Learn More

The FuseBox Ensemble

Why We’re Here

FuseBox Theatre is a non-profit, multimedia improv and sketch comedy company. The company was founded in January 2008 by Mandy Butler, John Sexton, and other veterans of the Nashville improv scene with the intention of expanding the community for improv, sketch comedy, and live theatre in our community. Though we started in Nashville, TN, FuseBox Theatre Company is now located in Richmond, Virginia.

We perform live improv and sketch comedy shows, teach classes, provide corporate improv training or private improv shows for corporate entertainment, and maintain www.fuseboxtheatre.com, a community resource for articles, interviews, videos and more.

FuseBox exists because we thought there had to be a more effective way to share ideas about comedy and theatre and to have fun doing what we love. We started this company because we have something to say about improvisation, sketch comedy, and how entertainment is changing.

What We Can Do For You

  • If you are looking for entertainment, we provide frequently updated show listings, hilarious videos, and thought-provoking articles about improv and sketch comedy.
  • If you’re a curious audience member, we provide information about how improv and sketch comedians work. You might just become inspired to get involved!
  • If you’re an aspiring or experienced improviser or sketch writer, we provide ideas and techniques that can help you grow faster and teach better.
  • If you have experience and would like to share what you know, you can contribute articles to our site and we’ll feature them. You’ll build your status as an expert in the field, and others will benefit from your knowledge.
  • If you’re creative person in a different field, you can find ways to expose your work and ideas to a new audience and get some inspiration for your own work as well.
  • If you represent a corporation or venue, you’ll see frequently updated examples of our work that will help you decide if booking or hiring FuseBox Theatre is right for your organization.
  • If you’ve read this far, please consider subscribing to our email list. You’ll get monthly updates on our activities, free and discounted tickets to our shows and other special offers.
  • If you want to stay up to date every time we post an article, video, or show listing, get our delicious RSS feed. You can also become a registered member of our community so you can build your own identity right here at FBX!

What We Do

Most of our work starts as improvisation and is often developed into sketches for the stage or the web. If we learn something interesting or useful during this process, we write about it here to share our experience with the world. We often perform live improvised shows as well.

Our approach to comedy is based in what we call the Four C’s: Confidence, Clarity, Commitment, Connection. The best comedy comes from sincere behavior in exaggerated or unusual situations, not the other way around.

Open Source Comedy

Comedians sometimes treat ideas and techniques as closely guarded secrets. We say those days are over. FuseBox advocates free sharing of information to help everyone produce the best possible material. We call it “Open Source Comedy.”

Better Together

We also believe in the importance of community, and we look forward to building relationships with our audience and our peers all over the world. Why not get to know us right now?

We want FuseBox to represent the best in collaborative arts efforts. From video to music to photography to essays to improv and sketch to dramatic theatre, we believe true breakthroughs occur when ideas and techniques from one discipline are applied to another. Interested in collaborating? Let us know.

We’re also accepting contributions of written, video or audio content from the community.

Our Mission

To develop and perform work which broadens the perspective of our audience and expands the definition of theatre; through deep commitment to the creative process, we aim to foster artistic growth and education in both the Ensemble and the community it serves.

To Say Thank You…

As a way of saying “thank you” for reading this far, we’d like to give you 2-for-1 admission to any upcoming FuseBox Theatre show.

We look forward to growing Richmond’s improv, sketch comedy, and live theatre communities.
We hope you will be part of it! If you want to get involved, drop us a line on our contact page!