The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an

improvisational Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

and

sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...

group that emerged from

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

ImprovOlympic iO, or iO Chicago, (formerly known as ImprovOlympic) is an improv theater and training center in central Chicago. The theater teaches and hosts performances of improvisational comedy. It was founded in 1981 by Del Close and Charna Halpern. The ...

in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of

Amy Poehler Amy Meredith Poehler ( ; born September 16, 1971) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her roles in sketch comedy, sitcoms and comedy films, she has earned acclaim and several accolades including a Primetime Emmy Award (out of 26 nom ...

, Matthew Walsh,

Matt Besser Matthew Gregory Besser (born September 22, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, director, producer, writer, and one of the four founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade sketch comedy troupe, who had their own show on Comedy Central from 1 ...

, Ian Roberts,

Adam McKay Adam McKay (born April 17, 1968) is an American screenwriter, producer, and director. McKay began his career as a head writer for the NBC sketch comedy show ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') from 1995 to 2001. After leaving ''SNL'', McKay co-w ...

, Rick Roman,

Horatio Sanz Horacio Sanz (born June 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Horatio Sanz, is an American comedian and actor. Sanz was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006. Early life Sanz was born on Ju ...

and Drew Franklin. Other early members included

Neil Flynn Neil Richard Flynn (born November 13, 1960) is an American actor and comedian. After performing with numerous comedy troupes in the Chicago area during the 1980s, he made his film debut in ''Major League (film), Major League'' (1989). During the ...

, Armando Diaz,

Ali Farahnakian Ali Reza Farahnakian (born October 26, 1969) is an American actor, writer, and improvisational comedian. He is the founder of The Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) in NYC and co-starred in the Adult Swim comedy series ''Delocated''. He has been mar ...

and

Rich Fulcher Richard Fulcher (born November 18, 1963) is an American comedian, actor and author. He played Bob Fossil and other characters in the British comedy series ''The Mighty Boosh'', and Edward Sheath in the American series ''Jon Benjamin Has a Van''. ...

. In 2013, Besser, Roberts and Walsh wrote ''The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual''.

History

The Upright Citizens Brigade began performing improv and sketch comedy at Kill the Poet in Chicago. Their first show was called ''Virtual Reality''. The group followed with shows titled ''UCBTV'', ''Conference on the Future of Happiness'', ''Thunderball'', ''Bucket of Truth'', ''Big Dirty Hands'', ''The Real Real World'', and ''Punch Your Friend in the Face''. In 1993, the Upright Citizens Brigade (Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, Amy Poehler, Adam McKay, Rick Roman, and Horatio Sanz) were regular guests on stage at the

New Variety The New Variety is an American cabaret created and produced by Thomas Goodman and Richard O'Donnell. It was a fast-paced, ever-changing volley of acts that included jugglers, fire-eaters, stand-up comics, singers, musicians, and sketch comedy tr ...

produced and hosted by Richard O'Donnell at the Chicago Improv comedy club, 504 N. Wells. In 1996, prior to opening their own theatre, the Upright Citizens Brigade relocated to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

performing their signature improv show, ASSSSCAT, first at KGB Bar, and then later at Solo Arts. Solo Arts was the first semi-permanent home to the Upright Citizens Brigade's Harold Teams and is considered by some to be the group's first theatre. The shows and classes at Solo Arts were so popular that the UCB were able to open their own theater, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, at 161 W. 22nd Street in Chelsea on February 4, 1999. This was a 75-seat auditorium that used to be the Harmony Burlesque Theater, an all-nude

lap-dancing A lap dance (or contact dance) is a type of erotic dance performance offered in many strip clubs in which the dancer typically has body contact with a seated patron. Lap dancing is different from table dancing, in which the dancer is close to ...

club—essentially a storefront. The original theatre was closed on November 18, 2002, after a building inspector ordered the theater to be shut down due to fire code violations. In the months that followed, the theater found a temporary home at the Access Theater on lower Broadway, then moved to the Chelsea Playhouse for a short time before finding a permanent space. On April 1, 2003, the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre moved to its second official space in Chelsea, a 150-seat theater at 307 West 26th Street in NYC in the former Maverick Theater. The new venue had several advantages over the previous theater on 22nd Street, such as double capacity, a more professional tech booth, larger green room with a greater separation from the stage area, two dressing rooms, storage rooms, twice the number of bathrooms, and a "chill out room". In July 2005, the UCB opened at the

Tamarind Theatre Tamarind (''Tamarindus indica'') is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa and naturalized in Asia. The genus ''Tamarindus'' is monotypic, meaning that it contains only this species. It belongs to the ...

in Los Angeles at 5919 Franklin Avenue (between Tamarind & North Bronson Avenue). In September 2011, UCB opened a second theater on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, at 153 E 3rd St. This theater featured 124 seats, two lobbies, and a full bar known as the "Hot Chicks Room" in reference to an episode of the ''Upright Citizens Brigade'' TV show. Often referred to as "the Beast" (a

portmanteau In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.

shortening of "UCB East"), the theater was initially opened in hopes of showcasing more

stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...

. This venue ran smaller-scale shows for $10 or less. The UCB East permanently closed on February 9, 2019. In its stead, the group once (but no longer) offered three nights of programming per week in the nearby SubCulture theatre on Bleecker Street. At the start of 2017, ticket prices increased (the first in ten years). In October 2017, it was announced that the UCB Chelsea location would close. The last show in Chelsea was Wednesday, November 28, 2017. The next UCB space, from November 30, 2017, was at 555 42nd Street in

Hell's Kitchen Hell's Kitchen, also known as Clinton, or Midtown West on real estate listings, is a neighborhood on the West Side of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York. It is considered to be bordered by 34th Street (or 41st Street) to the south, ...

, the former home to the Pearl Theatre Company. The Upright Citizens Brigade has performed in the Comedy Tent at the

Bonnaroo Bonnaroo (or Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival) is an American annual four-day music festival developed and founded by Superfly Presents and AC Entertainment. Bonnaroo has taken place at what is now Great Stage Park, a 700-acre (280 ha) far ...

Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. Prior to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, UCB had locations in the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

neighborhoods of Hell's Kitchen and the East Village, and on

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this location and the New York training center were closed on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, leaving no NYC locations of UCB, with no confirmed plans for revival. However, on June 29, 2023, UCB announced its return to New York at 242 E. 14th Street, featuring a 130-seat theater, a bar, and a lounge. The space officially reopened in September 2024.

Los Angeles

In 2005, the Los Angeles branch of the theater opened at 5919 Franklin Avenue in Hollywood, offering improv, sketch and stand-up comedy shows nightly with a 120-seat capacity. Soon after, ''

Comedy Bang! Bang! ''Comedy Bang! Bang!'' (formerly ''Comedy Death-Ray Radio'') is a weekly comedy audio podcast, which originally began airing as a radio show on May 1, 2009.A Special Thing Forums:Comedy Death-Ray Radio starts today! It is hosted by writer and ...

'' (formerly Comedy Death-Ray), a Los Angeles

alternative comedy Alternative comedy is a term coined in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era. The phrase has had different connotations in different contexts: in the UK, it was used to describe ...

show, moved from its former home at the M Bar to join the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, appearing on Tuesday nights. An expansion in Los Angeles started in 2014. In 2014, UCB announced the opening of UCB Theatre Sunset located at 5419

for November 1. The venue played home to Upright Citizens Brigade's training center, an 85-seat theatre, cafe/performance space called Inner Sanctum, video production offices, and even retail stores on street level. This location was sold in December 2020, leaving the Franklin theater as the only space owned by UCB. In March 2022, former owner and CEO of ''

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is currently based in Chicago, but originated as a weekly print publication ...

'', Mike McAvoy, and co-founder of Mosaic talent management, Jimmy Miller, acquired UCB and its lone remaining theater with the backing of venture capitalist Elysian Park. They reopened the UCB comedy theater and Los Angeles training centers in September 2022.

Theatre

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre (shorter UCB Theatre or just UCB) is an American

and sketch comedy training center and theatre, originally founded by UCB troupe members

, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh.

Philosophy

The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre Training Center teaches long-form improv, sketch, writing, parts of directing, and various other comedy skills. The training center's philosophy of improv is based largely on the teachings of

Del Close Del Close (March 9, 1934 – March 4, 1999) was an American actor, writer, and teacher who coached many of the best-known comedians and comic actors of the late twentieth century. In addition to an acting career in television and film, he was ...

, with a strong emphasis on the "game" of the scene. In 2013, they co-authored a manual titled ''The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual''. The primary improvisational form is " The Harold", and the theater in all its incarnations has had a group of "Harold Teams", house teams that perform regularly.

Screen ventures

The original group,

, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, and

, have had two TV shows—''

Upright Citizens Brigade The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) is an improvisational and sketch comedy group that emerged from Chicago's ImprovOlympic in 1990. The original incarnation of the group consisted of Amy Poehler, Matthew Walsh, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, ...

'' and ''

The UCB Show ''The UCB Show'' is an American sketch comedy series that premiered on December 3, 2015 via the Seeso comedy subscription streaming service. The series features members of Upright Citizens Brigade, an improvisational sketch comedy group. The cast ...

''—and their show ''ASSSSCAT'' has been televised twice. In addition, they had a TV movie called ''Escape From It's a Wonderful Life'' and appeared weekly on ''

Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...

'' in the '90s. In 2002 they created and starred in the film ''

Martin & Orloff ''Martin & Orloff'' is a 2002 feature film written by and starring Matt Walsh and Ian Roberts, best known as half of the Upright Citizens Brigade comedy troupe, along with Ian's wife Katie Roberts. The film was produced and directed by Lawren ...

'', and made another movie in 2007 titled ''Wild Girls Gone''. Neither film was particularly successful or well received. The group has participated in web series including the ongoing series ''UCB Comedy Originals'', created in 2008, which occasionally shows sketches, and '' I Hate Being Single'', created in 2012. In 2016,

Universal Cable Productions Universal Content Productions LLC (UCP) is an American television production company operating within the Universal Studio Group division of NBCUniversal, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Comcast. History Universal Cable Productions In July ...

announced signing Upright Citizens Brigade to a first-look production deal.

Pop culture

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...

'' has been known for seeking top talent from UCB's pool of students. TV shows like ''

The Chris Gethard Show ''The Chris Gethard Show'' is a phone-in comedy and variety talk show created and hosted by Chris Gethard. Initially a live show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, the show debuted on public-access channel Manhattan Neighborho ...

'' created by

Chris Gethard Christopher Paul Gethard (; born May 23, 1980) is an American actor, comedian and writer. He was the host of ''The Chris Gethard Show'', a talk show based in New York City, which aired from 2011 to 2018. He hosts the podcasts ''Beautiful Stories ...

, and ''

Broad City ''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web serie ...

'' created by

Abbi Jacobson Abbi Jacobson (born 1984) is an American comedian, actress, writer, producer, and illustrator. She co-created and co-starred in the Comedy Central series ''Broad City'' (2014–2019) with Ilana Glazer, based on the web series of the sam ...

and

Ilana Glazer Ilana Glazer (born April 12, 1987) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer, producer, director, and activist. They have received various accolades including a Daytime Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Primetime ...

, started out as UCB experiments.

Notable alumni

Aziz Ansari Aziz Ismail Ansari ( ; born February 23, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He played Tom Haverford on the NBC series '' Parks and Recreation'' (2009–2015) and created and starred in the Netflix series ''Master of None'' (2 ...

Anthony Atamanuik Anthony Atamanuik (; born June 15, 1974) is an American writer, actor, and comedian. He impersonated U.S. President Donald Trump during the campaign and his presidency, first on the '' Trump vs. Bernie'' debate tour, and then on ''The President ...

* Leigh Daniel Avidan *

Emily Axford Emily Axford is an American actress, writer, and producer. She is best known for her various roles in CollegeHumor videos, her role as Emily on the truTV comedy ''Adam Ruins Everything,'' and for her role on the Pop original ''Hot Date.'' Early ...

- founder *

Nicole Byer Nicole Byer (born August 29, 1986) is an American comedian, actress, and television host. She is known as the host of the Netflix comedic reality bake-off series '' Nailed It!'' (2018–present), for which she has received four Primetime Emmy ...

Kay Cannon Kay Cannon (born August 21, 1974) is an American screenwriter, producer, director, and actress. She is best known for writing and producing the ''Pitch Perfect'' film series (2012–2017). She made her directorial debut with the comedy film '' ...

D'Arcy Carden D'Arcy Beth Carden (born Darcy Beth Erokan; January 4, 1980) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for portraying Janet in the NBC sitcom ''The Good Place'' (2016–2020), for which she earned a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Aw ...

Neil Casey Neil Casey (born July 28, 1981) is an American actor, writer, and comedian. Casey served as a writer for the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2012 to 2013, and the Comedy Central series '' Inside Amy Schumer'' in 2014, receiv ...

Adam Conover Adam Conover (born ) is an American actor, writer and comedian. He created and Television presenter, hosted the half-hour truTV show ''Adam Ruins Everything'', based on the CollegeHumor series of the same name. He was also the host of the Amer ...

Andrew Daly Andrew Daly (born April 15, 1971) is an American actor and comedian. He starred as Forrest MacNeil on the Comedy Central series ''Review'', and had a supporting role in the HBO comedy series ''Eastbound & Down'' as Terrence Cutler. He has also m ...

* Katie Dippold *

Ayo Edebiri Ayo Edebiri ( ; born October 3, 1995) is an American actress, comedian, and television writer. Since 2022, she has played chef Sydney Adamu in the comedy-drama series '' The Bear'', for which she won a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guil ...

Donald Glover Donald McKinley Glover Jr. (; born September 25, 1983), also known by his musical stage name Childish Gambino (), is an American actor, comedian, musician, and filmmaker. While he studied at New York University and after working in Derrick ...

Ed Helms Edward Parker Helms (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor, musician and comedian. From 2002 to 2006, he was a correspondent on Comedy Central's '' The Daily Show with Jon Stewart''. He played paper salesman Andy Bernard in the NBC sit ...

Rob Huebel Robert Anderson Huebel (born June 4, 1969) is an American comedian and actor. He is best known for his sketch comedy work on the MTV series '' Human Giant'' and for his role of Dr. Owen Maestro on the Adult Swim series ''Childrens Hospital''. He ...

Brian Huskey Brian Huskey (born September 8, 1968) is an American character actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for his roles in comedy programs such as '' People of Earth'', ''Childrens Hospital'', '' Veep'', and '' Another Period''. He also provi ...

Ellie Kemper Elizabeth Claire Kemper (born May 2, 1980) is an American actress, best known for her roles of Erin Hannon in the sitcom ''The Office'' (2009–2013) and Kimmy Schmidt in the sitcom '' Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'' (2015–2019). She has also app ...

Jordan Klepper Jordan Klepper (born March 9, 1979) is an American comedian. He began his career as a member of The Second City and Upright Citizens Brigade. From 2014 to 2017, he was a correspondent on ''The Daily Show''. He started his own satirical program, ...

Nick Kroll Nicholas Kroll (born June 5, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for the FX (TV channel), FX comedy series ''The League'' (2009–2015), creating and starring in the Comedy Central series ''Kroll Show'' (20 ...

Jason Mantzoukas Jason Mantzoukas (; born December 18, 1972) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter and podcaster. He is known for his roles as Rafi in the FX comedy series ''The League'' and as Nadal in '' The Dictator,'' and he is one of the three co-ho ...

Kate McKinnon Kate McKinnon Berthold (born January 6, 1984) is an American actress and comedian. She was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2012 to 2022, where she became known for her character work and celebrity im ...

Kyle Mooney Kyle James Kozub Mooney (born September 4, 1984) is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter and film director. Mooney was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2013 to 2022. In 2017, he co-wrote and starr ...

Seth Morris Seth Morris (born May 21, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, and writer known for his recurring roles on programs such as '' Go On'', ''Happy Endings'', '' The Hotwives of Orlando'', ''The League'', '' Kroll Show'', and ''Childrens Hospital' ...

Bobby Moynihan Robert Michael Moynihan Jr. (born January 31, 1977) is an American actor and comedian. He was a cast member and writer for the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2008 to 2017. Outside of ''SNL'', he has also voiced Louie Duc ...

Brennan Lee Mulligan Brennan Lee Mulligan (born January 4, 1988) is an American comedian, actor, writer, and gamemaster. He often works with Dropout (formerly CollegeHumor) as a writer, performer, and producer. He is the creator and regular gamemaster for Dropout' ...

Ego Nwodim Egobunma Kelechi Nwodim (; born March 10, 1988) is an American actress and comedian. She has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since 2018, beginning with the show's 44th season. Early life, family and ed ...

Lennon Parham Lennon Parham (born October 26, 1975) is an American actress and improvisational comedian from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. With frequent collaborator Jessica St. Clair, she created and co-starred in NBC's ''Best Friends Forever'' and U ...

* Josh Patten *

Aubrey Plaza Aubrey Christina Plaza (born June 26, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. She began performing Improvisational theatre, improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. After graduating from New York University ...

- founder *

June Diane Raphael June Diane Raphael ( ; born January 4, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She has starred in TV comedy programs ''Burning Love'', Adult Swim's '' NTSF:SD:SUV::'', and ''Grace and Frankie''. Notable film work includes suppo ...

Sam Riegel Samuel Brent Oscar Riegel (born October 9, 1976) is an American voice actor. He is best known for his voice roles as Donatello (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Donatello in the 2003 ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series), Teenage Mutant ...

Rob Riggle Robert Allen Riggle Jr. (born April 21, 1970) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, and retired United States Marine officer. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, joining the Marines in 1990 and later attaining the rank of lieutenant colone ...

* Ian Roberts - founder * Matt Rogers *

Paul Scheer Paul Christian Scheer (born January 31, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster. Scheer is best known for his roles in FX/ FXX's ''The League'' and Showtime's comedy series '' Black Monday''. Scheer also co-created and s ...

Ben Schwartz Benjamin Joseph Schwartz (born September 15, 1981) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his recurring role as Jean-Ralphio Saperstein on the NBC sitcom '' Parks and Recreation'', his starring role as Clyde Oberholt on the Sh ...

Jessica St. Clair Jessica St. Clair is an American actress and improvisational comedian from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. With frequent collaborator Lennon Parham, she co-created and co-starred in NBC's ''Best Friends Forever'' and USA Network's '' Playin ...

* Drew Tarver *

Kelly Marie Tran Kelly Marie Tran (born Loan Tran, January 17, 1989) is an American actress. She began acting in 2011, with most of her roles being in short film and television. She came to global prominence for her role as Rose Tico in the ''Star Wars'' sequ ...

Milana Vayntrub Milana Aleksandrovna Vayntrub ( , Russian: ; born March 8, 1987) is an American actress, comedian, and activist. She began her career as a child actress and came to prominence for her appearances in AT&T television commercials as saleswoman L ...

* Matt Walsh - founder *

Zach Woods Zach Woods (born September 25, 1984) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles as a series regular for three seasons as Gabe Lewis on the NBC sitcom '' The Office'', as Jared Dunn on the HBO comedy series ''Silicon Valley ...

Bowen Yang Bowen Yang (born November 6, 1990) is an American actor, comedian, podcaster, and writer. Yang was hired to join the writing staff of the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' in September 2018, ahead of its 44th season, and a year la ...

Sasheer Zamata Sasheer Zamata Moore (; born May 6, 1986) is an American actress and stand-up comedian. She is best known for her tenure as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 2014 to 2017. Since her departure from ''SNL'' ...

References

External links

*
UCB Theatre
{{authority control American comedy troupes Improvisational troupes Performance art in New York City Comedy collectives