Impro Theatre

What Impro Theatre does

Impro Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company and school founded in 1988 as Los Angeles Theatresports and headquartered in a 38-seat black box studio in the Los Feliz Village neighborhood of Los Angeles at 1727 N. Vermont Avenue. The company's core product is fully improvised, full-length plays performed live in the styles of specific playwrights, authors, and composers — a format proprietary to Impro Theatre in the Los Angeles market. Performers are professional actors, writers, and directors who research and rehearse each genre for months before taking the stage, with notable alumni including Wayne Brady, Brad Sherwood, and Mike McShane. The company is one of the few remaining comprehensive improv institutions in Los Angeles following the closures of Second City, Improv Olympic, The Ruby, and ComedySportz venues, and it tours regionally and internationally to venues such as South Coast Repertory, The Broad Stage, the Pasadena Playhouse, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Melbourne Fringe, and Theatre Adyar in Paris.

The company operates three integrated business lines. First, live performances and touring: ticketed shows at Impro Studio and partner venues. Second, Impro Theatre School: improv education through the proprietary C.O.R.E. (Character, Objective, Relationship, Environment) curriculum, elective classes, specialty workshops, monthly subscription classes (Improv Playground), and online courses (e.g., Narrative Online 2026), priced at $420-$480 per 12-week course. Third, studio rentals: hourly rental of the 38-seat black box theatre (Room 208 at $38-$48/hr), a large rehearsal room (Room 210 at $41-$46/hr), and a green room (Room 209 at $35-$38/hr) to outside groups. Supplemental revenue comes from merchandise (t-shirts via ooShirts.com), gift cards (via Square), and tax-deductible donations (via Zeffy and PayPal). The marketing model relies on earned media (LA Times Critics' Picks, Ovation Recommended designations, American Theatre Magazine recognition), organic social (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), email list building, and donation campaigns.

The underlying technology is human-driven narrative improv methodology rather than software or AI systems. Operational technology stack is standard for a small arts non-profit: a Wix-hosted website serving as the storefront for tickets, classes, merchandise, and rentals, with payment processing through Square, PayPal, and Zeffy and merchandise production through ooShirts.com. There is no proprietary software, no mobile app, and no disclosed API. Customer segments span professional actors seeking long-form narrative improv training, general public students, independent improv groups, and event organizers needing Los Angeles rehearsal and performance space.

Name

Impro Theatre

Legal name

Los Angeles Theatresports

Website

https://improtheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Impro Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company and school founded in 1988 in Los Angeles that performs fully improvised full-length plays in the styles of renowned playwrights, runs a narrative improv school, and rents studio space to the LA arts community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510)

akta.pro primary industry

Improvisational Theatre (MPAGABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Improv Comedy Performances (MPAGACAB), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Live improvised theatre
• Narrative improv classes
• Theatre school education
• Studio space rental
• Unscripted play performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Class Tuition (Impro Theatre School): Tuition fees for the CORE program, elective classes, specialty workshops, ongoing classes, and online narrative courses. Classes range from multi-week courses (e.g., $480 for a 12-week WED Genre class) to monthly subscriptions (Improv Playground).
2. Show Tickets: Ticket sales for student shows, guest shows, and professional productions at Impro Studio (38-seat black box theatre) and touring/partner venues.
3. Studio Rental: Hourly rental of black box theatre (room 208), large rehearsal room (room 210), and green room (room 209) to outside groups, performers, and event organizers. Rates vary by day/time and include optional tech support.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted as a 501(c)(3) non-profit. All sales are final but unused tickets can be claimed as donations.
5. Merchandise & Gift Cards: Sale of branded merchandise (t-shirts) and gift cards usable for show tickets, classes, merchandise, and concessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Impro Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company that produces completely improvised full-length plays performed in the styles of renowned playwrights, authors, and composers. Professional actors research and rehearse each genre for months before improvising an entire play on stage. The organization also operates the Impro Theatre School, offering narrative improv education through the C.O.R.E. curriculum and elective classes for actors and non-actors, and rents out its 38-seat black box studio to independent groups.

Product overview

Impro Theatre is a non-profit theatre company offering three interconnected service lines: live theatrical performances featuring completely improvised full-length plays in various genres and styles; Impro Theatre School providing narrative improv education through the CORE program, elective classes, and workshops; and Studio Rentals offering professional theatre spaces for events and performances. The portfolio also includes merchandise and gift cards through the store, and programs like Impro Studio Presents and Guest Shows for emerging performers. The company was founded in 1988 as Los Angeles Theatresports and has operated for over 37 years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Improvised Shows & Events Completely improvised, full-length plays performed in the styles of the world's greatest playwrights, authors, and composers. Professional performers research and rehearse for months before taking the stage to create unique theatrical experiences for general audiences and theatre-goers.
• Impro Theatre School Educational division teaching unscripted theatre, narrative improv, and performance skills to actors and non-actors through the CORE program, elective classes, specialty workshops, ongoing classes, and online narrative courses.
• Studio Rentals Rental of Impro Studio spaces including a 38-seat black box theatre (Room 208), large rehearsal room (Room 210), and green room (Room 209) for classes, rehearsals, performances, readings, workshops, meetings, parties, auditions, and filming.
• Merchandise Store Online store selling Impro Theatre branded merchandise including t-shirts in multiple sizes, with products manufactured by ooShirts.com.
• Gift Cards

Quantifiable outcome

• 37+ years of continuous operation as a non-profit theatre company and school
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Center Theatre Group: One of the largest non-profit theatre companies in the US, operating the Ahmanson, Mark Taper Forum, and Kirk Douglas Theatre in Los Angeles. Comparable as a major LA performing arts institution competing for the same audiences and donor pool.
• South Coast Repertory: Major regional theatre in Costa Mesa, CA that hosts Impro Theatre productions. Comparable as a larger established performing arts institution, although SCR focuses on scripted productions rather than improv.
• The Pasadena Playhouse: Historic regional theatre in Pasadena, CA that hosts Impro Theatre performances. Comparable as a larger non-profit performing arts venue and presenter competing for similar Southern California audiences and arts philanthropy.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Major regional theatre in Ashland, OR that hosts Impro Theatre performances. Comparable as a large non-profit performing arts presenter with festival-style programming and donor-supported operations.

Direct peers

• The Annoyance Theatre: Improv comedy theatre and training center producing original shows and classes. Comparable as a smaller improv institution combining performance, school, and alternative-format productions.
• Second City: Premier improv comedy institution with theatre, training center, and touring operations. Although its LA venue closed, Second City remains a benchmark peer in narrative improv pedagogy, alumni networks (e.g., Whose Line alumni), and live improv performance.
• iO West (Improv Olympic): Improv theatre and training school originally based in LA. Direct peer in long-form improv training and stage productions, with overlapping curriculum and student/audience base before its LA closure.
• Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB): Major improv comedy theatre and training institution with both performance and school arms. Closely comparable in operating a dedicated improv training center and producing shows, serving overlapping actor and general-public student segments.
• ComedySportz: Competitive improv format explicitly referenced by Impro Theatre via its LA Theatresports sub-brand. Direct peer in short-form competitive improv and improv education, with overlapping audience demographics.
• The Groundlings: LA-based improv theatre and training center offering classes and live performances. Direct competitor for improv students and audiences in Los Angeles, with a comparable school-plus-show business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ImproTheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/Improtheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/improtheatre/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/impro-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Impro Theatre