156:
27:
39:
212:
sets. WIT also hosts an annual improv marathon festival, Improvalooza, a March madness-style competition, dubbed the
Fighting Improv Smackdown Tournament, and performances or lessons at various other venues, such as local schools and the
172:, and soon after other venues around D.C. It began offering its own improv training program in 2000. In 2004, it hired its first full-time artistic and executive director, Mark Chalfant. In 2008, it began performing at the 150-seat
741:
588:
200:
WIT hosts over 300 performances annually featuring a number of different in-house ensembles and visiting teams. Its performances have received favorable reviews from critics. They vary in form — for instance,
769:
167:
WIT was founded in 1986 by Carole
Douglis, but it went dormant in 1992. It was revived by Douglis and several others as a consensus-based collective in 1998, and performed initially in the basement of the
665:
416:
468:
984:
637:
580:
693:
797:
825:
521:
294:
136:
188:. It continued expanding, and in FY2019 hosted 325 performances with an estimated 20,590 attendees. In 2022–2023, it took up a one-year residency at
964:
557:
954:
959:
611:
185:
223:
WIT runs a program for corporate clients, "WIT at Work". In 2019, the program worked with 79 clients with a total of 2900 participants.
915:
181:
160:
208:
WIT's
Tuesday evening pay-what-you-can Harold Night performances, begun in April 2010, feature four teams each performing half-hour
974:
969:
495:
354:
169:
719:
798:"Those People You Didn't Recognize on the Kennedy Center's Red Carpet? Probably Improv Performers | Washingtonian (DC)"
189:
140:
979:
581:"Comedians Are Staging Improvised Funerals For Alexandra Petri, Popville's Dan Silverman, And Audience Members"
177:
144:
147:
corridor, although its teams also use several other venues. Roughly 20,000 people attend WIT shows annually.
326:
469:"Washington Improv Theater Celebrates 25th Anniversary Season with Year-long Residency at Studio Theatre"
547:
694:"Expect the unexpected in Washington Improv Theater's 'Life and Death with WIT: Hellcat and iMusical'"
802:
209:
132:
75:
548:"Washington Improv Theater Reinvents The Teen Movie With Its Summer School Series 'Yearbook'"
155:
876:
8:
774:
746:
670:
642:
421:
443:
522:"The Women's Voices Theater Festival: 'The October Issue' at Washington Improv Theater"
220:
WIT's improv classes enrolled 1,728 students in FY2019 across a five-level curriculum.
173:
237:
232:
89:
830:
770:"FIST improv tournament provides comedy lovers a different kind of March Madness"
26:
214:
948:
930:
917:
612:""WIT Road Show" may just be the tonic people need for these anxious times"
742:"Backstage: Improvapalooza's 7th year packed with 'explosive creativity'"
852:
390:
331:
202:
139:. It was founded in 1986 by Carole Douglis. Its shows are based at
355:"'Yes, And...': Furloughed Workers Turn To Improv During Shutdown"
260:
826:"The not-so-funny reason therapists are taking comedy classes"
552:
359:
38:
496:"Review: 'Citizens' Watch' at Washington Improv Theater"
43:
WIT team "Wallawoo" performing at a Harold Night in 2016
985:
Members of the
Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington
408:
135:
theater company in
Washington, D.C., specializing in
905:
289:
287:
285:
283:
281:
113:
711:
513:
417:"Making It Up as They Go Works Just Fine for WIT"
278:
946:
666:"Washington Improv spoofs presidential campaign"
436:
16:Improv comedy organization in Washington, D.C.
733:
720:"Best Improv Comedy Nights In Washington DC"
817:
603:
37:
25:
739:
691:
629:
578:
385:
383:
381:
379:
377:
320:
318:
823:
795:
493:
154:
965:1986 establishments in Washington, D.C.
789:
767:
692:Mostafavi, Kendall (14 November 2019).
572:
545:
487:
346:
327:"Why D.C. isn't too uptight for improv"
255:
253:
955:Arts organizations established in 1986
947:
796:Shepherd, Brittany (24 October 2018).
657:
635:
560:from the original on February 23, 2024
414:
374:
352:
315:
960:Theatre companies in Washington, D.C.
740:Goldstein, Jessica (13 August 2013).
717:
591:from the original on October 28, 2019
494:Brickman, Ravelle (5 December 2017).
415:Padget, Jonathan (25 December 2003).
324:
226:
170:Universalist National Memorial Church
761:
663:
609:
519:
250:
636:Catlin, Roger (21 September 2015).
579:Greenberg, Rudi (28 October 2019).
353:Lefrak, Mikaela (22 January 2019).
13:
824:Itkowitz, Colby (April 25, 2016).
520:Katz, Lauren (19 September 2015).
475:(Press release). 15 September 2022
14:
996:
897:
546:Griffin, Dominic (12 July 2017).
718:Emmer, Christa (4 August 2016).
325:Lyons, Kathryn (1 August 2019).
869:
845:
768:Horwitz, Jane (12 March 2012).
685:
664:Wren, Celia (19 October 2016).
539:
610:Rule, Doug (8 November 2018).
461:
1:
975:League of Washington Theatres
243:
195:
970:Theatres in Washington, D.C.
7:
877:"washington improv theater"
10:
1001:
295:"WIT FY2019 Annual Report"
205:is an improvised musical.
150:
857:Washington Improv Theater
638:"Making it up as they go"
395:Washington Improv Theater
302:Washington Improv Theater
265:Washington Improv Theater
125:Washington Improv Theater
108:
98:
81:
71:
63:
48:
36:
24:
20:Washington Improv Theater
980:Improvisational theatre
931:38.915194°N 77.031722°W
473:Maryland Theatre Guide
182:Source Theatre Company
180:, the former venue of
164:
133:improvisational comedy
76:Improvisational comedy
936:38.915194; -77.031722
698:DC Metro Theater Arts
526:DC Metro Theater Arts
500:DC Metro Theater Arts
444:"CulturalDC Programs"
176:at Source Theater on
158:
163:, WIT's former venue
100:Artistic director(s)
927: /
775:The Washington Post
747:The Washington Post
671:The Washington Post
643:The Washington Post
422:The Washington Post
21:
227:Notable performers
165:
19:
122:
121:
88:1835 14th St NW,
992:
942:
941:
939:
938:
937:
932:
928:
925:
924:
923:
920:
909:
908:
906:Official website
891:
890:
888:
887:
881:Aparna Nancherla
873:
867:
866:
864:
863:
849:
843:
842:
840:
838:
821:
815:
814:
812:
810:
793:
787:
786:
784:
782:
765:
759:
758:
756:
754:
737:
731:
730:
728:
726:
715:
709:
708:
706:
704:
689:
683:
682:
680:
678:
661:
655:
654:
652:
650:
633:
627:
626:
624:
622:
607:
601:
600:
598:
596:
576:
570:
569:
567:
565:
543:
537:
536:
534:
532:
517:
511:
510:
508:
506:
491:
485:
484:
482:
480:
465:
459:
458:
456:
454:
440:
434:
433:
431:
429:
412:
406:
405:
403:
401:
387:
372:
371:
369:
367:
350:
344:
343:
341:
339:
322:
313:
312:
310:
308:
299:
291:
276:
275:
273:
271:
257:
238:Aparna Nancherla
233:Natasha Rothwell
184:now operated by
137:long-form improv
118:
115:
90:Washington, D.C.
59:
57:
41:
29:
22:
18:
1000:
999:
995:
994:
993:
991:
990:
989:
945:
944:
935:
933:
929:
926:
921:
918:
916:
914:
913:
904:
903:
900:
895:
894:
885:
883:
875:
874:
870:
861:
859:
851:
850:
846:
836:
834:
831:Washington Post
822:
818:
808:
806:
794:
790:
780:
778:
766:
762:
752:
750:
738:
734:
724:
722:
716:
712:
702:
700:
690:
686:
676:
674:
662:
658:
648:
646:
634:
630:
620:
618:
608:
604:
594:
592:
577:
573:
563:
561:
544:
540:
530:
528:
518:
514:
504:
502:
492:
488:
478:
476:
467:
466:
462:
452:
450:
442:
441:
437:
427:
425:
413:
409:
399:
397:
389:
388:
375:
365:
363:
351:
347:
337:
335:
323:
316:
306:
304:
297:
293:
292:
279:
269:
267:
259:
258:
251:
246:
229:
198:
153:
112:
101:
94:
55:
53:
44:
32:
17:
12:
11:
5:
998:
988:
987:
982:
977:
972:
967:
962:
957:
911:
910:
899:
898:External links
896:
893:
892:
868:
844:
816:
788:
760:
732:
710:
684:
656:
628:
602:
571:
538:
512:
486:
460:
435:
407:
373:
345:
314:
277:
248:
247:
245:
242:
241:
240:
235:
228:
225:
215:Kennedy Center
197:
194:
190:Studio Theatre
161:Source Theater
152:
149:
141:Studio Theatre
120:
119:
110:
106:
105:
102:
99:
96:
95:
93:
92:
85:
83:
79:
78:
73:
69:
68:
65:
61:
60:
50:
46:
45:
42:
34:
33:
30:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
997:
986:
983:
981:
978:
976:
973:
971:
968:
966:
963:
961:
958:
956:
953:
952:
950:
943:
940:
907:
902:
901:
882:
878:
872:
858:
854:
848:
833:
832:
827:
820:
805:
804:
803:Washingtonian
799:
792:
777:
776:
771:
764:
749:
748:
743:
736:
721:
714:
699:
695:
688:
673:
672:
667:
660:
645:
644:
639:
632:
617:
613:
606:
590:
586:
582:
575:
559:
555:
554:
549:
542:
527:
523:
516:
501:
497:
490:
474:
470:
464:
449:
445:
439:
424:
423:
418:
411:
396:
392:
386:
384:
382:
380:
378:
362:
361:
356:
349:
334:
333:
328:
321:
319:
303:
296:
290:
288:
286:
284:
282:
266:
262:
256:
254:
249:
239:
236:
234:
231:
230:
224:
221:
218:
216:
211:
206:
204:
193:
191:
187:
183:
179:
175:
171:
162:
157:
148:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
117:
111:
107:
104:Mark Chalfant
103:
97:
91:
87:
86:
84:
80:
77:
74:
70:
67:Theatre group
66:
62:
51:
47:
40:
35:
28:
23:
919:38°54′54.7″N
912:
884:. Retrieved
880:
871:
860:. Retrieved
856:
847:
835:. Retrieved
829:
819:
807:. Retrieved
801:
791:
779:. Retrieved
773:
763:
751:. Retrieved
745:
735:
723:. Retrieved
713:
701:. Retrieved
697:
687:
675:. Retrieved
669:
659:
647:. Retrieved
641:
631:
619:. Retrieved
616:Metro Weekly
615:
605:
593:. Retrieved
584:
574:
562:. Retrieved
551:
541:
529:. Retrieved
525:
515:
503:. Retrieved
499:
489:
477:. Retrieved
472:
463:
451:. Retrieved
447:
438:
426:. Retrieved
420:
410:
398:. Retrieved
394:
364:. Retrieved
358:
348:
336:. Retrieved
330:
305:. Retrieved
301:
268:. Retrieved
264:
222:
219:
207:
199:
166:
128:
124:
123:
934: /
922:77°1′54.2″W
261:"About WIT"
178:14th Street
145:14th Street
949:Categories
886:2021-05-05
862:2021-05-05
448:CulturalDC
244:References
196:Activities
31:WIT's logo
853:"History"
391:"History"
332:Roll Call
186:CultureDC
174:black box
49:Formation
589:Archived
558:Archived
479:3 August
203:iMusical
131:) is an
82:Location
837:27 June
809:27 June
781:27 June
753:27 June
725:27 June
703:27 June
677:27 June
649:27 June
621:27 June
595:27 June
564:27 June
531:27 June
505:27 June
453:27 June
428:27 June
400:27 June
366:27 June
338:27 June
307:27 June
270:27 June
151:History
143:on the
109:Website
72:Purpose
54: (
210:harold
585:DCist
553:DCist
298:(PDF)
114:witdc
839:2020
811:2020
783:2020
755:2020
727:2020
705:2020
679:2020
651:2020
623:2020
597:2020
566:2020
533:2020
507:2020
481:2023
455:2020
430:2020
402:2020
368:2020
360:WAMU
340:2020
309:2020
272:2020
159:The
116:.org
64:Type
56:1986
52:1986
129:WIT
951::
879:.
855:.
828:.
800:.
772:.
744:.
696:.
668:.
640:.
614:.
587:.
583:.
556:.
550:.
524:.
498:.
471:.
446:.
419:.
393:.
376:^
357:.
329:.
317:^
300:.
280:^
263:.
252:^
217:.
192:.
889:.
865:.
841:.
813:.
785:.
757:.
729:.
707:.
681:.
653:.
625:.
599:.
568:.
535:.
509:.
483:.
457:.
432:.
404:.
370:.
342:.
311:.
274:.
127:(
58:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.