Improv Group Is Back in the Funny Business

Richmond, VIRGINIA – March 25, 2011 – A local theater is getting a second chance to bring back the laughs. Christine Walters has leased 2,000 square feet in the Gold’s Gym Plaza at West Tower to revive ComedySportz, an improv comedy theater that has been out of the spotlight for two years. She’s set to open in April. ComedySportz was known for shows in which two teams of performers would compete in improv games and perform scenes. The paying audience would judge the results and award points. The business also had a little league program for budding performers ages 10 to 13, a high school league and a summer camp. “We trained so many people - kids and adults that have gone through the program - and enriched so many lives,” Walters said. The first ComedySportz location on Staples Mill Road opened in 2001 and closed eight years later after the economy slowed and spectators stop coming. “We were starting to see that people weren’t coming in like they were,” Walters said, adding that the hours and responsibilities of the business began to take a toll, too. “I was burnt out and ready to make a life change,” she said.

After they closed down the theater, ComedySportz groups performed at the Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen for 11 months, which wasn’t entirely successful, according to Walters. “We went and performed when people called asking for entertainment, but our hearts weren’t in it. “It wasn’t the same.” Walters worked at a local marketing firm until May 2010, when she decided sales were not for her. “I realized I was in the wrong business,” she said. ComedySportz performed their last show at the center in Glen Allen in January 2010 and started hunting for a new home.

With the location about to open in Gold’s Gym Plaza on the 8900 block of Broad Street, Walters has stepped down from her position as owner and general manager and will take on the role of marketing and sales director. Susan Scovill, a former performer, is joining as the business manager. Scovill, director of the Fair Housing Concepts in Action, is glad to see it coming back. “ComedySportz offers a unique improv experience - it’s the most fun thing I’ve ever done,” said Scovill. “Improv has a ripple effect on your life.” The company began raising funds on Kickstarter.com a few months ago for the new facility and made just under $5,000 toward the $10,000 they needed to start up. Walters plans to continue all of the programs they originally had, including the Richmond Improv Festival, which brought together comedy acts from across the country. “I want to start with quality shows, quality education and a quality corporate department,” Walters said. Even though the programs will the same, Walters said she will be making some changes to how the business will operate. “We’re changing the structure of the management team to avoid the severe burnout of one.”

About Gold’s Gym Plaza

The Gold’s Gym Plaza is located on West Broad Street west of Parham between West End Drive and Homeview Drive. The center is home to Gold’s Gym, Gelati Celesti, Richmond Dance Center, Peking Restaurant, Quizno’s, Calico Corners, Richmond Dance Center, For Eyes, Pho City Vietnamese Restaurant, and many others. The center is also home to the United Artist West Tower, a 10-screen movie theater.