Sea Tea Improv is a Hartford, Connecticut comedy organization founded on April 1, 2009, by six co-founders: Summar Elguindy, Joe Leonardo, Greg Ludovici, Julia Pistell, Dan Russell, and Kate Sidley. The name is a phonetic play on Connecticut. Growing from a nomadic performing ensemble into Connecticut's largest professional comedy company, Sea Tea opened studio space at 75 Pratt Street in 2012 and a dedicated comedy theater at 15 Asylum Street in 2016, presenting six or more original shows per week alongside a multi-level class program and the annual Hartford Improv Festival.
History
Founding (2009)
Six co-founders launched Sea Tea Improv on April 1, 2009, in Hartford. Initially self-taught improvisers who later commuted to New York City for training, the founders gradually brought UCB teachers to Hartford as the company developed its pedagogy. The company's name phonetically encodes its home state.
Sea Tea Improv Studios (2012)
In 2012 Sea Tea opened Sea Tea Improv Studios at 75 Pratt Street with four rehearsal and class rooms, adding dedicated training space. The studios expanded in 2015 and the organization launched the Hartford Improv Festival in 2014.
Comedy Theater (2016)
In 2016 Sea Tea opened a dedicated comedy theater at 15 Asylum Street in the historic Corning Building at Asylum and Main in downtown Hartford, moving the studios to 11 Asylum Street Suite 402. The full complex established Sea Tea as Connecticut's largest professional comedy organization, with six or more original comedy shows per week.
Artistic Identity
Sea Tea Improv combines improv and sketch programming with stand-up and variety under one roof in downtown Hartford, operating both a dedicated comedy theater and multi-room studio facilities. The Hartford Improv Festival extends Sea Tea's community role beyond its weekly programming.
Key Events
Sea Tea Improv Founded in Hartford
Six co-founders launched Sea Tea Improv on April 1, 2009, in Hartford, Connecticut, establishing what would grow into the state's largest professional comedy company.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Sea Tea Improv. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/sea-tea-improv
The Improv Archive. "Sea Tea Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/sea-tea-improv.
The Improv Archive. "Sea Tea Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/sea-tea-improv. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.