The ambitious minds behind Unscripted Theatre are Nicholas Riggs, Hannah Prince and Warren Buchholz. They met back in 2012 during a 12-week improv workshop at the University of South Florida (USF) led by Kari Goetz, a legend in the Tampa Bay theater community.

The three eventually established a long-form improv troupe, Post Dinner Conversation, but they struggled to attract audiences who were interested in improv. According to Riggs, “Our first show was a dog and a lady playing scrabble by herself.”

In an effort to legitimize themselves, they filed the newly formed group as a non-profit and decided to print t-shirts using a $250 grant they received. Eventually, Post Dinner Conversation began to take off.

The next step was the creation of the Tampa Bay Improv Festival in 2013. Now in its fourth year, the annual festival attracts improv troupes from all of the big improv cities, such as New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta. Today, the Tampa Bay Improv Festival is one of the largest improv festivals in the southeastern United States. It also gave Riggs, Prince and Bucholtz the credibility they needed to open up their own improv theater.

In their first 2 months in business, Unscripted Theatre has had a promising start. “The community knew us so well because of the festival that they started to come out of the woodwork and now we draw people from everywhere we’ve ever come into contact with,” says Riggs.

So, next time you are wondering how to fill your Friday or Saturday night, why not experience the magic of improv comedy at Unscripted Theatre. You can even cap off the night with a jazz set at the neighboring Hideaway Cafe or craft beers and burgers at The Burg Bar and Grill.

To stay up-to-date on Unscripted Theatre, visit their website and follow them on Facebook.