Faraway Theater

Origins in Gladys

Faraway Theater grew directly from Gladys, a Birmingham long-form improv group that had formed out of the earlier troupe Ugly Baby. Michael Greene, Jacob Simmons, and Tim Casper, the three Gladys members, had trained in the New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles improv scenes respectively before returning to Birmingham. As audiences for Gladys shows grew, the three decided to create a permanent dedicated venue for Birmingham's comedy community.

Opening (2023)

Faraway Theater opened in 2023 as Birmingham's only dedicated improv comedy theatre. The founders built programming around the resident Gladys ensemble alongside classes in improv, sketch, and stand-up, establishing a full-service comedy institution for the city.

Ongoing Operations

Faraway Theater continues to operate in Birmingham, hosting Gladys performances alongside open classes and serving as a community hub for Alabama's developing comedy scene.

Faraway Theater presents long-form improv through its resident Gladys ensemble alongside class offerings in improv, sketch, and stand-up. The resident company model organizes the programming around a central ensemble whose members trained across three major American improv traditions, bringing a range of approaches to the Birmingham context. The theater functions as both a performance venue and a training institution for Alabama improvisers.

Faraway Theater opened in 2023 in Birmingham, Alabama, founded by Michael Greene, Jacob Simmons, and Tim Casper, the three members of Birmingham long-form improv group Gladys. The three founders trained in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles improv traditions respectively before returning to Birmingham with the goal of establishing the city's first dedicated improv comedy theatre. Faraway describes itself as "a homegrown space for Birmingham's comedy arts community," offering classes, regular performances, and community programming in a city that previously lacked a permanent improv home.

As Birmingham's only dedicated improv theatre, Faraway Theater fills a structural gap in Alabama's comedy ecosystem, providing a local training pathway that previously did not exist. The theatre's roots in the Gladys ensemble give it a long-form improv identity grounded in the founders' multicoast training backgrounds. Specific notable alumni and documented production titles have not yet emerged publicly given the organization's early stage.