mission statement

Endgames Improv stages the highest quality improv comedy in the Bay Area and creates a welcoming community for students of any experience level to hone their craft in improv, sketch, and experimental comedy. Our unique philosophy is to educate artists through accessible classes and ample performance opportunities that begin with your first course. We develop fast, bold, fun shows driven by memorable characters.

vision

To put San Francisco on the map as a nationally renowned destination for the highest level of comedic performance and training.

the line at stage werx

From our Mission and Vision, we derive guiding principles to sharpen our focus and keep us mindful of the greater impact we have:

Every single 7-week course ends with a graduation show for family and friends to attend. Performing is a critical and often missing component of development at training centers. There should not exist a gatekeeper that decrees a student of comedy is ready to perform. Performing is learning.

Your stories and experiences are completely valid and enough to produce humor. From the comedy warrior to the casual learner, you have a home on stage.

Expanding comedy in San Francisco will take breaking the old model that strains both the audience’s and artist’s pocket. Audiences need not empty their pockets on tickets and drink minimums just to see a good show. Our regular shows are $20 or less and some are even free.

No other theater has 10+ shows a week with not a single requirement on the performer to risk losing money by not breaking even with a minimum ticket quota. Performers are able to focus on producing the best shows, and even those that do not do well at first will have opportunities in future schedule rotations. Quality comedy comes from having the means to experiment.

We offer scholarships for recipients to progress through the entire five level core curriculum.

Performers, teams, and producers are able to take their talents and shows to other venues without the threat of being shut out. In reverse, we have jams, community shows, indie showcases, and an open show submission process to provide an outlet for performers, teams, and producers that may not normally hang around.

Improvisers need to support one another on and off stage. Without support, we cannot excel in this challenging art form.

Despite intentions, we expect community members to listen and reflect on how they affect others when someone else signals that words or actions impacted them.

We put on stage the diversity of experiences that live in the community around us. For casting decisions and show selection under our control, we provide better opportunities to underrepresented voices.

We provide space for learning, practice, and performance that is sustainable and affordable through owning property and long term leases.

about us

After seeing shows in Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, we wanted an outlet for the kind of comedy that excites us. Before our eyes, we saw amazing worlds built effortlessly, performers taking daring actions, and characters so honest and real you forget about the edges of the stage. San Francisco needed a place where audiences get to experience the surprise of something created right in front of them.

Through classes and shows, we have taught students, fostered performers, and built this community into a world class comedy engine. Most of our performers were trained right here, and our classes are still growing, still vibrant, and waiting for more people to come learn how incredible this art form can be for audiences, and for us to grow.

endgames students

Shows are currently running six nights a week at two locations. Since 2015, we have been joyfully filling audiences at our largest theater Stage Werx, a venue in the Mission – 446 valencia St. In 2018, our studio theaters opened at our southern training center ETC South – 2989 Mission St.

Classes are run out of our two training centers. ETC South has three classrooms located at 2989 Mission St. ETC Prime has two classrooms located at 2965 Mission St.

Endgames hopes to create a home for improvisation in San Francisco where the artform can flourish forever.

testimonials

If you like improv, this is the place! I’ve been there a couple of times and it’s really funny. Just go to the Friday’s night show to check it out, it’s free! Don’t miss going to the Drop Off classes every Saturday at noon.

— Javier Andrés C. (Yelp)

This was so much fun. The comedians were so talented, and I loved the involvement of the audience. Feeling inspired by their performance to check out an improv class myself!

— Amber S. (Yelp)

unicorn pose

These people are funny! Highly recommend seeing an improv show here. We went to the 9pm Thursday night show for only $5 (I would have paid more, it was more than worth it). Nonstop laughing the whole hour!

— Frank Evans (Google)

These people are incredible. I’ve taken a class here, my company has an improviser teaching a weekly class at our work, and I’ve been to many shows. I can’t get enough. I’m moving back up to SF next year from the South Bay specifically to do more improv here.

— Omid Farivar (Facebook)

Timeline

September, 2010

Peter Kim creates Endgames Improv and soon after brings on Max McCal and Chris Blair as founders. Endgames first effort is a team tournament to bring together the disparate groups in the Bay Area. The “endgame” is to encourage more communication and cross performance amongst the region’s communities and companies.

October, 2010

Endgames runs workshops taught by several local performers.

November, 2010

The first level 101 class is offered thru a Groupon promotion at Off-Market Theater at 965 Mission St.

The very first show “A Funny Night for Improv” starts as a jam with an rotating opener on the 14th of November in Actors Theater of San Francisco at 855 Bush St.

January, 2011

A new team tournament called “The Pregames Cage Match” is produced to continue the cross-pollination objective that is still a value to today.

March, 2011

The first theater partnership is made with The Alcove Theater on the 5th floor of The Native Sons building at 414 Mason St. Because of this, Endgames has its first show and drop-in occurring the same time and same place every week.

March 18th, 2011

San Francisco favorite and Endgames Mainstage show “Your Fucked Up Relationship” has its first curtain call. As it is to this day, the show is free to attend, and our desire for accessible comedy was proven.

September, 2011

The first Endgames house team Chivalry Club is cast through open auditions. Chivalry Club goes on to take over “A Funny Night of Improv” as the headliner.

Endgames signs a lease to have its very first training center on the 3rd floor of the Fog Building at 333 Valencia St. Endgames expands class offerings to provide a full core curriculum.

Over the next few months, several shows premier “Confessions,” “Furious,” and “Thunderdome” (a cage match).

June, 2012

After taking the iO 5-week Summer Intensive, Peter Kim cannot resist the urge to move to the Chicago comedy scene. Matt Nelson and Dan Burt join the director team to run the company.

October, 2012

Endgames strikes a partnership with Stage Werx at 446 Valencia St. All shows relocate to the new venue that enables four shows a week on Thursday and Friday.

January, 2013

Due to an all to familiar “San Francisco rent hike,” classes move to The Actor’s Center on the 3rd floor of 180 Capp St and Un-Scripted Theater Co. on the 2nd floor at 533 Sutter St.

November, 2013

Once again, classes move to PianoFight on the basement floor at 144 Taylor St.

Scott Meyer joins the director team as Matt Nelson leaves for the New York comedy scene.

February, 2015

Endgames takes a huge leap!

We strengthen our partnership with Stage Werx. Endgames is producing a full night of shows Monday through Wednesday and late shows Thursday through Saturday. An increase from four to twelve shows. Over the next few years, we would rent out even more time bringing the show total to 18.

We signed a 5-year lease to rent 2081 Mission St. Endgames has three classrooms bustling with teaching and practices.

May 5th, 2016

Longing for a permanent home of improv to combat the ever rising San Francisco rent market, Endgames closes on its first property! A rundown and dirty office condo at 2989 Mission St. becomes the official address and headquarter of Endgames. Over the next two years, we remodel the condo to provide the highest quality comedy-only training center in San Francisco. It has AC too!

March 30th, 2018

Not being satisfied with good enough, Endgames closes on its second property! This time, a full standing building at 2965 Mission St. This purchase puts Endgames on a path of being able to open entertainment zoned theater of its own. Developments are rapidly changing, but we are setting our sights high.

July 7th, 2018

With the remodel of 2989 Mission complete, we upgraded the classrooms to have all the equipment needed to transform into small stages on weekends. Armed with a limited live performance permit, we have added two thirty-five seat theaters to the San Francisco comedy landscape.