Improvisation in Washington, D.C.
Companies
Historical Moments
Washington Improv Theater Founded in Washington DC by Carole Douglis
Carole Douglis founded Washington Improv Theater in Washington DC in 1986. The original company performed through 1992 and then disbanded. Douglis revived WIT on 27 November 1998 as a consensus-based collective, launching performances in the basement of Universalist National Memorial Church and re-establishing WIT as Washington DC's primary improv training and performance organisation.
Dojo Comedy Founded in Washington, D.C.
Murphy McHugh founded Dojo Comedy in 2013 in Washington, D.C., opening the District's first dedicated improv and sketch venue at 3503 Georgia Avenue NW in May 2015.
Laugh Index Theatre Established as LIT Comedy
Nancy Safavi formalized Laugh Index Theatre as a regular comedy school and performance organization in Washington, D.C. in 2014, building on a performance group and production brand that began in 2010.
Rails Comedy Founded in Washington, D.C.
Walker Green founded Rails Comedy in Washington, D.C. in 2021, establishing a sketch and improv comedy company at the DC Arts Center in the Adams Morgan neighborhood.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Washington, D.C.. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/washington-dc
The Improv Archive. "Washington, D.C.." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/washington-dc.
The Improv Archive. "Washington, D.C.." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/washington-dc. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.