Imposters Theater

Founding (2021)

Michael Busch, a Cleveland native who had spent 15 years in Los Angeles' comedy scene, returned home in 2021 noting that Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Pittsburgh all had multiple comedy and improv theatres while Cleveland lacked a permanent dedicated alternative comedy space. Busch founded Imposters Theater in August 2021, launching as a 20-person intimate venue that quickly became a Cleveland Chain Reaction semi-finalist and secured a 10-month residency in the Tremont Business Incubator.

Permanent Venue (2022)

In fall 2022 Busch ran a Kickstarter campaign to fund a permanent 1,200-square-foot space on Lorain Avenue in the Ohio City neighborhood. The campaign succeeded, giving Imposters a dedicated home at 4828 Lorain Ave described as "Northeast Ohio's first permanent home of improv" since the region lost its prior comedy institutions.

Ongoing Operations

Imposters Theater continues to operate at 4828 Lorain Ave in Ohio City, presenting improv, sketch, and alternative comedy programming.

Imposters Theater presents improv, sketch, and alternative comedy with a deliberately inclusive and community-oriented identity. Busch's Los Angeles experience informs the programming while the Ohio City location grounds the venue in Cleveland's independent arts district. The theater positions itself as both a performance space and a community hub for Northeast Ohio's comedy scene.

Imposters Theater presents weekly Friday and Saturday evening shows blending standup, improv, and sketch comedy on its 50-seat stage. Imposters Big Comedy Night, held on first Saturdays, anchors the recurring performance calendar with a multi-act variety format. Try Improv is a beginner drop-in workshop series offering accessible entry points to live performance. Improv Play Lab functions as a free open jam session where performers develop new material in a low-stakes setting. The theater also co-presents with Mass Hysteria Improv Comedy Fest and Hashtag Comedy, extending its programming reach beyond the venue.

Imposters Theater opened in August 2021 at 4828 Lorain Avenue in Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood, launched by Michael Busch after fifteen years performing and teaching in the Los Angeles comedy scene. Busch returned to his hometown with the goal of giving Northeast Ohio its first permanent home for improv since Second City's Cleveland affiliate had closed, positioning the 99-capacity black-box venue as a hub for independent and alternative comedy. Affiliated early with Will Hines's The World's Greatest Improv School and Pickwick and Frolic, the theater quickly established training partnerships that extended its educational reach across the region.

The theater has centered its programming on amplifying local comedic voices rather than importing national talent, positioning Cleveland performers as the primary draw. Its corporate training arm and community-oriented free events such as Improv Play Lab have built relationships with non-comedy organizations across Northeast Ohio, while affiliation with Mass Hysteria Improv Comedy Fest connects Imposters to a broader regional festival circuit. The venue's stated mission to foster an inclusive space for Cleveland's alternative comedy scene reflects Busch's intention to create infrastructure that outlasts any single performer's tenure.