ComedySportz Indianapolis

Founding (1993)

Ed Trout, Mia Lee Roberts, Lynn Burger, and Dave Ruark, who had been performing together as the Below the Belt sketch and improv ensemble, discovered the ComedySportz format during a visit to Chicago and secured a franchise license from CSz Worldwide. ComedySportz Indianapolis launched in February 1993 at Theatre on the Square in Fountain Square, establishing competitive short-form improv as a regular entertainment option in the Indianapolis market.

Mass Avenue Era and Relocation

The company operated for 21 years on Mass Avenue before eventually relocating to The Wit Theater on Shelby Street, an 85-seat venue that became its current home. ComedySportz Indianapolis operates as Indianapolis's Eastern Conference entry in the CSz Worldwide network of more than 25 US cities plus Manchester, UK.

Ongoing Operations

ComedySportz Indianapolis continues to present competitive short-form improv at The Wit Theater, alongside adult-only shows, classes, corporate training, and summer camp programs. The company describes itself as Indianapolis's longest-running comedy show.

ComedySportz Indianapolis presents competitive short-form improv in the CSz Worldwide format: two teams (including Circle City Slammerz) compete in improv games before a referee with audience scoring. Family-appropriate programming is supplemented by adult-only shows and a substantial corporate training and team-building practice. Classes offer short-form improv instruction at beginner through advanced levels.

ComedySportz Indianapolis presents its flagship ComedySportz Match weekly, a two-team audience-interactive improvised competition available in both all-ages and late-night formats for audiences 17 and older. House Party and The Mixer operate as separate improv productions on the weekly schedule. The venue also hosts the World Series of Comedy, a recurring stand-up comedy event, alongside Open Mic Nights that give developing stand-up comedians regular stage time. Youth summer camps extend performance opportunities to younger participants, with showcase performances marking the culmination of each session.

ComedySportz Indianapolis launched in February 1993 at Theatre on the Square in Fountain Square, founded by Ed Trout, Mia Lee Roberts, Lynn Burger, and Dave Ruark, all members of a local sketch and improv ensemble called Below the Belt. The four had traveled to Chicago, encountered the ComedySportz format, and returned to Indianapolis determined to secure a franchise. Their opening made Indianapolis one of the earlier CSz franchise markets in the Midwest. The company spent two decades performing on Massachusetts Avenue before relocating to The Wit Theater at 3808 Shelby Street, a purpose-built comedy venue that consolidated shows, classes, corporate training, and administration under one roof. With over thirty years of continuous operation, ComedySportz Indianapolis holds its claim as the longest-running comedy show in the city.

Edward Trout has remained central to the organization as its director of education, overseeing improv training programs recognized among the best in the country. The organization operates a high school league, youth summer camps, adult classes, and corporate team-building programs, giving it reach across age groups and professional sectors throughout central Indiana. As a member of the CSz Worldwide network of more than 25 active franchises, ComedySportz Indianapolis participates in the annual World Championship tournament, connecting the company to franchises across the United States and to the Manchester, UK operation. The theater's multigenerational audience, with reviewers reporting attendance since childhood, reflects the durability of its family-accessible format in the Indianapolis market.