Who we are
Established in 2010, Steel City Improv Theater is Pittsburgh’s Original Home for long form improvisational comedy. We offer weekly shows, we offer comprehensive improv classes, and corporate improv training.
What We Do
We teach and perform Long Form improv comedy. In Long Form improvisation, a group of improvisers take one suggestion from the audience and perform an entirely made-up show, complete with multiple scenes, characters and ridiculous spectacles, bounded only by its creators imaginations.
Why We Do What We Do
At the Steel City Improv Theater (a.k.a .The SCIT), we believe in Applied Improvisation. We know that improv classes make you more than just funny. By applying the principles of improv to your life, you can become a better parent, mentor, entrepreneur, employee and friend. Improv teaches you to deal with the unexpected in life. You become a better listener, more positive person and improve your ability to truly live in the moment.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We have combined the best practices from improv training found at New York, Chicago and Los Angeles improv theaters into the SCIT Philosophy:
Listen. Commit. Play.
LISTEN. Do you often feel more concerned with being heard than with listening? Listening can be a hard skill to master, but, by staying in the moment we have learned that it can open up a world of possibilities.
COMMIT. Accepting others’ ideas is difficult, but committing to our own ideas can be an even bigger challenge. With improv training, we learn to break through the inner critic that normally stops us.
PLAY. With a sense of play, we find an endless sense of possibility and inspiration. When our teammates have that same sense of imagination, it makes the word “failure” seem less scary and more exciting.
“Tell them that we succeeded. We created a theater of the heart – a theater where people cherish each other to succeed on stage. Tell the students – theater of the heart.” - Del Close
Meet the team
Say Hello to Kasey and Justin
Kasey and Justin opened Steel City Improv Theater in 2010. Kasey is a graduate of the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and holds a Bachelor of the Fine Arts from the New School University. She has studied at the Upright Citizens Brigade, The Magnet Theater and The People’s Improv Theater.
Originally from upstate New York, Justin is a graduate of Binghamton High School’s Rod Serling School of Fine Arts and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater Arts from SUNY New Paltz. During his ten years in New York City, he primarily studied and performed at The People’s Improv Theater (The PIT), The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and The Magnet Theater.
Meet Michaela
Michaela has been the office manager at SCIT since 2019. Michaela is a 2017 graduate of Kent State University with a BFA in Dance. In May 2019, she received a masters in Arts Administration from Boston University. She is a Butler County native and loves all things dance.
Meet Anna
Anna has been the Marketing and PR Director at Steel City Improv since 2019. Anna is a 2017 graduate of Carlow University. She is a Beaver County native, and loves all things photography.