Improvisation in Arizona
Cities
Historical Moments
Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed Troupe Founded in Tucson
Donnie Cianciotto founded Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed in May 2002, Tucson's first professional short-form improv group, which later became Unscrewed Theater.
Tucson Improv Movement Founded
Justin Lukasewicz founded Tucson Improv Movement on October 25, 2012, in Tucson, Arizona, with the first Improv 101 class on the founding day and the first public performance at Red Barn Theater on December 15, 2012.
Unscrewed Theater Opens Tucson's First Dedicated Improv Venue
Unscrewed Theater opened its first dedicated performance space at 3244 East Speedway Boulevard on January 30, 2014, becoming Tucson's first theatre devoted exclusively to improv comedy.
Second Beat Improv Theater Opens in Phoenix
Sam Haldiman opened Second Beat Improv Theater in Phoenix, Arizona on January 7, 2017, drawing on training at iO Theater and Annoyance Theater in Chicago and experience as training director at The Torch Theatre. The theater brought dedicated long-form improv to the Phoenix market.
Includes moments from child regions. View full timeline →
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Arizona. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/arizona
The Improv Archive. "Arizona." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/arizona.
The Improv Archive. "Arizona." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/arizona. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.