Improvisation in Texas
Cities
Historical Moments
ComedySportz Houston Founded
Dianah Dulany founded ComedySportz Houston on November 8, 1990, at the River Cafe in Montrose, bringing competitive short-form improv to Houston.
ComedySportz San Antonio Established
ComedySportz San Antonio was established in 1993 as a CSz Worldwide franchise, bringing competitive short-form improv to the San Antonio market. The franchise operates at the Little Improv Theatre venue at 11950 Starcrest Dr, presenting weekly Friday and Saturday shows.
Four Day Weekend Founded in Fort Worth
David Ahearn, Frank Ford, and David Wilk founded Four Day Weekend in Fort Worth, Texas in 1997, establishing one of the Southwest's primary long-form improv companies. The company built a permanent venue on Houston Street and developed a national reputation for corporate entertainment programming.
The Hideout Theatre Opens on Congress Avenue in Austin
Sean Hill and Shana Merlin co-founded The Hideout Theatre in Austin, Texas in 1999, opening at 617 Congress Avenue in a building that had previously housed a pawn shop. The theatre operated at that address for more than twenty-five years as Austin's primary dedicated improv venue.
ColdTowne Theater Founded in Austin
Brian Lazzaro and Mary Borsellino founded ColdTowne Theater in Austin, Texas in 2007, establishing a community-focused long-form improv and sketch comedy venue in the East Austin arts district.
Station Theater Founded in Houston
Station Theater grew from the Houston chapter of Austin's The New Movement, which began offering improv classes in 2011 under Shyla Ray. The organization rebranded as Station Theater in fall 2012, establishing a Houston-centric identity and growing into the city's primary independent comedy hub.
Stomping Ground Comedy Theater Founded in Dallas
Lindsay Goldapp and Andrea K. Baum founded Stomping Ground Comedy Theater as a nonprofit in the Dallas Design District in 2017, creating a dedicated home for long-form improv and comedy education in the DFW metro.
Dallas Comedy Club Opens in Deep Ellum
Ian and Rosie Caruth, Jamie Hogan, Sarah Tullos, and Claire Daigle opened Dallas Comedy Club in 2021 at 3036 Elm St in Deep Ellum, taking over the space vacated by Dallas Comedy House after its August 2020 pandemic closure. The new venue continued Deep Ellum's multi-genre comedy programming tradition.
ComedySportz Houston Rebrands as The Good Friend Theater
ComedySportz Houston rebranded as The Good Friend Theater in July 2025 and relocated from EaDo to 8301 Jones Road in Jersey Village, opening to a sold-out crowd on July 22, 2025.
Includes moments from child regions. View full timeline →
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Texas. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/texas
The Improv Archive. "Texas." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/texas.
The Improv Archive. "Texas." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/texas. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.