iO West
iO West was the Los Angeles satellite of iO Theater (Chicago), founded in 1997 by Paul Vaillancourt with institutional backing from Charna Halpern. Operating from 6366 Hollywood Blvd (the historic Palmer Building) from 2000, iO West presented Harold-based long-form improv and hosted the Los Angeles Improv Comedy Festival for twenty-one years before closing on 24 February 2018.
History
Founding and Early Venues (1997–2000)
iO West was founded in 1997 by Paul Vaillancourt, a Chicago-trained improviser who had performed at iO in Chicago under Del Close, with Charna Halpern providing the institutional connection to the original iO brand. The theatre launched at the Stella Adler Theater at 6773 Hollywood Blvd, then relocated to The Complex at 6470 Santa Monica Blvd.
Palmer Building (2000–2018)
In 2000, iO West moved into the historic Palmer Building at 6366 Hollywood Blvd, built in 1921, which became its permanent home. The venue presented nightly improv and sketch shows rooted in the Harold curriculum. iO West hosted the Los Angeles Improv Comedy Festival and served as the primary LA outpost for the Del Close long-form tradition.
Closure (2018)
In 2017, iO West's Artistic Director James Grace departed following harassment allegations. On 24 February 2018, iO West announced on Facebook that it was closing permanently, citing financial difficulties, approximately one year after the Grace scandal. The closure ended iO West's twenty-one-year run as Los Angeles's primary Harold training institution.
Artistic Identity
iO West taught and performed the Harold and other Chicago-derived long-form forms in direct institutional descent from Del Close's iO in Chicago. Its training curriculum mirrored iO Chicago's, and the theatre served as the West Coast extension of the Harold pedagogical tradition. The Hollywood Boulevard location anchored a community of long-form improvisers who trained outside the Groundlings character-based tradition.
People
Key Events
iO West Opens in Hollywood as the Los Angeles Satellite of iO Theater
Paul Vaillancourt, a Chicago-trained improviser, founded iO West in 1997 with institutional backing from Charna Halpern, bringing the Harold-based long-form curriculum of iO Chicago to Los Angeles. The theatre launched at the Stella Adler Theater on Hollywood Blvd and later settled at the Palmer Building at 6366 Hollywood Blvd in 2000.
iO West Closes Permanently in Los Angeles After Twenty-One Years in Hollywood
On February 24, 2018, iO West closed permanently at 6366 Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, ending twenty-one years of West Coast operations. iO West had been founded in 1997 by former iO Chicago student Paul Vaillancourt and grew into one of the most prominent improv training venues in Los Angeles, training thousands of performers over its two decades. The closure consolidated iO Theater's operations entirely to Chicago after years of bicoastal presence.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). iO West. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/io-west
The Improv Archive. "iO West." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/io-west.
The Improv Archive. "iO West." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/io-west. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.