Coalition Theater

Founding After ComedySportz Richmond Closure (2009)

When Richmond's ComedySportz franchise closed its Staples Mill location in 2009, Matt Newman, Katie Holcomb, and David Pijor, all of whom had met through ComedySportz, launched the Richmond Comedy Coalition. They presented their first show, "Shut Up and Laugh," at Art6 Gallery in June 2009. The Coalition established its training program in 2010 and ran monthly performances at Gallery5 while building toward a permanent home.

Kickstarter and Permanent Venue (2013)

In 2013 the organization raised $27,000 through a Kickstarter campaign to open a dedicated performance and training space at 8 W Broad St in Richmond's Arts District. The new venue gave Coalition the capacity to run regular shows alongside its class program. In 2014 the organization restructured as Broad Street Comedy, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, formalizing its community-centered mission.

Ongoing Operations

Coalition Theater continues to operate at 8 W Broad St as Richmond's primary dedicated improv institution, presenting long-form improv, sketch, and stand-up alongside a structured training program.

Coalition Theater presents long-form improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up under a nonprofit community model. The organization deliberately shifted from its ComedySportz roots toward long-form ensemble work, positioning itself as Richmond's institutional center for improvisational theatre. The 501(c)(3) structure enables an educational and community-access approach alongside professional performance programming.