and would definitely take another class! read more

I thoroughly enjoyed Don's clowning workshop, he is such a gifted and inspiring instructor who knows how to pull the very best from his students. I came away with a number of practical tools that I will utilize not only in enhancing my performance endeavors but in interpersonal relationships and general communication as well. Great stuff, highly recommended! read more