Santa Fe Improv
Santa Fe Improv is a New Mexico long-form improv nonprofit founded in 2009 by Ben Taxy and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2019. Based in Santa Fe with a permanent theater space opened in 2020, the organization presents long-form improv and runs community education programs Improv4Schools (free improv instruction in schools) and Improv4Educators (training teachers to use improv in classrooms). Artistic Director Eric Weiss joined in 2020; Lucy River serves as Managing Director.
History
Founding (2009)
Ben Taxy, a writer who worked on Family Guy, founded Santa Fe Improv in 2009 alongside early members including Maddi Knox, Brian Crane, Ruby Peru, Charles Gamble, Kate Chavez, and Robin Holloway. The organization operated as a performing group for its first decade.
Nonprofit Status and Permanent Space (2019 to 2020)
Santa Fe Improv incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2019. In 2020 Eric Weiss joined as Artistic Director and the organization secured a commercial lease and built out a permanent theater space in Santa Fe on Parkway Drive. The physical home enabled expanded programming.
Community Education Programs
Under Weiss's artistic direction, Santa Fe Improv developed Improv4Schools, delivering free improv to local schools, and Improv4Educators, teaching teachers to incorporate improv into their classrooms. Both programs extend the organization's work beyond performance into education across New Mexico.
Artistic Identity
Santa Fe Improv centers long-form improv performance within a nonprofit model that prioritizes community access. Its education programs Improv4Schools and Improv4Educators direct improv practice into schools and teacher development, positioning the organization as New Mexico's primary long-form improv education institution.
Key Events
Santa Fe Improv Founded
Ben Taxy founded Santa Fe Improv in 2009 as New Mexico's dedicated long-form improv organization, which later incorporated as a nonprofit in 2019 and opened a permanent theater space in 2020.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Santa Fe Improv. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/santa-fe-improv
The Improv Archive. "Santa Fe Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/santa-fe-improv.
The Improv Archive. "Santa Fe Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/santa-fe-improv. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.