CIC Theater is a Chicago non-profit comedy theater and training centre established in 2003 with a mission to deliver long-form improvisation training and performance in the Chicago tradition. Operating for approximately fifteen years at 1422 W. Irving Park Road before relocating to 4301 N. Western Avenue in Lincoln Square, CIC has served as one of the city's independent long-form venues and training programmes outside the institutional circuits of iO and The Second City.
History
Establishment (2003)
CIC Theater was established in 2003 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation dedicated to the art of long-form improvisation. The theatre opened at 1422 W. Irving Park Road in the Irving Park neighbourhood, positioning itself as an independent training and performance venue separate from the established institutional programmes.
Irving Park Years (2003–c.2018)
For approximately fifteen years, CIC operated from W. Irving Park Road, developing its training curriculum, building a company of house teams, and maintaining a programme of regular performances. The theatre sustained a focus on the Chicago long-form tradition throughout this period.
Relocation to Lincoln Square
CIC Theater subsequently relocated to 4301 N. Western Avenue in the Lincoln Square/Ravenswood neighbourhood of Chicago's North Side, where it continues to operate as an active training centre and performing venue.
Artistic Identity
CIC Theater's stated mission is to deliver high-quality improvisational training while building a diverse artist community grounded in the Chicago long-form tradition. The theatre positions itself as a practitioner-governed independent alternative to the large institutional programmes, emphasising accessible training structures and maintaining a house team system that develops performers from its own curriculum.
Key Events
CIC Theater Established in Chicago as Long-Form Improv Non-Profit
CIC Theater was established in 2003 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit comedy theater and training centre at 1422 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago, dedicated to the long-form improvisation tradition. The theatre provided a training curriculum and performance programme outside the institutional systems of iO and The Second City.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). CIC Theater. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/cic-theater
The Improv Archive. "CIC Theater." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/cic-theater.
The Improv Archive. "CIC Theater." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/cic-theater. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.