The Pack Theater

Miles Stroth Workshop (2007–2015)

Miles Stroth, who had studied under Del Close and taught at iO West, founded the Miles Stroth Workshop in Los Angeles in 2007. Stroth has described the organisation's origins: he intended to teach rather than run a theatre, but his students' need for stage time led to the addition of a performance night, which grew into a larger programme. In 2010, Eric Moneypenny joined and helped develop a sketch comedy writing curriculum alongside the existing improv training.

Rebranding and Venue (2015–2022)

In 2015, the organisation formally rebranded as The Pack Theater, naming five co-founders: Miles Stroth, Eric Moneypenny, Brian James O'Connell, Emily Candini, and Sam Brown. The Pack became a physical 50-seat black box venue in 2016, at which point the annual Pack Con comedy festival also launched. The theatre operated at The Complex (6470 Santa Monica Blvd) and surrounding venues before relocating following The Complex's closure.

Los Feliz (2024–present)

In July 2024, The Pack Theater opened at its current address, 1615 N Vermont Avenue in Los Feliz.

The Pack Theater's programming spans improv, sketch comedy, stand-up, character development, pilot writing, and voiceover, operating as a broad comedy training centre rather than a form-specific institution. The organisation traces its pedagogy to Miles Stroth's training under Del Close, grounding it in the Harold tradition, but the teaching and performing programme has broadened considerably since the 2015 rebranding and the integration of sketch and stand-up. The annual Pack Con festival has been a consistent community-building event.

Pack Con served as the theater's signature festival from 2016 to 2019, with the inaugural edition on July 23, 2016 running 16+ hours and featuring guests Bob Odenkirk, Adam McKay, Ian Roberts, and The Whitest Kids U Know. Eleven house sketch teams performed regularly, including Haymaker, Dr. America, Tiny Muscles, 100% Stuff, Gunslinger, Tantrum, Turncoat, Dandy, Daughters of Triton, Femmebot PHD, and Nightchurch. House improv teams Chonk and Beverly perform double features on Wednesday house nights. In 2012, co-founders Heather Campbell and Miles Stroth won UCB's improv Cagematch with a record-breaking undefeated run.

Alumni and teachers have written or performed for SNL, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Dropout, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, TBS, Nickelodeon, Disney, and Dreamworks. Co-founder Eric Moneypenny expanded the Pack's curriculum to include sketch comedy starting in 2010, establishing a dual-discipline training model. The theater's emphasis on POC and LGBTQIA+ leadership in programming influenced LA's independent comedy scene. After losing its dedicated space during the 2020 pandemic shutdown, the Pack maintained community through Zoom classes and Twitch shows before reopening at The Complex (2022), The Broadwater (2023), and its current home at 1615 N. Vermont Ave in Los Feliz (2024).