Bandit Improv Comedy Theater

Founding (2018)

Annie Barry moved to Seattle in June 2018 after years performing and teaching at improv theatres across the country, having first discovered improvisation at UCB New York in 2009. She launched Bandit Theater in August 2018, building it as a nonprofit institution focused on ensemble development and accessible training. The organization launched at 153 14th Ave in Seattle and later expanded to include programming in Tacoma.

Growth as Nonprofit

Bandit developed quickly into a significant presence in the Seattle improv community, securing funding from Arts Fund, Arts WA, 4Culture, and Seattle's Office of Arts and Culture. The theater's nonprofit model allowed it to pursue a mission-driven approach to training, emphasizing psychological safety and personal growth alongside technical improv instruction. By 2024 the organization ran 78 shows per year serving over 4,500 audience members, with 330 students enrolled across its programs in long-form improv, sketch, and heralds.

Ongoing Operations

Bandit Theater continues to operate in Seattle as the city's female-founded improv institution, running classes, house ensemble performances, and programming for both adult and youth audiences.

Bandit Theater presents long-form improv rooted in ensemble development and psychological safety. The nonprofit model shapes the company's approach: deliberately inclusive recruitment, sliding-scale class options, and mission-driven programming that prioritizes community connection alongside craft development. Bandit's curriculum spans long-form improv, sketch comedy, and heralds.