Improv Olympic
iO Theater, also known as iO Chicago and formerly ImprovOlympic, is an improv theater and training center located in central Chicago, Illinois. The theater teaches and hosts performances of improvisational comedy, and has produced numerous notable alumni including Amy Poehler and Stephen Colbert.
History
ImprovOlympic was founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern, originally conceived by David Shepherd who had created the format in 1972 in New York with Howard Jerome. In 1982, the theater moved from The Players Workshop to its own space at CrossCurrents theatre on North Wilton Street. The theater later operated a Los Angeles branch called iO West from 1997 to 2018, closed briefly in 2020, and reopened on November 3, 2022.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Improv Olympic. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/improv-olympic
The Improv Archive. "Improv Olympic." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/improv-olympic.
The Improv Archive. "Improv Olympic." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/improv-olympic. Accessed October 11, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.