The Off Broadway Theatre

Founding and Early Programming (1994)

The Off Broadway Theatre opened in Salt Lake City in 1994, establishing a home for original scripted productions including parodies and musicals alongside live improv comedy. Quick Wits Comedy, the founding institution of Utah's improv community, gave its first performances at the Off Broadway Theatre in 1994 before establishing its own independent space.

Laughing Stock and Nonprofit Status

The Off Broadway Theatre's resident improv show Laughing Stock developed into Utah's longest-running improv comedy program. The organization incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2008.

Trolley Square Relocation (2025)

In 2025 the Off Broadway Theatre relocated to the Alliance Theater at Trolley Square in Salt Lake City, continuing its combined scripted and improv programming in a new home.

The Off Broadway Theatre programs both original scripted productions and short-form competitive improv through Laughing Stock, serving Salt Lake City audiences across both theatrical traditions.

The Off Broadway Theatre's signature production is Laughing Stock, described as Utah's longest-running and most popular improv comedy show, presenting competitive short-form audience-suggestion comedy in a format that has anchored the theater's programming since its early years. Beyond Laughing Stock, the OBT produces original scripted productions alongside its improv programming, operating as a full-service nonprofit performing arts organization. The theater relocated its home to the Alliance Theater at Trolley Square at 602 E 500 S in 2025, opening a new chapter for both Laughing Stock and its broader theatrical slate.

The Off Broadway Theatre was founded in Salt Lake City in 1994 as a nonprofit performing arts organization presenting both scripted original productions and live improv comedy. Laughing Stock, the theater's competitive short-form improv arm, built a reputation as Utah's most durable improv comedy show through more than three decades of continuous performance. The organization achieved 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2008, strengthening its institutional foundation and enabling expanded programming. For most of its history the OBT operated from a fixed location before relocating to the Alliance Theater at Trolley Square in 2025, a move that placed it within a major Salt Lake City commercial and entertainment complex.

As the longest-running improv comedy production in Utah, Laughing Stock has introduced competitive short-form improv to audiences across the Wasatch Front over more than 30 years. The OBT's dual identity as both a scripted theater and an improv comedy venue has distinguished it from single-format organizations, allowing it to serve a broad audience base in Salt Lake City. Its nonprofit structure has enabled it to pursue grant funding and community partnerships that have supported both its theatrical productions and its improv programming over multiple decades.