The Improv Embassy is Ottawa's nonprofit improv comedy school and festival producer, founded in 2014 by Dani Alon and Chris Hannay as Experimental Farm Theatre and formally incorporated as a nonprofit under its current name in 2016. Based at Arts Court Theatre, the organization runs classes from beginner through advanced levels and produces the Ottawa Improv Festival.
History
Founding as Experimental Farm Theatre (2014)
Dani Alon and Chris Hannay began producing shows in Ottawa in summer 2014 under the name Experimental Farm Theatre (EFT), starting improv teaching in 2015. EFT performed at the Ottawa Fringe in 2015 ("EFT-up: Just Like You") and 2017 ("The Fake News Show" and "Quest Friends Forever").
The Improv Embassy (2016)
In 2016 Alon and Hannay renamed the organization The Improv Embassy and incorporated it as a nonprofit, reflecting its growth into a dedicated school and festival producer. The organization's primary performance venue became Arts Court Theatre in Ottawa.
Ottawa Improv Festival
The Improv Embassy produces the Ottawa Improv Festival at Arts Court Theatre, running sold-out editions in 2016 through 2020 and resuming in 2024 and 2025. The festival has featured performers from the Del Close Marathon in New York, the Big City Improv Festival in Toronto, the Montreal Improv Festival, and other national and international gatherings.
Current Operations
In 2020 Alon and Hannay handed strategic oversight to a Board of Directors while facilitators and team leads continue day-to-day operations. The organization describes itself as the only company dedicated to growing improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy in Canada's capital.
Artistic Identity
The Improv Embassy is Ottawa's nonprofit home for improv education and festival production, serving Canada's capital through structured training programs and the annual Ottawa Improv Festival.
Key Events
Experimental Farm Theatre Founded in Ottawa
Dani Alon and Chris Hannay began producing shows in Ottawa in summer 2014 under the name Experimental Farm Theatre, the organization that would become The Improv Embassy.
Organization Renamed The Improv Embassy and Incorporated as Nonprofit
In 2016 Dani Alon and Chris Hannay renamed the organization The Improv Embassy and incorporated it as a nonprofit, establishing it as Ottawa's dedicated improv school and festival producer.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). The Improv Embassy. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/the-improv-embassy
The Improv Archive. "The Improv Embassy." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/the-improv-embassy.
The Improv Archive. "The Improv Embassy." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/the-improv-embassy. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.