Tucson Improv Movement

Founding (2012)

Justin Lukasewicz, who had performed improv in North Carolina, founded Tucson Improv Movement on October 25, 2012, with the explicit goal of bringing long-form improv to Tucson. The first T.I.M. Improv 101 class launched that same day, and the first stage show followed on December 15, 2012, at the Red Barn Theater. T.I.M. established a permanent home at 414 East 9th Street, just off historic Fourth Avenue.

The Soap Box and Weekly Programming

The Soap Box, Tucson's longest-running long-form improv team, began performing weekly at T.I.M. in October 2014 and has maintained that schedule continuously. T.I.M.'s TIM Comedy School offers monthly starting Improv 101 and 201 classes, Stand Up 101, and sketch, with more than ninety regular performers and five hundred students trained through the program.

Annual Festivals

T.I.M. launched the Tucson Comedy Arts Festival in November 2015 as an annual showcase drawing performers from beyond the local community. In February 2016 the organization launched the Cactus Flower Comedy Festival specifically celebrating women and non-binary comedians.

Tucson Improv Movement centers long-form improv in Tucson through the TIM Comedy School's monthly-starting class curriculum and a weekly programming schedule anchored by The Soap Box. The Tucson Comedy Arts Festival and Cactus Flower Comedy Festival extend the company's commitment to the broader regional comedy community.

The Soap Box is the flagship Friday night show (running since October 2014), where local public figures tell five personal stories that performers improvise into scenes. Guests have included former Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, OSIRIS-REx Chief Investigator Dante Lauretta, and muralist Joe Pagic. The Riveters is TIM's original all-female team. Pilot Season creates improvised soap operas. The Dating Scene builds comedy from audience members' dating experiences. The Feed riffs on social media. Friends of Make Pretends is a children's program. The Tucson Comedy Arts Festival launched in November 2015 as an annual event featuring national headliners including Maria Bamford and Kevin McDonald. The Cactus Flower Comedy Festival (February 2016) celebrates women and non-binary comedians.

Founded by Justin Lukasewicz in October 2012 after years of performing in North Carolina, TIM grew from a five-student Improv 101 class at Lotus Massage and Wellness Center to over 500 students and 70+ company members performing six nights a week. The first public performance was December 15, 2012 at Red Barn Theater. Company members have performed at the Del Close Marathon in New York, the Diversity Festival in Los Angeles, and Impride in San Diego. TIM headlined the Bennuval Festival at the Fox Theater in September 2015 and performed at the University of Arizona Stadium graduation in May 2015. The theater operates from a 45-seat venue at 414 East 9th Street on historic Fourth Avenue, establishing Tucson's first dedicated long-form improv training center with a game-based comedy approach described as 'played quickly and supported fearlessly.'