Improv Incubator

Improv Incubator was established in 2018 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with the mission of creating a safe space where anyone can experience improvisation. The company grew to become a regular presence at venues across eastern Iowa, performing at Theatre Cedar Rapids, Mirrorbox Theatre, Lucky Cat Comedy Club, The Giving Tree Theatre, and the Washington Performing Arts Center.

The organization built its programming around a combination of public shows, workshops, and ongoing classes, positioning itself as Cedar Rapids's dedicated improv training and performance company.

Improv Incubator centers its approach on accessibility and psychological safety, describing its mission as providing a space where anyone can experience improv regardless of background or experience level. The company offers classes, workshops, and shows as three distinct entry points into improvisation, allowing participants to engage at whatever level of commitment they prefer.

Improv Incubator produces regular shows across multiple venues in the Cedar Rapids area, including performances at Theatre Cedar Rapids, Mirrorbox Theatre, Lucky Cat Comedy Club, The Giving Tree Theatre, and the Washington Performing Arts Center. The company runs ongoing improv classes and periodic workshops for both new and experienced improvisers.

Improv Incubator was founded in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 2018 by Anthony Jensen, establishing one of the few organizations in Eastern Iowa dedicated specifically to long-form improvisation performance and training. Its founding addressed a gap in Cedar Rapids's arts infrastructure, where the form had no permanent institutional home, and positioned the company as a regional anchor for long-form improv in a state where dedicated improv organizations remain scarce. Jensen built the organization around a training model designed to develop local performers over time rather than import established talent.

As one of Iowa's only dedicated improv companies, Improv Incubator occupies a foundational position in the state's emerging unscripted performance ecosystem. Its focus on long-form structures distinguishes it from short-form or game-show formats common in markets without deep improv tradition, reflecting Jensen's intent to cultivate sustained narrative and ensemble work in Cedar Rapids. The company's presence gives Eastern Iowa performers access to long-form training and performance opportunities that would otherwise require travel to Chicago, Minneapolis, or other regional centers.