Portland Comedy Theater

Founding (1993)

Ruth Jenkins and Patrick Short founded ComedySportz Portland and opened publicly on April 16, 1993 with an ensemble including Angela Schrock, Amy Gray, John Dieffenderfer, John Breen, Dave Levesque, Carl Shoemaker, and Denise Howard. The franchise was part of the CSz Worldwide network that had begun in Milwaukee in 1984, bringing competitive short-form improv to the Pacific Northwest market.

Unbroken Performance Record

From May 1993 onward, Portland Comedy Theater has not missed a single weekend of ComedySportz performances, accumulating over 5,400 shows across more than three decades. This unbroken performance record is among the most remarkable in American independent improv history, sustained through economic downturns, venue changes, and the pandemic period.

Leadership Transition (2025)

In 2025, founders Ruth Jenkins and Patrick Short handed leadership to Rick Steadman, a 23-year veteran of ComedySportz Spokane, Los Angeles, and Seattle, passing the company to its next phase of operation after over thirty years under its founding directors.

Portland Comedy Theater presents ComedySportz competitive short-form improv in the CSz Worldwide format, with two teams competing before a referee with audience scoring. The company's three-decade unbroken performance record reflects an institutional stability unusual in independent improv, and its class and corporate programs extend its reach into training and applied contexts alongside its regular public shows.