Impro Theatre

Founding as Los Angeles Theatresports (1988)

Dan O'Connor, Ellen Idelson, and Forest Brakeman co-founded Los Angeles Theatresports in 1988, becoming a licensed Theatresports company in the tradition established by Keith Johnstone, who had created the competitive format at the Royal Court Theatre in London and the University of Calgary. O'Connor was also a co-founder of BATS Improv in San Francisco. The company continued to operate under the Los Angeles Theatresports Inc. legal entity.

Pivot to Literary Long-Form (c.2003)

The company developed its distinctive 'UnScripted' format, in which ensemble members conduct months of research into a specific literary author or theatrical genre (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Chekhov, Tennessee Williams, Shakespeare, Sondheim) before performing completely improvised, full-length plays in those styles. From approximately 2003, the company began regular sold-out runs across Southern California under this format and began operating publicly under the 'Impro Theatre' name. The legal entity remains Los Angeles Theatresports Inc. The 'UnScripted' format earned national critical recognition: American Theatre Magazine featured the company in a 2014 cover story, 'Impro Raises the Theatrical Bar.'

Impro Theatre's identity is grounded in the Theatresports tradition of Keith Johnstone (competitive, game-based improv) but has developed toward long-form theatrical production as its primary mode. The 'UnScripted' format treats improvised performance as theatrical event rather than comedy exercise: the cast's pre-performance research into specific authors and genres creates improvised work that functions as a genuine dramatic or comedic experience within the conventions of the chosen form rather than as a meta-commentary on improvisation itself. Impro Theatre employs professional actors, writers, and directors.