Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (UCB) is a New York City improv and sketch comedy venue and training centre co-founded on 4 February 1999 by Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh at 161 West 22nd Street in Chelsea. The Harold was the primary form at UCB, which became the most influential improv training pipeline in New York between 1999 and 2020. UCB closed permanently in April 2020 and reopened in September 2024 at 242 East 14th Street under new ownership.
History
Opening in Chelsea (1999)
The four UCB founding members moved from Chicago to New York in 1996, performing as the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch group before opening their dedicated venue. The UCB Theatre opened on 4 February 1999 at 161 West 22nd Street in Chelsea, a 75-seat black box theatre. The Harold was the foundational form, performed by rotating house teams and central to the training curriculum.
Chelsea Venues (1999–2017)
On 18 November 2002, the West 22nd Street space closed after fire code violations were cited. The company reopened on 1 April 2003 at 307 West 26th Street, the former Maverick Theater, with a 150-seat capacity. This Chelsea venue anchored UCB's growth as New York's premier improv training organisation for the following fourteen years.
Hell's Kitchen (2017–2020)
In December 2017, UCB moved to 555 West 42nd Street in Hell's Kitchen, a former Pearl Theatre Company space with 160 seats. On 21 April 2020, the company permanently closed both the Hell's Kitchen theatre and its training centre, citing the combination of COVID-19 disruption and pre-existing financial pressures.
New Ownership and Reopening (2022–2024)
In March 2022, former Onion CEO Mike McAvoy and talent manager Jimmy Miller acquired UCB. The Los Angeles location reopened in September 2022. In June 2023, a new New York space at 242 East 14th Street was announced. UCB NYC reopened there in September 2024, with a 130-seat theatre, a bar and lounge, a coffee bar, and a greenroom.
Artistic Identity
UCB was the primary New York institution for the Harold, training hundreds of comedians from the late 1990s through 2020 in the long-form ensemble form developed by Del Close at iO in Chicago. The training centre's curriculum and house team system defined the career pathway for a generation of New York improvisers and produced a significant proportion of the talent working in American comedy television in the 2000s and 2010s. UCB's institutional culture combined rigorous Harold training with a high-volume production schedule and a competitive house team audition process.
People
Legacy
UCB produced an unusually concentrated cluster of performers who went on to prominent television careers, including cast members and writers for Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, Broad City, Difficult People, and dozens of other productions. Amy Poehler's co-founding role gave the institution a public profile that extended beyond the improv community. The 2020 closure was widely discussed as a marker of structural change in the NYC improv ecosystem.
Key Events
The Upright Citizens Brigade Troupe Relocates from Chicago to New York
In 1996, the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe relocated from Chicago to New York City, performing at venues including KGB Bar while developing the pitch that led to their Comedy Central television deal. The move positioned the group at the center of the New York alternative comedy scene and set the groundwork for the permanent Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre they would open three years later.
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Opens in Chelsea, Bringing the Harold to New York
Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh opened the UCB Theatre on 4 February 1999 at 161 West 22nd Street in Chelsea, New York City. Centred on the Harold and a structured training curriculum, UCB became the most influential improv training institution in New York over the following two decades.
The First Del Close Marathon Held in New York
The inaugural Del Close Marathon was held in New York City, organized by the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre as a tribute to Del Close. The marathon ran continuously for more than 50 hours and featured dozens of improv teams performing back-to-back, establishing an annual tradition that became one of the most significant events in the improv calendar. The DCM grew to include hundreds of teams and thousands of performances, drawing improvisers from around the world.
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Closes Permanently in New York City
On 21 April 2020, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre permanently closed its Hell's Kitchen theatre and New York training centre, citing COVID-19 disruption and pre-existing financial pressures. The closure ended UCB's twenty-one-year run as New York's primary Harold training institution. UCB NYC reopened at 242 East 14th Street in September 2024 under new ownership.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/ucb-theatre
The Improv Archive. "Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/ucb-theatre.
The Improv Archive. "Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/ucb-theatre. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.