List of improvisational theatre companies
Improvisational theatre companies in the United States
Table:
Name
Group Level
Improv Type
Location
Date Established
Reference

ACME Comedy Theatre
Professional
Theatresports
Los Angeles, California
1989
[8]

The Annoyance Theatre
Professional
Improvisational
Chicago, Illinois
1987

BATS Improv
Major Professional
Theatresports, Long-form, Musicals
San Francisco, California
1986

The Bent Theatre
Professional
Multiple
Charlottesville, Virginia
2004
[9]

Blackout Improv
Professional
-
Minneapolis, Minnesota
2015
[10][11]

Bovine Metropolis Theater
Professional
Multiple
Denver, Colorado
1998
[12]

The Brave New Workshop Comedy Theatre
Professional
Multiple
Minneapolis, Minnesota
1958
[13]

Chicago City Limits

Major Professional

Shortform

New York City, New York

1977

[14][15]

Commedus Interruptus
Collegiate
Multiple
Los Angeles, California
1989
[16]

ComedySportz
Major Professional
Shortform
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1984
[17]

Compass Players
Professional
Cabaret
Chicago, Illinois
1955*
[18]

Dad's Garage Theatre Company
Professional
Multiple
Atlanta, Georgia
1995
[19]

The Diggers
Professional
Guerrilla
San Francisco, California
1966*
[20]

Erasable Inc.
Collegiate
Improvisational
College Park, Maryland
1986
[21]

Face Off Unlimited
Professional
Multiple
New York City, New York
2003
[22]

The Focus Group
Professional
Long-form
Bangor, Maine
2009

Friday Night Improvs
Collegiate
Improv Jam
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1989

The Groundlings
Major Professional
Semi-improvisational
Los Angeles, California
1974

HUGE Theater
Professional
Long-form
Minneapolis, Minnesota
2005
[23]

The Immediate Gratification Players
Collegiate
Long-form
Cambridge, Massachusetts
1986
[24]

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The ACME Comedy Theatre is a sketch comedy and improvisational theater located near Hollywood , Los Angeles , California , on La Brea near Wilshire 's Miracle Mile . ACME was started by M.D . Sweeney as The Two Roads Theater in Studio City in 1989 with Cynthia Szigeti . The players known as the Two Roads Players and later the Tujunga Group . Sweeney changed the name to Acme a few years later , a reference to Warner Brothers cartoons ( Sweeney assisted with some Tiny Toons scripts to help his writer girlfriend out ) around the same time he moved the theater to North Hollywood . Eventually , he brought it to La Brea Boulevard near Los Angeles 's Miracle Mile , where it quickly rose to prominence in the world of sketch comedy . Sweeney was inspired by the Groundlings , and throughout the 1990s , a rivalry developed between ACME and the famous Groundlings , with both theaters vying for the best sketch comedians in Los Angeles . ( Sweeney 's girlfriend - the mother of his children , Sherri Stoner - is a former Groundling . The name Acme was selected after Stoner 's career in animation writing at Warner Brothers had started to take off . ) In 2004 , Sweeney decided to retire from directing and sold ACME to Travis Oates , then a member of ACME 's main sketch company . Oates embarked on a renovation of the theater that made ACME the most technically advanced 99-seat theater in Los Angeles . In the first quarter of 2007 ACME underwent a second major renovation , which saw the installation of broadcast equipment and effectively turned ACME into a television soundstage .
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre , which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect . Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions , with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges . Developed by director Keith Johnstone in Calgary , Alberta , in 1977 , the concept of Theatresports originated in Johnstone 's observations of techniques used in professional wrestling to generate heat , or audience reaction . [ citation needed ]
Los Angeles ( /lɔːs ˈændʒələs/ ( listen ) ; [ a ] Spanish : Los Ángeles ; Spanish for The Angels ) , officially the City of Los Angeles and often known by its initials L.A. , is the most populous city in California ; the second most populous city in the United States , after New York City ; and the third most populous city in North America , after Mexico City and New York City . With an estimated population of nearly four million people , Los Angeles is the cultural , financial , and commercial center of Southern California . The city is known for its Mediterranean climate , ethnic diversity , Hollywood , the entertainment industry , and its sprawling metropolis . Los Angeles lies in a basin in Southern California , adjacent to the Pacific Ocean , with mountains as high as 10,000 feet ( 3,000 m ) , and deserts . The city , which covers about 469 square miles ( 1,210 km2 ) , is the seat of Los Angeles County , the most populous county in the United States . The Los Angeles metropolitan area ( MSA ) is the second-largest metropolitan area in the nation with a population of 13.1 million people . Greater Los Angeles , which includes the metro area of Riverside and San Bernardino , is the nation 's second most populous combined statistical area , with a 2015 estimate of 18.7 million people . Historically home to the Chumash and Tongva , Los Angeles was claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542 . The city was officially founded on September 4 , 1781 , by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve . It became a part of Mexico in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence . In 1848 , at the end of the Mexican-American War , Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , and thus became part of the United States . Los Angeles was incorporated as a municipality on April 4 , 1850 , five months before California achieved statehood .
The Annoyance Theatre , or Annoyance Productions as it is sometimes called , is a theatre and associated ensemble based in Chicago , Illinois , that deals mainly in absurd and outrageous humor . Many people who have performed with the ensemble have gone on to become successful stage and screen actors . Popular productions have included Co-Ed Prison Sluts and That Darned Antichrist . Annoyance Productions currently runs classes in improvisation , writing , musical improvisation , acting , and solo work .
Chicago ( /ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ ( listen ) , locally also /ʃɪˈkɔːɡoʊ/ ) , officially the City of Chicago , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois , and the third-most-populous city in the United States . With an estimated population of 2,705,994 ( 2018 ) , it is also the most populous city in the Midwestern United States . Chicago is the county seat of Cook County , the second-most-populous county in the US , with a small portion of the northwest side of the city extending into DuPage County near O'Hare Airport . Chicago is the principal city of the Chicago metropolitan area , often referred to as Chicagoland . At nearly 10 million people , the metropolitan area is the third most populous in the United States . Located on the shores of freshwater Lake Michigan , Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed and grew rapidly in the mid-19th century . After the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 , which destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless , the city made a concerted effort to rebuild . The construction boom accelerated population growth throughout the following decades , and by 1900 , less than 30 years after the great fire , Chicago was the fifth-largest city in the world . Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and zoning standards , including new construction styles ( including the Chicago School of architecture ) , the development of the City Beautiful Movement , and the steel-framed skyscraper . Chicago is an international hub for finance , culture , commerce , industry , education , technology , telecommunications , and transportation . It is the site of the creation of the first standardized futures contracts , issued by the Chicago Board of Trade , which today is the largest and most diverse derivatives market in the world , generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone . Depending on the particular year , the city 's O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked as the world 's fifth or sixth busiest airport according to tracked data by the Airports Council International .
BATS Improv ( formerly known as Bay Area Theatresports ) is a non-profit improvisational theatre company in San Francisco . Founded in 1986 , their unique style of acting-based improvisational theatre is well known in improv circles around the world . BATS is the largest improvisational theatre company and school in Northern California . BATS takes its inspiration from the work of Theatresports creator Keith Johnstone and from San Francisco 's own tradition of experimental improvisation . BATS is known for the quality , depth , scope and variety of its improvisational theatre programming . Since 1986 , BATS helped create and define a unique San Francisco style of long-form improvisation - a single-story 2-hour show , complete with intermission - which is distinct from improv seen in much of the rest of the country . BATS is in residence at the 200-seat Bayfront Theater at historic Fort Mason Center in San Francisco and performs and offers classes year round . In addition , BATS runs a successful corporate training program , performs improv in schools as a popular participant in the Bay Area 's Young Audiences program , and provides free improv workshops through its Laughing Stock program to people living with HIV , AIDS , hepatitis C , cancer , and other chronic , life-threatening illness . Notable BATS performers and alumni include :
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs , spoken dialogue , acting and dance . The story and emotional content of a musical - humor , pathos , love , anger - are communicated through words , music , movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole . Although musical theatre overlaps with other theatrical forms like opera and dance , it may be distinguished by the equal importance given to the music as compared with the dialogue , movement and other elements . Since the early 20th century , musical theatre stage works have generally been called , simply , musicals . Although music has been a part of dramatic presentations since ancient times , modern Western musical theatre emerged during the 19th century , with many structural elements established by the works of Gilbert and Sullivan in Britain and those of Harrigan and Hart in America . These were followed by the numerous Edwardian musical comedies and the musical theatre works of American creators like George M. Cohan at the turn of the 20th century . The Princess Theatre musicals ( 1915-1918 ) and other smart shows like Of Thee I Sing ( 1931 ) were artistic steps forward beyond revues and other frothy entertainments of the early 20th century and led to such groundbreaking works as Show Boat ( 1927 ) and Oklahoma ! ( 1943 ) . Some of the most famous musicals through the decades that followed include West Side Story ( 1957 ) , The Fantasticks ( 1960 ) , Hair ( 1967 ) , A Chorus Line ( 1975 ) , Les Misérables ( 1985 ) , The Phantom of the Opera ( 1986 ) , Rent ( 1996 ) , The Producers ( 2001 ) , Wicked ( 2003 ) and Hamilton ( 2015 ) . Musicals are performed around the world . They may be presented in large venues , such as big-budget Broadway or West End productions in New York City or London . Alternatively , musicals may be staged in smaller venues , such as fringe theatre , Off-Broadway , Off-Off-Broadway , regional theatre , or community theatre productions , or on tour .
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco and colloquially known as SF , San Fran , Frisco , or The City , is the cultural , commercial , and financial center of Northern California . San Francisco is the 15th most populous city in the United States , and the fourth most populous in California , with 883,305 residents as of 2018 . It covers an area of about 46.89 square miles ( 121.4 km2 ) , mostly at the north end of the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area , making it the second most densely populated large U.S. city , and the fifth most densely populated U.S. county , behind only four of the five New York City boroughs . San Francisco is the 12th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the United States by population , with 4.7 million people , and the 4th-largest by economic output , with GDP of $ 549 billion in 2018 . With San Jose , it forms the fifth most populous combined statistical area in the United States , the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland , CA Combined Statistical Area ( 9.67 million residents in 2018 ) . As of 2018 , San Francisco was the seventh-highest-income county in the United States , with a per capita personal income of $ 130,696 . In the same year , San Francisco proper had a GDP of $ 183.2 billion , and a GDP per capita of $ 207,371 . The CSA San Francisco shares with San Jose and Oakland was the country 's third-largest urban economy as of 2018 , with a GDP of $ 1.03 trillion . Of the 500+ primary statistical areas in the U.S. , this CSA had among the highest GDP per capita in 2018 , at $ 106,757 . San Francisco was ranked 12th in the world and 2nd in the United States on the Global Financial Centres Index as of September 2019 . As of 2016 , the San Francisco metropolitan area had the highest GDP per capita , labor productivity , and household income levels in the OECD . San Francisco was founded on June 29 , 1776 , when colonists from Spain established Presidio of San Francisco at the Golden Gate and Mission San Francisco de Asís a few miles away , all named for St. Francis of Assisi .
The Bent Theatre , formerly known as Whole World Theater Charlottesville , is an improvisational comedy troupe based in Charlottesville , Virginia . It was founded by Jenn Horne , ( formerly of The Whole World Theatre in Atlanta , Georgia ) in 2004 . The group began with weekly classes , then accumulated enough actors to perform monthly shows at various venues on Charlottesville 's Downtown Mall . As of 2010 , its home base is Play On Theater .
Charlottesville , colloquially known as C'ville and officially named the City of Charlottesville , is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia . It is the county seat of Albemarle County , which surrounds the city , though the two are separate legal entities . It is named after the British Queen consort ( and Electress of Hanover ) Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz , who as the wife of George III was Virginia 's last Queen . In 2018 , an estimated 48,117 people lived within the city limits . The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Charlottesville with Albemarle County for statistical purposes , bringing its population to approximately 150,000 . Charlottesville is the heart of the Charlottesville metropolitan area , which includes Albemarle , Buckingham , Fluvanna , Greene , and Nelson counties . Charlottesville was the home of two Presidents , Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe . During their terms as Governor of Virginia , they lived in Charlottesville , and traveled to and from Richmond , along the 71-mile ( 114 km ) historic Three Notch 'd Road . Orange , located 26 miles ( 42 km ) northeast of the city , was the hometown of President James Madison . The University of Virginia , founded by Jefferson and one of the original Public Ivies , straddles the city 's southwestern border . Monticello , 3 miles ( 4.8 km ) southeast of the city , is , along with the University of Virginia , a UNESCO World Heritage Site , attracting thousands of tourists every year .
Blackout Improv is an improvisational comedy theatre troupe in Minneapolis , Minnesota . Founded in 2015 , the cast is completely black . Topics of monthly comedy performances include standard improv audience suggestions as well as a special focus on civil rights issues like police brutality , white privilege , and cultural appropriation . Blackout Improv responded to the shooting of Jamar Clark as well as the acquittal of police officer Jeronimo Yanez after the shooting of Philando Castile . Blackout Improv , along with efforts like the Black and Funny Improv Festival , are bringing more people of color to Twin Cities improv theater . Blackout Improv performs at the Mixed Blood Theatre in Cedar-Riverside , Minneapolis .
Minneapolis ( /ˌmɪniˈæpəlɪs/ ( listen ) ) is the county seat of Hennepin County and the larger of the Twin Cities , the 16th-largest metropolitan area in the United States . As of 2018 , Minneapolis is the largest city in the state of Minnesota and 46th-largest in the United States , with an estimated population of 425,403 . The Twin Cities metropolitan area consists of Minneapolis , its neighbor Saint Paul and suburbs which altogether contain about 3.63 million people , and is the third-largest economic and population center in the Midwest . Minneapolis lies on both banks of the Mississippi River , just north of the river 's confluence with the Minnesota River , and adjoins Saint Paul , the state 's capital . The city is abundantly rich in water , with 13 lakes , wetlands , the Mississippi River , creeks and waterfalls ; many connected by parkways in the Chain of Lakes and the Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway . It was once the world 's flour milling capital and a hub for timber . The city and surrounding region is the primary business center between Chicago and Seattle . Minneapolis is home to five Fortune 500 companies , and the Twin Cities are the fifth-largest hub of major corporate headquarters in the United States . Minneapolis has one of the highest percentages of LGBT populations in the U.S . Noted for its strong music and performing arts scenes , Minneapolis is home to both the award-winning Guthrie Theater and the historic First Avenue nightclub . Reflecting the region 's status as an epicenter of folk , funk , and alternative rock music , the city served as the launching pad for several of the 20th century 's most influential musicians , including Bob Dylan and Prince . Minneapolis has also become noted for its underground and independent hip-hop and rap scenes , producing artists such as Lizzo , Brother Ali , Atmosphere , and Dessa .
Bovine Metropolis Theater was the first dedicated improvisational performance and improvisational comedy theater in the Denver Metro Area . It is located at 1527 Champa Street , Denver , Colorado . The Bovine Metropolis Theater houses the Bovine School of Improv , a five level program that teaches improvisational theatre and comedy . There are approximately 500 graduates of the Bovine School of Improv . In 2001 Westword named Bovine Metropolis Theater the Best Improv and Comedy Space for that year . The company is owned by Denise Maes and Eric Farone along with the Bovine 's sister company , Apixii Applied Improvisation . Apixii uses applied improvisation to conduct business training for companies on a contract basis .
Denver ( /ˈdɛnvər/ ) , officially the City and County of Denver , is the capital and most populous municipality of the U.S. state of Colorado . Denver is located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains . With an estimated population of 716,492 in 2018 , Denver is the 19th-most populous U.S. city , and with a 19.38% increase since the 2010 United States Census , it has been one of the fastest-growing major cities in the United States . The metropolitan city is located in the middle of the extensive Southern Rocky Mountain Front with Cheyenne , Wyoming , to the north and Albuquerque , New Mexico , to the south , this rapidly growing region has a population of 5,467,633 , according to the 2010 United States Census . The Denver downtown district is immediately east of the confluence of Cherry Creek with the South Platte River , approximately 12 mi ( 19 km ) east of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains . Denver is named after James W. Denver , a governor of the Kansas Territory . It is nicknamed the Mile High City because its official elevation is exactly one mile ( 5280 feet or 1609.3 meters ) above sea level . The 105th meridian west of Greenwich , the longitudinal reference for the Mountain Time Zone , passes directly through Denver Union Station . Denver is ranked as a Beta world city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . The 10-county Denver-Aurora-Lakewood , CO Metropolitan Statistical Area had an estimated 2018 population of 2,932,415 and is the 19th most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical area . The 12-city Denver-Aurora , CO Combined Statistical Area had an estimated 2018 population of 3,572,798 and is the 15th most populous U.S. metropolitan area . Denver is the most populous city of the 18-county Front Range Urban Corridor , an oblong urban region stretching across two states with an estimated 2018 population of 4,976,781 .
The Brave New Workshop Comedy Theater ( BNW ) , is a sketch and improvisational comedy theater based in Minneapolis , Minnesota . The artists of the BNW have been writing , performing and producing live sketch comedy and improvisation performances for 61 years - longer than any other theater in the nation .
Chicago City Limits ( CCL ) , is the longest running improvisational theatre company in New York City , New York .
Commedus Interruptus is an American theater troupe operating from the US state of California .
ComedySportz ( CSz ) is an improvisational comedy organization started in 1984 in Milwaukee , Wisconsin , by a group of local comedians including Dick Chudnow , Bob Orvis , Brian Green , and others .
Milwaukee ( /mɪlˈwɔːki/ , locally /mɪˈ-/ ) is the largest city in the state of Wisconsin and the fifth-largest city in the Midwestern United States . The seat of the eponymous county , it is on Lake Michigan 's western shore . Ranked by its estimated 2018 population , Milwaukee was the 31st largest city in the United States . The city 's estimated population in 2018 was 594,511 . Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee metropolitan area which had a population of 2,043,904 in the 2014 census estimate . It is the third-most densely populated metropolitan area in The Midwest , surpassed only by Chicago and Detroit , respectively . Milwaukee is considered a Gamma global city as categorized by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network with a regional GDP of over $ 105 billion . The first Europeans to pass through the area were French Catholic Jesuit missionaries , who were ministering to Native Americans , and fur traders . In 1818 , the French Canadian explorer Solomon Juneau settled in the area , and in 1846 , Juneau 's town combined with two neighboring towns to incorporate as the city of Milwaukee . Large numbers of German immigrants arrived during the late 1840s , after the German revolutions , with Poles and other eastern European immigrants arriving in the following decades . Milwaukee is known for its brewing traditions , begun with the German immigrants . Beginning in the early 21st century , the city has been undergoing its largest construction boom since the 1960s .
The Compass Players ( or Compass Theater ) was an improvisational cabaret revue active from 1955 to 1958 in Chicago and St. Louis . Several members went on to form The Second City Theater in 1959 .
Dad 's Garage Theatre Company , located at 569 Ezzard St in the Old 4th Ward in Atlanta , Georgia , was founded in 1995 by Chris Blair , Marc Cram , Sean Daniels , John Gregorio , David Keeton , Joseph Limbaugh , Matt Stanton , and Matt Young . The small theater company has since achieved international recognition for original stage productions and Improvisational comedy . The current Artistic Director , Kevin Gillese , is a former director at Rapid Fire Theatre . Lara Smith is the current Managing Director .
Atlanta ( /ætˈlæntə/ ) is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia . With an estimated 2018 population of 498,044 , it is also the 37th most-populous city in the United States . The city serves as the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area , home to 5.9 million people and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the nation . Atlanta is the seat of Fulton County , the most populous county in Georgia . Portions of the city extend eastward into neighboring DeKalb County . Atlanta was originally founded as the terminus of a major state-sponsored railroad . With rapid expansion , however , it soon became the convergence point among multiple railroads , spurring its rapid growth . The city 's name derives from that of the Western and Atlantic Railroad 's local depot , signifying the town 's growing reputation as a transportation hub . During the American Civil War , the city was almost entirely burned to the ground in General William T. Sherman 's famous March to the Sea . However , the city rose from its ashes and quickly became a national center of commerce and the unofficial capital of the New South . During the 1950s and 1960s , Atlanta became a major organizing center of the civil rights movement , with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. , Ralph David Abernathy , and many other locals playing major roles in the movement 's leadership . During the modern era , Atlanta has attained international prominence as a major air transportation hub , with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport being the world 's busiest airport by passenger traffic since 1998 .
The Diggers were a radical community-action group of activists and Street Theatre actors operating from 1966 to 1968 , based in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco . Their politics have been categorized as left-wing ; more accurately , they were community anarchists who blended a desire for freedom with a consciousness of the community in which they lived . The Diggers ' central tenet was to be authentic , seeking to create a society free from the dictates of money and capitalism . The Diggers were closely associated and shared a number of members with the guerrilla theater group San Francisco Mime Troupe . They were formed out of after-hours Mime Troupe discussions between Emmett Grogan , Peter Coyote , Peter Berg , and Billy Landout . They fostered and inspired later groups like the Yippies .
The City of College Park is in Prince George 's County , Maryland , United States , and is approximately four miles ( 6.4 km ) from the northeast border of Washington . The population was 30,413 at the 2010 United States Census . It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland , College Park , and since 1994 the city has also been home to the National Archives at College Park , a facility of the U.S. National Archives , as well as to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA ) Center for Weather and Climate Prediction ( NCWCP ) .
Face Off Unlimited is an improvisational comedy production company based in New York City . In 2003 , Jay Painter and Eric Robinson founded Friday Night Face Off , a weekly improvised comedy show in Port Jefferson , New York featuring two teams of comedic improvisers engaged in a mock competition , a concept originated by TheatreSports . Friday Night Face Off ( often abbreviated as FNFO ) has since become the longest continuously running improv comedy shows in Long Island history . In 2009 , Painter and Robinson formed Face Off Unlimited , A Limited Liability Company , and brought on former FNFO creative director Joe Tex as Partner and Chief Operating Director . Face Off Unlimited produces various comedy stage shows , has a writing division who specializes in creating content for robots , video games , and iOS applications , including French robotics company , Aldebaran Robotics and it 's NAO and Pepper humanoid robots . Face Off offers multi-level improv and writing classes and workshops that utilize techniques of improvisation and creative ensemble . In 2010 Face Off Unlimited opened Face Off University at The Secret Theatre in Long Island City , New York , offering classes on improvisation and their approach to the art form . Since 2014 , they have moved their school to Face Off Unlimited Headquarters in Astoria , Queens . On January 10 , 2011 , Face Off debuted their live Japanese game-show comedy in New York City 's East Village called Face Off Unlimited presents BATSU ! Translated from the Japanese word for penalty game , BATSU ! was named one of the Best Things To Do In NYC by CBS New York and was made a Time Out New York 2011 Critics ' Pick and an official Village Voice , Voice Choice . BATSU !
New York City ( NYC ) , also known as the City of New York or simply New York ( NY ) , is the most populous city in the United States . With an estimated 2018 population of 8,398,748 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles ( 784 km2 ) , New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States . Located at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York , the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world 's most populous megacities , with an estimated 19,979,477 people in its 2018 metropolitan statistical area and 22,679,948 residents in its combined statistical area . A global power city , New York City has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world , and exerts a significant impact upon commerce , entertainment , research , technology , education , politics , tourism , art , fashion , and sports . The city 's fast pace has inspired the term New York minute . Home to the headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy . Situated on one of the world 's largest natural harbors , New York City consists of five boroughs , each of which is a separate county of the State of New York . The five boroughs - Brooklyn , Queens , Manhattan , The Bronx , and Staten Island - were consolidated into a single city in 1898 . The city and its metropolitan area constitute the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York , making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world . New York City is home to 3.2 million residents born outside the United States , the largest foreign born population of any city in the world as of 2016 . As of 2019 [ update ] , the New York metropolitan area is estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product ( GMP ) of US $ 2.0 trillion .
The Focus Group is a project of experimental electronic musician and graphic designer Julian House . The Focus Group 's sound is a blend of influences ranging from old library music sounds produced in the 1970s , 1960s-inspired pastiches , public information films , and soundtracks to 1970s films and programmes , as well as the sound collage of musique concrète . The Focus Group have released five studio albums on House 's own label , Ghost Box : Sketches and Spells ( 2004 ) , Hey Let Loose Your Love ( 2005 ) , We Are All Pan 's People ( 2007 ) , The Elektrik Karousel ( 2013 ) and Stop-Motion Happening with the Focus Groop ( 2017 ) . Hey Let Loose Your Love was featured in The Wire 's top 50 albums of 2005 . Additionally , House collaborated with indie electronic band Broadcast , resulting in the 2009 album Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age ( issued by Warp ) and the 2010 7 EP Familiar Shapes and Noises ( released on Ghost Box ) . Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age was named The Wire 's top album of 2009 .
Bangor ( /ˈbæŋɡɔːr/ ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine , and the county seat of Penobscot County . The city proper has a population of 33,039 , making it the state 's 3rd largest settlement behind Portland ( 66,882 ) and Lewiston ( 36,221 ) . Modern Bangor was established in the mid-19th century with the lumber and shipbuilding industries . Lying on the Penobscot River , logs could be floated downstream from the Maine North Woods and processed at the city 's water-powered sawmills , then shipped from Bangor 's port to the Atlantic Ocean 30 miles ( 48 km ) downstream , and from there to any port in the world . Evidence of this is still visible in the lumber barons ' elaborate Greek Revival and Victorian mansions and the 31-foot-high ( 9.4 m ) statue of Paul Bunyan . Bangor is often credited for being the most successful music producing city . Today , Bangor 's economy is based on services and retail , healthcare , and education . Bangor has a port of entry at Bangor International Airport , also home to the Bangor Air National Guard Base . Historically Bangor was an important stopover on the great circle route air route between the U.S. East Coast and Europe . Bangor has a humid continental climate , with cold , snowy winters , and warm summers .
Friday Nite Improvs , or Friday Night Improvs ( FNI ) , was a long-running weekly improvisational comedy show staged on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The show functioned as an improv jam , performed by improv actors who do n't normally work together . FNI was unique in that , in addition to the audience 's providing improv suggestions , the performers are all pulled from volunteers in the audience . FNI ended in 2014 . A student improv group , Ruckus , has succeeded FNI as a resident improve group on the University of Pittsburgh 's campus . Friday Nite Improvs was the longest-running theatrical/comedic production in the city of Pittsburgh . The show regularly featured actors from every improv group in Pittsburgh , and alumni have gone on to act , write , and produce for television and film . Readers of the Pittsburgh City Paper ranked Friday Nite Improvs as the 3rd best place to see comedy in Pittsburgh in the 2004 Best of Pittsburgh survey behind the professional stand-up clubs The Improv and The Funnybone . College Prowler ranked Friday Nite Improvs as the ninth best thing about Pitt .
Pittsburgh ( /ˈpɪtsbɜːrɡ/ PITS-burg ) is a city in the state of Pennsylvania in the United States , and is the county seat of Allegheny County . A population of about 302,407 ( 2018 ) residents live within the city limits , making it the 66th-largest city in the U.S . The metropolitan population of 2,324,743 is the largest in both the Ohio Valley and Appalachia , the second-largest in Pennsylvania ( behind Philadelphia ) , and the 27th-largest in the U.S. Pittsburgh is located in the southwest of the state , at the confluence of the Allegheny , Monongahela , and Ohio rivers . Pittsburgh is known both as the Steel City for its more than 300 steel-related businesses and as the City of Bridges for its 446 bridges . The city features 30 skyscrapers , two inclined railways , a pre-revolutionary fortification and the Point State Park at the confluence of the rivers . The city developed as a vital link of the Atlantic coast and Midwest , as the mineral-rich Allegheny Mountains made the area coveted by the French and British empires , Virginians , Whiskey Rebels , and Civil War raiders . Aside from steel , Pittsburgh has led in manufacturing of aluminum , glass , shipbuilding , petroleum , foods , sports , transportation , computing , autos , and electronics . For part of the 20th century , Pittsburgh was behind only New York City and Chicago in corporate headquarters employment ; it had the most U.S. stockholders per capita . Deindustrialization in the 1970s and 80s laid off area blue-collar workers as steel and other heavy industries declined , and thousands of downtown white-collar workers also lost jobs when several Pittsburgh-based companies moved out . The population dropped from a peak of 675,000 in 1950 to 370,000 in 1990 . However , this rich industrial history left the area with renowned museums , medical centers , parks , research centers , and a diverse cultural district . After the deindustrialization of the mid-20th century , Pittsburgh has transformed into a hub for the health care , education , and technology industries .
The Groundlings are an improvisational and sketch comedy troupe and school based in Los Angeles , California . The troupe was formed by Gary Austin in 1974 and uses an improv format influenced by Viola Spolin , whose improvisational theater techniques were used by Del Close and other members of the Second City , located in Chicago and later St. Louis . They used these techniques to produce sketches and improvised scenes . Its name is taken from Shakespeare 's Hamlet , Act III , Scene II : .to split the ears of the groundlings , who for the most part are capable of nothing but inexplicable dumbshows and noise . In 1975 the troupe purchased and moved into its current location on Melrose Avenue . The Groundlings School holds new sessions every six weeks with over 300 students per session , with more than 2,000 students per year going through the program . The competitive program , with admission by audition , consists of five levels ( Basic , Intermediate , Advanced Improv , Writing Lab , and Advanced Lab ) . Participants must satisfy instructors in order to advance . The program takes years to complete , as 18-month to two-year wait-lists between upper levels are common . Students may be asked to repeat Basic and Intermediate classes multiple times . By the late 2000s , students had one chance to complete classes in Improv and Writing . Failure to pass either of these classes means a student can not complete the program , nor be invited into the Sunday Company .
HUGE Improv Theater is a Minneapolis theater founded in 2005 dedicated to long form improvisational theater . The non-profit theater acquired its own building in 2010 , where it runs scheduled nightly improv performances and hosts several annual improv festivals . HUGE announced plans to move into a new space by 2020 following a controversy over its landlord 's support of David Duke 's 2016 campaign for a U.S. Senate seat in Louisiana .
The Immediate Gratification Players ( IGP ) are a collegiate improvisational comedy troupe based out of Harvard College . They specialize in long form , free-form improvisation and are recognized as one of the top college troupes in the nation .
Cambridge ( /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/ KAYM-brij ) is a city in Middlesex County , Massachusetts , and part of the Boston metropolitan area . As of July 2014 [ update ] , it was the fifth most populous city in the state , behind Boston , Worcester , Springfield , and Lowell . According to the 2010 Census , the city 's population was 105,162. was one of two county seats of Middlesex County until the county government was abolished in Massachusetts in 1997 . Situated directly north of Boston , across the Charles River , it was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England , an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town 's founders . :18 Harvard University , the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ) , Lesley University , and Hult International Business School are in Cambridge , as was Radcliffe College before it merged with Harvard . Kendall Square in Cambridge has been called the most innovative square mile on the planet due to the high concentration of successful startups that have emerged in the vicinity of the square since 2010 .