List of improvisational theatre companies
Encyclopedia
Improvisational theatre companies, also known as improv troupes or improv groups, are the primary practitioners of improvisational theater. Modern companies exist around the world and at a range of skill levels. Most groups make little or no money, while a few, well-established groups are profitable.

Although improvisational theater has existed in some form or another since the 16th Century, modern improv began with the teachings of Viola Spolin
Viola Spolin
Viola Spolin was an important innovator of the American theater in the 20th century. She created directorial techniques to help actors to be focused in the present moment and to find choices improvisationally, as if in real life...

 and Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone
Keith Johnstone is a drama instructor whose teachings and books have focused on improvisational theatre and have had a major influence on the art of improvisation.-Education:...

 in the 1940-50s. Spolin's teachings led to the creation of The Compass Players, the first modern improvisational theater company, in 1955. The presence of The Compass Players, The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...

, and ImprovOlympic in Chicago created a strength in the form within the city that continues to this day. New York City, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

, and Toronto are other major hubs of improvisational theater in the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

.

Many companies host improvisational theatre festivals or give improvisational theatre classes. Professional groups often perform a regular stage show acted by the most senior members. Along with this, they host "house" improv teams made up of improv students or graduates from their classes. In the past decade, professional improvisational theater groups have gradually started working more with corporate clients, using improvisational games to improve productivity and communication in the workplace.

Improvisational theatre companies in the United States

Major Professional companies have branches in more than one city, have touring groups, and/or host large-scale improvisational comedy schools. Professional troupes are those not affiliated with a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 or secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...

. Collegiate groups are those associated with a post-secondary educational institution. If a company performs more than one type of improvisational comedy, they are defined as using Multiple improvisational comedy types. If it is unclear what particular kind of improvisational comedy a group performs, they are defined as Improvisational. Those marked Semi-improvisational generally perform shows that are partially improvised and partially scripted.
NameGroup LevelImprov TypeLocationDate EstablishedSan Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

1996
ACME Comedy Theatre
ACME Comedy Theatre
The ACME Comedy Theatre is a sketch comedy and improvisational theater located near Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, on La Brea near Wilshire's "Miracle Mile" in the U.S. ACME was started by M.D. Sweeney as "The Two Roads Theater" in Studio City in 1989, with the players known as the Two Roads...

Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

1989
Ad-Libs Comedy Improv Troupe Professional Improvisational Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...

1986
The Annoyance Theater Professional Improvisational Chicago, Illinois 1987
Atlas Improv Co.
Atlas Improv Co.
Atlas Improv Co.is a professional improvisational theatre company located in Madison, WI. Atlas Improv Co. was formed in 2004 by a group of former ComedySportz Madison players seeking greater creative opportunities...

Professional Multiple Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....

2004
Awkward Face Professional Long-form Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

2002
BATS Improv
BATS Improv
BATS Improv is a non-profit improvisational theatre company in San Francisco. Founded in 1986, their unique style of acting-based improvisational theatre is well-known in improv circles around the world...

Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

1986
The Basement Theatre Professional Multiple Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

2004
Bay Area Improv Theater Professional Long-form Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....

2004
The Bent Theatre
The Bent Theatre
The Bent Theatre, formerly known as Whole World Theater Charlottesville, is an improvisational comedy troupe based in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded by Jenn Horne, in 2004. The group began with weekly classes, then accumulated enough actors to perform monthly shows at various venues...

Professional Multiple Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...

2004
Birdstrike Theatre Collegiate Davis, California
Davis, California
Davis is a city in Yolo County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...

Bovine Metropolis Theater Professional Multiple Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

1998
The Brave New Workshop Comedy Theater
Brave New Workshop
The Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre , located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been writing, performing and producing live sketch comedy and improvisation performances for 50 years – longer than any other theatre in the nation...

Professional Multiple Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...

1958
Burpees' Seedy Theatrical Company Collegiate Improvisational Granville, Ohio
Granville, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,167 people, 1,309 households, and 888 families residing in the village. The population density was 790.4 people per square mile . There were 1,384 housing units at an average density of 345.4 per square mile...

1979
The Buttered Niblets Collegiate Multiple Baltimore, Maryland 1997
Calvin Improv Collegiate Shortform Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

1984
CHiPs Improv
CHiPs Improv
"The Chapel Hill Players" is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's premiere improv and sketch comedy team. The group is unique among college improv teams for its employment of a training program...

Collegiate Multiple Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...

1995
ColdTowne Theater Professional Multiple Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

2007
Cold Tofu Professional Multiple Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

1981
Comedy City Professional Multiple Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...

1987
ComedySportz
ComedySportz
ComedySportz is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow, Bob Orvis, Brian Green and many others.-Format:...

Major Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

1984
Compass Players
Compass Players
The Compass Players was a 1950s cabaret revue show started by alumni, dropouts and hangers-on from the University of Chicago. The troupe was active from 1955-1958 in Chicago and St. Louis...

Professional Cabaret Chicago, Illinois 1955*
Dad's Garage Theatre Company
Dad's Garage Theatre Company
Dad's Garage Theatre Company, located in Inman Park near Little Five Points in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1995 by Chris Blair, Marc Cram, Sean Daniels, John Gregorio, David Keeton, Joseph Limbaugh, Matt Stanton, and Matt Young. The small theater company has since achieved international...

Professional Multiple Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

1995
Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods
Damaged Goods is an original Doctor Who novel, released by Virgin Publishing in their New Adventures range of Doctor Who books in 1996...

Professional Multiple Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

2010
Dead Parrots Society Collegiate Multiple Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Whatcom County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the twelfth-largest city in the state. Situated on Bellingham Bay, Bellingham is protected by Lummi Island, Portage Island, and the Lummi Peninsula, and opens onto the Strait of Georgia...

1999
Defiant Monkey Improv Professional Short- and Long-form Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

2009
The Diggers
Diggers (theater)
The Diggers were a radical community-action group of activists and Improv actors operating from 1966–68, based in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco. Their politics were such that they have sometimes been categorized as "left-wing." More accurately, they were "community anarchists"...

Professional Guerrilla San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

1966*
Dirty Water
Dirty Water
"Dirty Water" is a song first recorded by the California rock and roll band The Standells in 1966 and composed by their producer, Ed Cobb. It is considered a classic of garage rock.-Description:...

Professional Long-form Chicago, Illinois 2005*
Eclectic Improv Co. Professional Shortform Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

1998
Einstein Simplified Professional Shortform Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...

1994
Erasable Inc.
Erasable Inc.
Erasable Inc. is one of the University of Maryland's oldest student organizations, and one of the best known college improv groups on the east coast...

Collegiate Improvisational College Park, Maryland
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...

1986
Face Off Unlimited
Face Off Unlimited
Face Off Unlimited is an improvisational comedy production company based in New York City. The company originated in 2003 as Friday Night Face Off, a weekly improvised comedy show in Port Jefferson, New York featuring two teams of comedic improvisers engaged in a mock competition in the style of...

Professional Multiple New York City, New York 2003
Fringe Comedy Co. Professional Multiple Chicago, IL 2009
Fish Sticks Comedy Professional Shortform Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...

2007
The Focus Group
The Focus Group
The Focus Group is a project of experimental electronic musician and graphic designer Julian House. His releases are on his own label, Ghost Box Music...

Professional Long-form Bangor, Maine
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...

2009
Four Day Weekend
Four Day Weekend
Four Day Weekend is an improvisational comedy troupe based in Fort Worth, Texas.Opened in 1997, Four Day Weekend has been called "the best little comedy show in Texas." They have performed more than 3,500 performances in their current space. Four Day Weekend is the longest running live show in Ft...

Professional Improvisational Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...

1997
Francis Bacon Experiment Professional Long-form Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

2008
Friday Night Improvs Collegiate Improv Jam Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

1989
Friday Night Face Off Professional Shortform Port Jefferson, New York
Port Jefferson, New York
The Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson is located in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York on the North Shore of Long Island. As of the 2000 United States Census, the village population was 7,837...

2003
FRISCO - Free Range Improv School & Company Professional Multiple San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

2009
FST Improv Professional Shortform Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...

2002
GayCo Productions Professional Semi-improvisational Chicago, Illinois 1996
The Georgetown Improv Association
The Georgetown Improv Association
The Georgetown Improv Association is a collegiate long-form improvisational troupe at Georgetown University founded in the spring of 1995. The troupe performs on-campus at Bulldog Alley at Georgetown’s Leavey Center, as well as at other colleges and venues in the surrounding District of Columbia...

Collegiate Long-form Georgetown
Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...

, Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

1995
Geva Comedy Improv Professional Multiple Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

Go Comedy! Improv Theater Professional Multiple Ferndale, MI 2008
GranDaddy Charlie Professional Long-form San Francisco Bay Area, California
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

Gross National Product Professional Multiple Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

1982
Groundlings Major Professional Semi-improvisational Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

1974
Hideout Theatre Professional Multiple Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

1999
Hit and Run: Musical Improv Professional Multiple Hollywood, California 2007
IMF (improv) Professional Long-form Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

2010
The Immediate Gratification Players
The Immediate Gratification Players
The Immediate Gratification Players are a collegiate improvisational comedy troupe based out of Harvard College. They specialize in long form, free-form improvisation.-History:...

Collegiate Long-form Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

1986
Improvisensational! Collegiate Multiple Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla, Washington
Walla Walla is the largest city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,731 at the 2010 census...

1903
Improv Unlimited Professional Improvisational Corp Entertainment and Shows Chicago, Illinois 2002
ImprovOlympic Major Professional the Harold
Harold (improvisation)
Harold is a form of longform improv. Developed by Del Close and brought to fruition through Close's collaboration with Charna Halpern, the Harold has become the signature form of Chicago's I.O. and the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York and Los Angeles...

Chicago, Illinois 1980
ImprovAcadia Professional Improvisational Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor, Maine
Bar Harbor is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, its population is 5,235. Bar Harbor is a famous summer colony in the Down East region of Maine. It is home to the College of the Atlantic, Jackson Laboratory and Mount Desert Island...

2004
Improv and Such Amateur Improvisational Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...

2010-2011
Improv Asylum
Improv Asylum
Improv Asylum is an improvisational comedy theater in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1998 by Paul D'Amato, Norm Laviolette, and Chet Harding. The theater produces multiple shows per week including its critically acclaimed mainstage show...

Professional Semi-improvisational Boston, Massachusetts 1998
Improv Boston Professional Multiple Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

1982
Improv Colorado Professional Improvisational Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

2008
Improv Everywhere
Improv Everywhere
Improv Everywhere is a comedic performance art group based in New York City, formed in 2001 by Charlie Todd. Its slogan is "We Cause Scenes."The group carries out pranks, which they call "missions", in public places...

Professional Guerrilla New York City, New York 2001
Improv Institute
Improv Institute
The Improv Institute was a improvisational comedy company in Chicago from 1984 until 1994. The mainstage show was improvised following audience suggestions. The troupe had two storefront-theaters, both on West Belmont Avenue on Chicago's North side, first at 2939 W. Belmont , and later at 2319 W...

Professional Improvisational Chicago, Illinois 1983*
Improv Jam Professional Improvisational Red Bank, New Jersey
Red Bank, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 11,844 people, 5,201 households, and 2,501 families residing in the borough. The population density was 6,639.1 people per square mile . There were 5,450 housing units at an average density of 3,055.0 per square mile...

1994
Improv Playhouse of San Francisco Professional Multiple San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

2009
Improv Shmimprov Professional Multiple Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...

1998
Impulse Theater Professional Improvisational Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...

1988
The Improv Trick Major Professional Improvisational St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...

2005
In Between The Lines Comedy Improv Troupe
In Between The Lines Comedy Improv Troupe
In Between the Lines is a primarily short form improvisational comedy troupe at the University of Rochester. Founded in 1999, IBTL has performed for various events at the University of Rochester and in the surrounding Rochester community...

Collegiate Shortform Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...

1999
Indyprov
Indyprov
INDYPROV formed after completing a series of workshops conducted by David Brunoehler in October, 2003 at Crackers Comedy Club in Downtown Indianapolis, Indiana. Brunoehler, an Indianapolis native, was a founding member of the troupe “Interplay” and had co-founded the National Improv Theatre in New...

Professional Improvisational Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...

2003
Jester'z Improv Comedy
Jester'z Improv Comedy
Jester'Z Improv Comedy is a improvisational comedy troupe based out of Scottsdale Arizona.The troupe was founded in 2001 by members of the Oxymoron'Z, an improvisational troupe that was founded by Louis Anthony Russo in 1995. When Louis Russo died in 2001 the troupe reformed as Jester'Z Improv Comedy...

Professional Improvisational Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix Metropolitan Area
The Phoenix metropolitan area, often referred to as The Valley of the Sun, is a metropolitan area, centered on the city of Phoenix, that includes much of the central part of the US state of Arizona...

2001
JaCKPie Professional Long-form Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

2001
Just Add Water
Just Add Water
Just Add Water is an instrumental album that was released by drummer Virgil Donati in 1997. Alongside Donati is Scott Henderson on guitar and Ric Fierabracci on bass. The entire album is a one-time-though, unrehearsed jam session that was recorded in the M.I. Studio in Hollywood on December 22,...

Collegiate Improvisational New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

1986
Just the Funny Professional Multiple Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

1999
Kings of Improv Professional Multiple Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

2010
Kitsch In Sync Professional Shortform Boston, Massachusetts 1999
LA Connection Comedy Theatre Professional Improvisational Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

1977
Laughing Gas Improv Professional Improvisational Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...

1992
Laughing Matters
Laughing Matters
Laughing Matters is the longest-running improvisational comedy troupe in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Formed in 1985, by Tray Butler for Creative Loafing, February 10, 2001. Retrieved March 25, 2007. the troupe has since branched out and now provides a wide variety of audience interactive entertainment,...

Professional Shortform Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

1985
Lazy Fairy Improv Professional Shortform Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...

2008
Let's Try This Collegiate Improvisational Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

1989
The Lobby
The Lobby (improv)
The Lobby is an improvisational comedy group based in Southern California. Unlike many improv groups, which are composed of many members who perform on a rotating basis, The Lobby is a small, close-knit group. The audience gets to know each of the players and feel they are part of the group...

Professional Shortform Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...

2005
Madcap Theater
Madcap Theater
Madcap Theater is a shortform improvisational comedy group located in Westminster, Colorado. Opened in 2006, the group perform weekly improv shows along with offering classes in improv comedy. In 2007, 2008, and 2009 it was voted Denver's best live comedy venue by ABC Channel 7...

Professional Shortform Westminster, Colorado
Westminster, Colorado
Westminster is a Home Rule Municipality in Adams and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Westminster is a northwest suburb of Denver. The Westminster Municipal Center is located north-northwest of the Colorado State Capitol. The United States Census Bureau that the city population...

2006
Magnet Theater
Magnet Theater
The Magnet Theater is an improvisational comedy theater and improv school in New York City. It has shows seven nights a week, many of which are consistently selected as editor's pick of the week in Time Out New York and The Onion....

Major Professional Multiple New York City, New York 2005
Mail Order Bride improv Professional Long-form Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

2006
Mod 27 Productions Professional Multiple Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth, Florida
Lake Worth is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, which takes its name from the body of water along its eastern border, originally called "Lake Worth", and now generally known as the Lake Worth Lagoon. The lake itself was named for General William J. Worth, who led U.S. forces during the last...

2002
The N Crowd
The N Crowd
The N Crowd is a short form improv comedy troupe that has been performing weekly since April 2005. The troupes membership has fluctuated between 14 and 6 over the last 2 years. Currently there are 10 members performing weekly in Philadelphia. The troupe has received positive reviews in the...

Professional Shortform Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

2005
The National Comedy Theater Major Professional Shortform San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

The New Movement
The New Movement
The New Movement is a comedy theater and training center in Austin, Texas focusing on long form improv and sketch comedy writing. The theater is owned and operated by Chris Trew and Tami Nelson. The theater opened for classes in February 2009 and began running shows on January 13th 2010. The...

Major Professional Long-form Austin, Tx; New Orleans, La
New & Improv.'d Collegiate Multiple Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...

1999
The No Pants Players Professional Shortform Charleston, WV 2001
The No Parking Players Collegiate Multiple Pittsburgh, PA 1996
The Original Comedy Rangers Professional Shortform |Chicago, Illinois 1977
On Thin Ice
On thin ice
On Thin Ice, is a Harvard College Improvisational comedy group. Founded in 1984 by Brigit Fasolino Vucic, On Thin Ice is Harvard's oldest improv troupe....

Collegiate Shortform Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

1984
The Oxymorons Professional Shortform San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...

1989
Pan Theater Professional Long-form Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...

2002
Peoples Improv Theater
Peoples Improv Theater
The Peoples Improv Theater, or The P.I.T., was established in New York City in 2002 by Ali Reza Farahnakian. Currently located at 123 East 24th Street near Madison Square Park, The PIT's shows include improvisational comedy, sketch comedy, and other forms of theater, all working together to raise...

Major Professional Multiple New York City, New York 2002
pH Productions Professional Multiple Chicago, Illinois 2002
Philly Improv Theater (PHIT)
Philly Improv Theater (PHIT)
Philly Improv Theater, or PHIT , is a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania comedy theater which produces and presents shows at The Shubin Theatre in Philadelphia's South Street Headhouse District. The theater also operates a training center with programs in improv comedy and sketch comedy...

Major Professional Multiple Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

2005
The Playground
The Playground
The Playground Theater, founded in 1997, remains the only continuously operating non-profit theater in Chicago dedicated to an art form invented in Chicago - Modern Theatrical Improvisation. The Playground was founded in 1997 by its original member companies. The Playground theater exists as a...

Professional Long-form Chicago, Illinois 1997
Pop Scholars Professional Long-form Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

2009
The Purple Crayon of Yale
Purple Crayon
The Purple Crayon of Yale, or the Purple Crayon, is an improvisational theater group at Yale University in New Haven, CT, United States. As of the 2010-2011 academic year, the group has ten members and specializes in longform improv, such as the Harold...

Collegiate Long-form New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

1985
The Puzzled Players Comedy Improv Theater Professional Shortform Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...

2003
Q City Players Professional Improvisational Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

2008
Rare Bird Show Professional Long-form Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

2003
Relapse Theatre
Relapse Theatre
Relapse Theater is a comedy and performing arts venue in Atlanta, Georgia that focuses on improvisational theatre and improv comedy. The theatre is home to several resident improv performance troupes, hosts open mic and showcase performances for stand-up comedians, and holds staged plays and...

Professional Multiple Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

2005
Roar Theatre Professional Multiple San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

2008
River City Improv Professional Shortform Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...

1993
Room to Improv Professional Multiple Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

2002
RunnerUp Comedy Troupe Collegiate Multiple Winona, Minnesota
Winona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf....

2008
Gnap! Theater Projects Professional Multiple Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

2001
SAK Comedy Lab
SAK Comedy Lab
SAK Comedy Lab is a 200-seat Improvisational Comedy theater in downtown Orlando, Florida, listed as "one of Orlando's most popular entertainment venues" by and as a family-friendly show by . SAK was the first theater of actor Wayne Brady, who has played in several shows since as a guest...

Professional Multiple Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...

The San Francisco Improv Alliance
The San Francisco Improv Alliance
- History :Started in 2005 by Shaun Landry, artistic director of Oui Be Negroes, The San Francisco Improv Alliance is a group of actors dedicated to Improvisational Theater...

Professional Multiple San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

2005
The San Francisco Improv Co-Operative
The San Francisco Improv Co-Operative
The San Francisco Improv Co-Operative was an all-volunteer production company dedicated to improvisational theater .Founded by Sam Shaw and Shaun Landry, the co-operative's main event, The Monday Night Improv Jam, had been a staple of San Francisco improv since 2000...

Professional Multiple San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

2000
Schrödinger's Cat Professional Multiple Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

2009
Sea Tea Improv Professional Multiple Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...

2008
Shades of Grey Professional Long-form San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

2007
The Second City
The Second City
The Second City is a improvisational comedy enterprise which originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood.The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959 and has since expanded its presence to several other cities, including Toronto and Los Angeles...

Major Professional Semi-improvisational Chicago, Illinois 1959
Second Nature Improv
Second nature improv
Second Nature is a long-form improvisational theatre troupe based in Los Angeles at the University of Southern California.Second Nature was founded on November 19, 2002. The troupe performs every Friday night at USC's Ground Zero Performance Cafe, providing free, comedic, one-hour shows...

Collegiate Long-form Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

2002
Scared Scriptless Improv
Scared Scriptless Improv
Scared Scriptless Improv is an improvisational comedy troupe based in Anchorage, Alaska. The troupe performs regularly on the Second and Fourth Saturday of each month at 8 PM at Snow Goose Theater in downtown Anchorage...

Professional Multiple Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...

2000
The Skinny Improv Professional Multiple Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...

2002
Steel City Improv Theater Professional Multiple Pittsburgh, PA 2011
Something Dada
Cabaret Dada
Something Dada Improvisational Comedy Co., was formed in October of 1994 in Cleveland, Ohio. The original eight cast members were all Cleveland based actors and comedians.-Background:After performing most of the renovations themselves, the group opened Cabaret Dada, an improvisational...

Professional Improvisational Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...

1995
The Stagebenders Comedy Duo Professional Improvisational Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...

 / Minneapolis
1993
Starla and Sons
Starla and Sons
Starla and Sons is a longform improv comedy group at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. The group was formed with five members in the fall of 2006. It is the second longform group in the university's history, and has performed about twice a month since its inception...

Collegiate Longform Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...

2006
Stick Horses in Pants
Stick Horses in Pants
Stick Horses in Pants is a long-running improvisational comedy troupe based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.The troupe formed in January 2004, performing in the Colorado Springs area, and has since expanded its presence by performing in Denver, Colo., Vancouver, Wash., Hoquiam, Wash., Clatskanie, Ore...

Professional Shortform Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...

2004
Tag Improv Collegiate Multiple Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville, Missouri
Kirksville is the county seat of Adair County, Missouri, United States. It is located in Benton Township. The population was 17,505 at the 2010 census. Kirksville also anchors a micropolitan area that comprises Adair and Schuyler counties. The city is perhaps best known as the location of Truman...

2005
The Super Happy Improv Troupe
The Super Happy Improv Troupe
The Super Happy Improv Troupe is an improvisational theater company that performs in New York City. Founded by producer David Lee and the other founding members, Brian Arya, April Macchio, Sergio Pagan, and Elmer Santos...

Professional Multiple New York City, New York 2008
Teachers Lounge Mafia Professional Multiple Farmington, Maine 2008
Theatre 99
Theatre 99
Theatre 99 is an improvisational comedy theatre in Charleston, South Carolina.Opened on July 7, 2000 on Cumberland Street in the former Stage One Cinema, and after a brief residency period at The American theatre, it moved on the 19th August 2005 to its current location on Meeting Street.The...

Professional Improvisational Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...

2000
Theatre Strike Force
Theatre Strike Force
Theatre Strike Force is the University of Florida's premier improv and sketch comedy troupe. The style of improv performed by Theatre Strike Force is primarily short form, however several outlets for long form improvisation exist within the group...

Collegiate Multiple Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...

1989
THEY Improv Professional Multiple Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...

2005
The Torch Theatre Professional Long-form Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...

2007
Three Letter Acronym Collegiate the Harold Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...

2011
Trapped In A Rumor Professional Multiple |Danville, California
Danville, California
The Town of Danville is located in the San Ramon Valley in Contra Costa County, California. It is one of the incorporated municipalities in California that uses "town" in its name instead of "city". The population was 42,039 in 2010. Danville is one of the wealthiest suburbs of Oakland and San...

2009
The Trip Fives Professional Long-form |Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...

2006
Unexpected Company
Unexpected Company
Unexpected Company is an improvisational comedy group founded in Hollywood, California in 1986 by Tim Hillman, and recreated in Rhode Island in 2003 by Hillman and Justin James Lang.-California version:...

Professional Long-form Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick, Rhode Island
Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 82,672 at the 2010 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000...

2003
Unexpected Productions
Unexpected Productions
Unexpected Productions is an improvisational comedy company in Seattle, Washington, USA. From their home at the Market Theater in Seattle's historic Pike Place Market, Unexpected Productions produces year-round shows, teaches improv classes, and hosts the Seattle International Festival of...

Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

1983
The Un-Scripted Theater Company
The Un-Scripted Theater Company
The Un-Scripted Theater Company is an improv theater company based out of San Francisco, California. Unlike most improv troupes, The Un-Scripted Theater Company does not perform just one kind of improv format, but rather 4 to 7 runs of uniquely different improv formats each year...

Professional Multiple San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

2002
Upright Citizens Brigade
Upright Citizens Brigade
The Upright Citizens Brigade is an improvisational comedy and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The most recent incarnation consists of Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh...

Major Professional Multiple New York City, New York 1999
Vamp Shows Professional Multiple Midwest 2007
Village Theatre
Village Theatre
Village Theatre is a 5013 non-profit professional producing musical theatre company founded in 1979. Village Theatre is based out of Issaquah and Everett, Washington, both near Seattle...

Professional Multiple Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

2008
Washington Improv Theater
Washington Improv Theater
Washington Improv Theater is an improv comedy theater and school based in Washington, D.C..Washington Improv Theater was founded in 1986 by Carole Douglis, and then was disbanded in 1992. Three years later, Douglis started training a new cohort of improvisors, some of whom remain in WIT today...

Professional Multiple Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

1986
Whole World Theatre
Whole World Theatre
The Whole World Theatre is an improvisational comedy theater located in Atlanta, Georgia.Whole World Theatre is a non-profit theatre company that began in Atlanta, Georgia in late 1993, when a dedicated and talented core of actors, led by Founding Artistic Director David Webster, united to form...

Professional Shortform Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...

1994
West End Comedy Professional Multiple - Primarily Shortform Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...

2010
William and Mary Improv Theater Collegiate Shortform Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...

1986
Wing-It Productions
Wing-It Productions
Wing-It Productions, sometimes simply called “Wing-It,” is a 501 non-profit theater company based in Seattle, Washington, USA which exclusively produces improvised theater...

Professional Long-form Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

1996
The Yale Ex!t Players Collegiate Short-form New Haven, CT 1984
Scared Scriptless (St. Olaf) Collegiate Short-form Northfield, MN 2001

*This group is no longer performing.

Improvisational theatre companies in the United Kingdom

NameGroup LevelImprov TypeLocationDate EstablishedThe Comedy Store Players
The Comedy Store Players
The Comedy Store Players is a group of improvising comedy performers known for their performances at The Comedy Store in London. The group first came into being in October 1985.Members of the group have included:*Dave Cohen*Jeremy Hardy*Kit Hollerbach...

Professional Improvisational London, England 1985
The Crunchy Frog Collective Professional Improvisational London, England 2000
Existential Pants Professional Shortform Brighton, England 2010
Hoopla!
HOOPLA!
HOOPLA! — 'Hooray for Object Oriented Programming Languages!' — was a periodical published by OOPSTAD. It was one of the first publications entirely devoted to Object-Oriented Programming techniques and the Smalltalk programming language....

Professional Multiple London, United Kingdom 2004
Grand Theft Impro Professional Shortform London, England 2003
The Hee Ha's Professional Shortform Brighton, England 2010
Improverts
Improverts
The Improverts is the long-running improvisational comedy troupe of the Edinburgh University Theatre Company which primarily performs out of the Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh...

Collegiate Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Edinburgh, Scotland 1989
The Noise Next Door
Noise Next Door
The Noise Next Door are a five-man, improvised comedy troupe based in Brighton, England. Having performed together since 2005, the troupe now perform regularly on the London comedy circuit and at comedy clubs and theatres nationwide.- History :...

Professional Shortform Brighton, England 2007
The Oxford Imps
The Oxford Imps
The Oxford Imps are an improvisational comedy troupe associated with Oxford University. They are based in Oxford, England, where they perform weekly during University termtime....

Collegiate Improvisational Oxford, England 2003
ShellShock! Collegiate Multiple Durham, England Unknown
Showstopper!
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is an improvised comedy show founded in London in 2008.The objective of the show is to create a musical based on suggestions from the audience...

Professional Musical Theatre London, England 2001
Sprout Ideas Professional Multiple London, United Kingdom 1998
The Suggestibles
The Suggestibles
The Suggestibles is a British improv comedy group based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Formed in 2003 at Live Theatre they went on to find a following at their home venue in Ouseburn, playing there the last Friday of every month ever since...

Professional Improvisational Newcastle on Tyne 2001
The Maydays Professional Multiple Brighton, England 2004
MissImp Professional Shortform Nottingham, England 1998
The Spontaneity Shop
The Spontaneity Shop
The Spontaneity Shop is an improvisational comedy company formed in London 1996. They base their work around the teachings of Keith Johnstone and have developed several original improvisation forms.- History :...

Professional Multiple London, England 1996
Ludus Ludius Improv Theatre co. Professional Multiple Cardiff, Wales 2007
The Antics
The Antics
The Antics are an improvisational comedy troupe formed in 2008, primarily of students and alumni of Sheffield Hallam University.The group hold a residency at Sheffield Hallam Student Union, performing monthly shows as part of the union comedy line-up....

Collegiate Shortform Sheffield, England 2008

Improvisational theatre companies in other countries

NameGroup LevelImprov TypeLocationDate EstablishedThe Bad Dog Theatre Company
The Bad Dog Theatre Company
The Bad Dog Theatre Company is an improvisational theatre company based in Toronto, Canada, and established in 2003. The theatre is eclectic and broad in its production of shows, with a focus on short-form improv, but it has branched out to include the work of other schools of thought in...

Professional Multiple Toronto, Canada 2003
i Bugiardini Professional Multiple Rome, Italy 2006
Big & Tall Professional Multiple Middle-Finland 2010
Boom Chicago
Boom Chicago
Boom Chicago is a creative group, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, that writes and performs sketch and improvisational comedy at the Leidseplein Theater...

Professional Multiple Amsterdam, Netherlands 1993
Curiously Canadian Improv Guild Professional Shortform Calgary, Canada 2003
Insensitivity Training Professional Multiple Ottawa, Canada 2007
Czech improvisation league
Czech improvisation league
The Czech improvisation league is concerned with theatrical improvisation, based on the principles of theatre games and improvisation leagues; two teams of players encounter each other on the stage and together perform short improvisations reflecting topics supplied beforehand by the audience...

Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....

Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty
Die-Nasty is a live improvised soap opera, running weekly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada since 1991. Die-Nastys improv comedy format features a continuing storyline and recurring characters, live music, and a director who sets up scenes for the audience in voiceover.The cast of Die-Nasty...

Professional Television Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1991
Dirty Laundry Professional Long-form Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1999
Easylaughs
Easylaughs
easylaughs is an international improvisational comedy group based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. It performs in English to audiences of up to 100 people every Friday in the Crea Muziekzaal at the Crea, part of the University of Amsterdam in Central Amsterdam ....

Professional Multiple Amsterdam, Netherlands 2003
Edge Improv Professional Multiple Brisbane, Australia 2001
El Moustachios
El Moustachios
"El Moustachios" is an International improvisational comedy group based in Amsterdam. The group was created in 2005 by Jochem Meijer , together with other members of Easylaughs: Peter More , Ben Silburn "El Moustachios" is an International improvisational comedy group based in Amsterdam. The group...

Professional Improvisational Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2005
Eux - Compagnie d'Improvisation Professional Multiple Paris, France 2006
forum improvisation Professional Multiple Berlin, Germany 2002
Harri Olli Semi-Professional Long-form Zurich, Switzerland 2009
Impatient Theatre Co.
Impatient Theatre Co.
The Impatient Theatre Co., or ITC, is an improvisational comedy training centre, theatre and production company based in Toronto, Ontario. It was founded in 2001 by Kevin Patrick Robbins, operating under the business name Impatient Productions. The company began as a longform improvisational comedy...

Professional Long-form Toronto, Canada 2001
Impro Australia Theatresports Professional Multiple Sydney, Australia 1985
Impro Liga Major Professional Multiple Ljubljana, Slovenia 1993
Impro Melbourne
Impro Melbourne
Impro Melbourne is an improvisational theatre company in the Australian city of Melbourne. Formed by Russell Fletcher and Christine Keogh in 1996 it is now run by Artistic Director Karl McConnell, General Manager Rik Brown and Committee chaired by Kevin Yank....

Professional Multiple Melbourne, Australia 1996
Impromptu
Impromptu
An impromptu is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ex tempore improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano...

Professional Long-form Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2002
Improsant Semi-Professional Multiple Zurich, Switzerland 2005
Impro Theater ACT Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Canberra, Australia 2005
Improfessionals Professional Multiple Paris, France 2001
Improvisaatioteatteri Perun Perunat Professional Multiple Jyvaskyla, Finland 2009
Improvisades - Compagnie "A l'improvisade" Professional Multiple Paris, France 1996
Improvisation & co Professional Improvisational Stockholm, Sweden 1996
The Impromaniacs
The Impromaniacs
First organized in 1989 and incorporated under the BC Society Act in April 1992, The have a 20-year history of commitment to the Victoria, British Columbia arts, social, and business community...

Professional Improvisational Victoria, Canada 1989
The Improvements Professional Long-form Stockholm, Sweden 2009
Improteatro Major Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Torino, Italy 2006
The Improvisors Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Wellington, New Zealand 1990
Improvvivo Professional Improvisational Fermo, Italy 2004
Impulse Factory Professional Long-form Sydney, Australia 2010
Ligue nationale d'improvisation
LNI
The Ligue nationale d'improvisation is an improvisational comedy theatre company created in Quebec. Most of the participants are thespians, comedians or humorists...

Professional Improvisational Quebec, Canada 1977
Loose Moose Theatre
Loose Moose Theatre
The Loose Moose Theatre Company , is a theater company based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It was co-founded in 1977, by Keith Johnstone and Mel Tonken. LMTC has an international reputation for developing the theatrical style of improvisation and specifically the work of Keith Johnstone...

Major Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Calgary, Alberta, Canada 1977
Mahşer-i Cümbüş Professional Multiple Istanbul, Turkey
Momentán Társulat Professional Multiple Budapest, Hungary
Narobov
Narobov
Narobov is Slovenia's most prominent improvisational theatre group, stationed in Ljubljana, Slovenia, focusing both on comedy and drama, performing in Europe and North America. All Narobov actors used to be, or still are, involved with theatresports, their main focus being contemporary theatre and...

Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Ljubljana, Slovenia 2004
Oh Susanna!
Oh Susanna!
Oh Susanna! is a live improvised variety show/talkshow, presented monthly in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, at the Varscona Theatre in Old Strathcona. Performances are generally the last Saturday of the month at 11pm...

Professional Multiple Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1999
Panda Smackdown Professional Improvisational Sydney, Australia 2009
The Impro Company Professional Improvisational Tilburg
Tilburg
Tilburg is a landlocked municipality and a city in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of Noord-Brabant.Tilburg municipality also includes the villages of Berkel-Enschot and Udenhout....

, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

2011
The People's Republic of Comedy Professional Multiple Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

2010
Projectproject
Projectproject
PROJECTproject is a Toronto-based company that has produced improvised theatre, comedy and performance events since June 2007. In addition to their regular shows, the company is also responsible for the PROJECTproject COMBUSTIONfestival featuring collaborations with performers from across North...

Professional Improvisational Toronto, Canada 2007
Rapid Fire Theatre
Rapid Fire Theatre
Rapid Fire Theatre is an improvisational theatre company based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The company’s goal is to provide affordable, high-energy improvisation and alternative theatre to audiences in Edmonton and beyond, while providing exciting opportunities for its participants.-History:The...

Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 1982
Scallabouche Professional Multiple Budapest, Hungary 2003
Synaptic Chaos Theatre Professional Shortform Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 2010
Teatro do Nada Professional Multiple Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2004
The Extant Jesters Theatre Professional Multiple Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2007
Theatersport Berlin Professional Multiple Berlin, Germany 1995
Teatribu Professional Improvisational Milan, Italy 1999
Tokyo Comedy Store
Tokyo Comedy Store
The Tokyo Comedy Store is an English-language comedy show held in central Tokyo, which features stand-up comedians and improvised comedy.The Tokyo Comedy Store was founded in 1994 as the "Tokyo Comedy Club" by Kevin Burns. Burns gathered together stand up comics and even a hypnotist by placing...

Professional Multiple Tokyo, Japan 1994
Vancouver TheatreSports League Major Professional Theatresports
Theatresports
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges...

Vancouver, Canada 1980
Vanguard Comedy Theatre Professional Multiple Toronto, Ontario, Canada 2009
Voci e Progetti Professional Improvisational Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

1994
The Party Quirks
The Party Quirks
The Party Quirks are an international short-form improv comedy group based in Islamabad, Pakistan and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The group founded in 2005, is one of the country's first improv troupes and is credited for introducing live improv comedy in Islamabad. Their unique style of fusing...

Professional Multiple Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...

2005
WIT - Wellington Improvisation Troupe Professional Improvisational Wellington, New Zealand 2003
People's Liberation Improv Professional Multiple Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

2007
Beijing Improv Professional Multiple Beijing, China
Yersiz Oyuncular Professional Multiple Istanbul, Turkey
Kawabbonga! Semi Professional Multiple - Impro Sport Buenos Aires, Argentina

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See also

  • Improvisational theatre
    Improvisational theatre
    Improvisational theatre takes many forms. It is best known as improv or impro, which is often comedic, and sometimes poignant or dramatic. In this popular, often topical art form improvisational actors/improvisers use improvisational acting techniques to perform spontaneously...

  • Commedia dell'arte
    Commedia dell'arte
    Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...

  • List of improvisational theater festivals
  • List of comedians
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