Moment Improv Theatre

Founding (2014)

Marcus Sams founded Moment Improv Theatre in San Francisco, California in 2014, establishing the organization at 533 Sutter St in downtown San Francisco. The company holds historical significance as one of the first African American-owned improv theatres and training centers in the United States, bringing a commitment to inclusive community-building to a city whose improv tradition traces directly to the Harold's development and the lineage of Del Close.

San Francisco Tradition

Moment operates within the San Francisco long-form tradition, drawing on the Harold format and the influence of teachers and students who shaped Bay Area improv. The organization's philosophy centers on authenticity and integrity in ensemble work alongside an explicit mission of inclusive community cultivation, distinguishing it from performance-first institutions.

Ongoing Operations

Moment Improv Theatre continues to operate at 533 Sutter St in downtown San Francisco as both a performing venue and training center.

Moment Improv Theatre presents long-form improv in the San Francisco Harold tradition, with a curriculum rooted in authenticity, ensemble integrity, and community inclusion. The theater's identity as one of the first African American-owned improv institutions in the country informs its explicit commitment to diverse and welcoming programming, positioning Moment as both a performance venue and a community organization for San Francisco improvisers.

Fabricated Dreams: a two-performer show featuring Clay Robeson and Marcus Sams exploring improvised narratives built around a puppet's dreams, using the F.L.I. Technique for on-camera storytelling. Lost Pilots: a concept show set in 2020 in which performers discover and improvise fictional television pilots that never aired, performed using Moment's signature Fixed Lens Improvisation format. The Liss n' Sams Show: a theatrical two-person comedy act featuring stream-of-consciousness performance and committed character work. Teleprov performance series: a four-level progression of on-camera improvised shows produced through Moment's proprietary online performance methodology, developed by Sams over more than 4,000 hours of online instruction during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moment Improv Theatre, founded in 2014 by Marcus Sams, stands as one of the first African American-owned improv theatres and training centers in the United States, and its founding marked a meaningful expansion of institutional diversity in Bay Area improv. Sams, a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service and co-founder of the Bay Area Film Mixer in 2001, also serves as Artistic Director of the San Francisco Improv Festival, giving Moment a direct role in shaping the wider Bay Area improv ecosystem. Teacher Clay Robeson, with improv training rooted at Improv Asylum in Boston, has taught at Moment since 2001, contributing a cross-country institutional lineage to the faculty.

Sams's development of the Teleprov methodology and the Fixed Lens Improvisation (F.L.I.) Technique represents an original contribution to improv pedagogy, specifically addressing the distinct demands of on-camera and remote performance. Corporate training partnerships with Google, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Airbnb, and eBay have extended Moment's reach beyond the stage, and the theatre's co-sponsorship of the San Francisco Improv Festival keeps it connected to the broader regional improv community.