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Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory and homelands of the Chumash and Tongva people. To learn more about their history and ways to support please click the below! Tongva: https://www.gabrieleno-nsn.us/ Chumas: https://www.santaynezchumash.org/
ABOUT US
Our studio is located at 1727 N. Vermont Av 2nd Fl L.A. CA 90027 in the historic Los Feliz Neighborhood
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Impro Theatre aspires to change the world through joyful artistic engagement by performing, teaching, and expanding storytelling through unscripted theatre.
Impro Theatre creates completely improvised, full-length plays in the styles of the world’s greatest playwrights, authors and composers. Impro cast members are professional actors, writers and directors with decades of experience in theatre, television and film who research, study and rehearse for months, learning everything there is to know about an author or genre before taking the stage. They combine verbal dexterity and robust physicality to bring character and plot to life in an instant, making each Impro Theatre show unique and unlike any other theatrical experience.
Founded as Los Angeles Theatresports in 1988, Impro Theatre has evolved into a critically acclaimed theatre and school. In southern California, Impro has performed sold-out shows at South Coast Repertory, The Broad Stage in Santa Monica, North Coast Repertory Theatre, The Odyssey, The Wallis Annenberg, The John Anson Ford Ampitheatre, The Falcon Theatre (now The Garry Marshall) and The Pasadena Playhouse, as well as venues around the world including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, The Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, The Melbourne Fringe in Australia and Theatre Adyar in Paris.
Impro Theatre has received multiple Critics’ Picks in the Los Angeles Times, Back Stage West and L.A. Weekly, and many shows have been Ovation Recommended.
Professional actors, writers, and directors who have been trained and work extensively in theatre, television and film are the core of Impro Theatre's legacy performers. Collectively, they have worked on four continents and in over twenty countries, and have performed Off-Broadway with the prestigious British group Improbable Theatre and have appeared in award-winning productions at some of California’s top regional theatres, including the Old Globe, A.C.T., and A Noise Within. Company members have also performed at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival, Just For Laughs (Montreal), The Melbourne Fringe and Comedy Festival, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Star Trek Conventions. They have also improvised entirely new languages for the immensely popular video game The Sims, performed motion-capture animation for director Robert Zemeckis, contributed to the creation of the multi award-winning show Fellowship! The Musical Parody of Fellowship of the Ring, walked on stilts with The San Francisco Opera, eaten fire with Penn & Teller in Las Vegas, performed with Eddie Izzard at Just For Laughs, and led an improv workshop for renown Cirque du Soleil clown David Shiner in NYC.
Some of the television and film credits for the legacy Impro performers include: The Righteous Gemstones, This Is Us, Black-ish, The Goldbergs, Modern Family, Chelsea Lately, After Lately, The Mentalist, Monk, Conan O’Brien, Law & Order, Seinfeld, Desperate Housewives, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Castle, Malcolm in the Middle, Reno 911!, CSI, The Practice, Campus Ladies, Judging Amy, How I Met Your Mother, ER, Gilmore Girls, Bones, Mad About You, Californication, Jonas, Greek, My Name Is Earl, iCarly, The Goldbergs, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Lie To Me, World Cup Comedy, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar 2, Monsters vs. Aliens, Balls Of Fury, A Mighty Wind, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure, The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse, Firebuds, Will & Grace, Prime Suspect, Dirty John, Perry Mason, & Impeachment.
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Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility
Impro Theatre's DEIA initiative aims to continuously advise, advocate, and improve diversity, equity, inclusion, & accessibility within the Impro Theatre community. The Ellen Idelson Diversity Scholarship awards students from historically marginalized and under-represented communities a 1-year scholarships to study at Impro Theatre School, valued at approximately $2,000 per student. After 6 months of coursework, recipients undergo a review process that takes a look at their attendance record, adherence to our Code of Conduct, and more, to determine their eligibility for the remaining 6 months of the Scholarship. The program started in 2017 with 2 scholarships, and within 2 years, we had 50 applicants and awarded 14 scholarships.
LA Theatresports
“Everybody knows two things. You can only learn by failing. You should have a good attitude about it.”
-Keith Johnstone
Before there was Impro Theatre, there was LA Theatresports. Founded by Dan O'Connor, Ellen Idelson and Forest Brakeman in 1988, LATS is a standing tradition of Keith Johnstone’s beloved fast-paced competitive-improv show. Impro frequently revisits our Theatresports roots, most recently in 2023 with Wayne Brady leading an all-star cast.
Two teams of improvisers go head to head, challenging each other to improvised scenes based on audience suggestions. LA Theatresports shows are accompanied by live music, so be ready to tap your foot, yell out suggestions, boo and hiss the judges or just sit back and watch the playful mayhem.
Many of Impro Theatre’s regular performers originally got their start in Theatresports™ and find it to be an invaluable training for actors, writers and improvisers alike.
Theatresports™ was created by Keith Johnstone at the Royal Court Theatre in London and at the University of Calgary. Other LA Theatresports alumni include Wayne Brady, Brad Sherwood, and Mike McShane of “Whose Line is it Anyway.