Improvisation in North Carolina
Cities
Historical Moments
Charlotte Comedy Theater Founded
Keli Semelsberger, who trained in Chicago under Del Close, Charna Halpern, Mick Napier, Susan Messing, and Amy Poehler, founded Charlotte Comedy Theater in 2001 as Charlotte's first dedicated improv theatre. The company became a founding member of the VAPA Center and was recognized as one of the Top 50 Comedy Clubs in the US in 2016.
DSI Comedy Theater Founded in Chapel Hill
Zach Ward founded DSI Comedy Theater in 2003 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, after studying improv in Chicago, establishing the Triangle's primary improv venue and training center.
iO South Opens in Raleigh
iO South opened in 2006 as a joint venture between iO Chicago and ComedyWorx of Raleigh, establishing iO's third training center and the only iO franchise in the Southeast.
Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte Founded
Abigail Head and Kevin Shimko co-founded the Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte (CATCh) on November 16, 2016, establishing a long-form improv venue focused on theatrical, character-driven performance. The company opened its first permanent venue in February 2019 at 4200 South Blvd in Charlotte.
DSI Comedy Theater Closes
DSI Comedy Theater permanently closed on August 28, 2017, following the resignation of founder Zach Ward amid allegations of misconduct.
Leela Improv Theatre Opens Raleigh Location
Jill Eickmann and Christopher Eickmann opened a Raleigh, North Carolina location of their San Francisco-based Leela improv institution in 2025 at 309 N Boylan Ave in Glenwood South, extending Leela's heart-centered long-form improv curriculum to the Triangle area.
Includes moments from child regions. View full timeline →
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). North Carolina. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/north-carolina
The Improv Archive. "North Carolina." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/north-carolina.
The Improv Archive. "North Carolina." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/locales/north-america/united-states/north-carolina. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.