There's a lot to unpack here. I agree with your critique of the "curriculum" gatekeeping setup that a lot of theaters have, and it does give off a weird moneyg

There's a lot to unpack here. I agree with your critique of the "curriculum" gatekeeping setup that a lot of theaters have, and it does give off a weird moneygrabbing vibe. _However_, - space costs money - shows are almost always absurdly cheap (and btw, it's not like you can just take two classes and do a show sponsored by the theater. Magnet had a particularly arduous process to get on a house team.) - don't know about UCB but Magnet held free open improv sessions. PIT charged something small to participate - it's not heavily advertised but Magnet/PIT will come up with scholarships/volunteer opportunities in exchange for tuition. I also think it's ridiculous to gatekeep software engineers out of improv (one of the most accepting communities I've been a part of btw), as if we're only allowed to churn out code 8 hours a day, go home, and do nothing that could possibly allow ourselves a creative outlet. While I enjoy some aspects of my job, I don't find it totally stimulating, and I like having creative outlets of expression such as improv. To some end, yes, the money I make as an engineer does fuel my ability to participate in my hobby. I'm not "trashing a local economy". I'm enjoying my fucking hobby. A hobby I have some higher aspirations in, granted, but I'm not expecting to quit my job tomorrow and pivot to comedy. For all this guff you're making about software engineers being unfunny, I find it incredibly _unfunny_ that you're just declaring who can and can't participate in what is effectively two people telling a story on the fly.