OUR MISSION
Crossroads Comedy Theater is a nonprofit company committed to providing people ways to explore their creativity, build valuable life and business skills, and have a “third place” that allows them to learn and have fun in a positive and supportive environment. We also believe those opportunities should be open to all people and that nothing should get in the way of people looking for the personal, life, and work benefits our classes can provide. Through our student aid program, pay what you can events, community partnerships, and other efforts, we strive to lower the barrier to entry so that all can enjoy the power and fun of arts education.
OUR STORY
Crossroads Comedy Theater was founded in 2021 by Mike Marbach of Philadelphia. Previously, Mike served as Education Director (2011-2017) and Artistic Director (2017-2020) at Philly Improv Theater where he also instructed, directed, and performed. After live, in-person entertainment was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, Mike found that many of the performers he most often worked with were interested in continuing to find ways to create and have fun. As a result, the cast of Study Hall: Comedy Inspired by Lectures tested the waters of virtual performances via Zoom. When successful runs of Study Hall gave Not Yet Rated: An Improvised Movie the thumbs up that no sharks were in the digital waters, this cast also dove into the online ocean. Did that metaphor work?
While lifeguarding all of that, Mike realized that the Wooder Cooler podcast network and each comedy show he oversaw had their own websites, social media, email addresses, and ticketing systems, and decided it was best to pull everything under one roof. That’s how Crossroads Comedy Theater was born. Well, not born so much as the appropriate forms were filled out, fees were paid, and the business entity was registered with the government.
Though Crossroads was originally formed in Indiana – it was Philly that was seeing all the action. Now fully residing in Indianapolis, Mike has stepped down from most of his Philly efforts to concentrate on helping to finally work to build up Crossroads in Indianapolis.
We recognize that although we have a great reputation in Philly, no one knows who the heck we are in Indy. For this reason we’ve partnered with Red Curb Comedy in Avon. Red Cub has been around for over five years and has entertained thousands at their awesome theater in Avon, Indiana. Crossroads and Red Curb will be working together to train the next generation of Indy performers and generally introduce more to the many benefits an improv or writing class can have both personally and professionally.
