Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center

Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center
Name	Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center
Established	1998
Type	Comedy training school
Location	New York City; Los Angeles
Founders	Amy Poehler; Matt Besser; Ian Roberts; Matt Walsh

Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center The Upright Citizens Brigade Training Center is an improvisational and sketch comedy school and performance complex founded by Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh. The Center grew from the original Upright Citizens Brigade improv troupe that performed in New York City and expanded into facilities in Los Angeles, becoming a nexus for performers who later worked on Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, Parks and Recreation, and Key & Peele. Its methods influenced contemporary improvisation pedagogy used by institutions such as Second City, The Groundlings, and iO Chicago.

History

The training center traces roots to the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe formed by alumni of institutions including Chicago Improv Festival, Annoyance Theatre, and UCB Theatre (New York City), with early performances linked to venues in Off-Off-Broadway and festivals like Edinburgh Festival Fringe. During the 1990s the founders collaborated on projects involving Comedy Central, NBC, and MTV, which led to the establishment of dedicated training programs in 1998 amid a broader revival in sketch and improv exemplified by companies such as The Second City Training Center and teachers from Del Close's lineage. Expansion into Los Angeles in the 2000s coincided with television development deals and the launch of long-form improv courses that paralleled curriculum innovation at Columbia University-adjacent performance spaces and comedy institutions associated with Jon Stewart-era writers. The Center weathered legal and financial shifts in the entertainment industry including changes in venue ownership and municipal permitting in neighborhoods of Manhattan and Hollywood.

Locations and Facilities

Facilities have included theaters, classrooms, and production spaces in neighborhoods of Chelsea, Manhattan, West Village, and Franklin Village (Los Angeles), situated near cultural landmarks like Union Square and Sunset Boulevard. Spaces were configured for black box performances similar to those at Plymouth Theatre and technical rigs used by companies such as The Public Theater and Roundabout Theatre Company. The Los Angeles campus maintained proximity to studios owned by Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, providing access for alumni working on productions for networks like FOX and streaming platforms such as Netflix and HBO. Classroom layouts mirrored pedagogical models from Steppenwolf Theatre Company and audio/video facilities supported workshops tied to agencies including Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor.

Training Programs and Curriculum

The curriculum emphasized long-form improvisation, sketch writing, character work, and scene study, drawing lineage from practices codified by figures like Del Close and institutions such as The Second City Training Center and The Groundlings School. Course tiers ranged from beginner to advanced conservatory tracks with modules on comedic timing influenced by performers from Saturday Night Live, writers from The Onion, and directors from Judd Apatow's circle. Specialized seminars covered audition technique relevant to casting directors at Central Casting, television pilot development for studios like Universal Television, and digital content creation tailored for platforms like YouTube and Vimeo. Faculty often included working professionals with credits on series such as 30 Rock, Arrested Development, Master of None, and theatrical productions tied to Playwrights Horizons.

Notable Alumni and Instructors

Alumni and instructors have included performers and writers who advanced to credits on Saturday Night Live, Parks and Recreation, The Office (U.S. TV series), Key & Peele, Broad City, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and films from Universal Pictures and A24. Notable names associated through teaching, directing, or performing include Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Donald Glover, Kate McKinnon, Tina Fey, Seth Meyers, Bill Hader, Maya Rudolph, Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson, Pete Holmes, Natasha Lyonne, Ben Schwartz, Nick Kroll, Paul Scheer, Rob Huebel, Gillian Jacobs, Adam McKay, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Casey Wilson, Rashida Jones, Paul F. Tompkins, Horatio Sanz, Bobby Moynihan, John Mulaney, Fred Armisen, Michaela Watkins, Andy Samberg, Jenny Slate, Elliott Smith (fictional)].

Productions and Performances

The Center produced late-night-style sketch shows, long-form improv sets, and touring productions that shared billing with festivals such as Just For Laughs, Montreal Comedy Festival, and fringe events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Houses staged runs that drew comparisons to repertory series at Second City and cabaret-style nights at venues like Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store (Los Angeles), and creators developed pilots for networks including NBC, Comedy Central, and streaming series commissioned by Hulu and Amazon Studios. Recorded shows were promoted through industry outlets such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, and featured collaborations with production companies like Broadway Video and Lorne Michaels's associates.

Impact and Legacy

The Training Center influenced a generation of comedians who reshaped sketch and improvisational practice across television, film, and digital media, intersecting with movements led by institutions like The Second City, iO Chicago, and practitioners from Del Close's mentorship network. Its alumni and pedagogical model contributed to casting trends on programs from NBC to streaming platforms such as Netflix and impacted comedy festivals including Just For Laughs and SketchFest. The Center's methods and graduates have been cited in industry profiles by The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vulture, and its approach to ensemble-based comedy continues to inform workshops at universities like NYU and conservatories connected to Juilliard.

Category:Comedy schools