Leela Improv Theatre is a San Francisco, California long-form improv company founded in February 2003 by Jill Mueller (now Jill Eickmann) and Christopher Eickmann as Lila Theatre. The company renamed itself Leela in 2010 and positions its work as a continuation of the San Francisco improv tradition established by The Committee. Operating at 450 Geary Street, Leela offers two conservatory programs and has expanded with a second location, Leela NC, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
History
Founding as Lila Theatre (2003)
Jill Mueller and Christopher Eickmann founded Lila Theatre in February 2003, launching long-form improv programming in the Mission district of San Francisco. The founders explicitly situated the company's mission within the San Francisco improvisational tradition that Del Close and The Committee had established in the city.
Rename to Leela (2010)
In 2010 the company renamed from Lila Theatre to Leela Improv Theatre. It moved from its original Mission district space through Stage 250 at the Off-Market Theaters before settling at 450 Geary Street in downtown San Francisco.
Leela NC (Raleigh)
Leela expanded to Raleigh, North Carolina with a second location, Leela NC, which grew in part to fill the void left by the closure of DSI Comedy Theater in that city.
Artistic Identity
Leela Improv Theatre centers its practice on long-form improv grounded in classical improvisational theory and truthful, artistic scene work. The company's two conservatory programs and its self-identified continuation of the San Francisco improv lineage from The Committee distinguish its pedagogical identity.
Key Events
Lila Theatre Founded in San Francisco
Jill Mueller and Christopher Eickmann founded Lila Theatre in February 2003 in San Francisco, a long-form improv company that renamed to Leela Improv Theatre in 2010.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Leela Improv Theatre. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/leela-improv-theatre
The Improv Archive. "Leela Improv Theatre." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/leela-improv-theatre.
The Improv Archive. "Leela Improv Theatre." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/leela-improv-theatre. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.