STARTING STRONG CHALLENGE MATCH
To show their faith in this project, the Lancaster Improv Players' Board of Directors has issued a dollar-for-dollar challenge match for the first $4,000 of our campaign. That means early donors will make double the impact. Help us start strong; donate now!
The Board of Directors has already provided $840 in matching contributions and will match your contribution too. We'll show the matching contribution before you pay.
Through improv performances, classes, and workshops, LIP has shown how comedy can help shape a better world, providing people from all walks of life a safe place to laugh. Now, we need your help to move to our new home on the square!
Since 2015, the Lancaster Improv Players have served the community of Lancaster through laughter, performing around the region and training players in the art of improv.
| In recent years, our Prince St location has been working overtime, providing a stable roof over the budding improv scene in Lancaster City. We find our free First Friday shows packed to the brim with neighbors hungry for spontaneity. Some even dare to forage for it themselves at the monthly open jam.
Despite overwhelming demand, we’ve been able to maintain affordable class prices as well as offer full or partial scholarships to any course upon request. That’s only possible because of the incredible people that have rallied around us since we formed.
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We
found our first “permanent" location at 10 S Prince in
2019, but were forced to relocate shortly after. Throughout
lockdown, our community kept the laughter going through
virtual classes and Twitch livestreams from our current
location at 16 S Prince.
After a year of dedicated searching and countless hours of deliberation, we are thrilled to announce that LIP will be moving to a new space in 2026.
Located on the second floor of 8 West King St, the former home of LNP will grant us 4,100sqft of potential improv paradise.
Expansion has been limited by the capacity of our current location; hosting multiple classes or rehearsals requires renting external practice space. Our new space has room for LIP to grow, with an 80-seat theater, two classrooms, a full lobby, a greenroom, a box office, and accessible single-stall restrooms.
What more could an improv theater want? An elevator that opens directly into the box office? It has that, too.
The Fundraiser Pie
This is a massive, multi-faceted undertaking; we can’t just hire a moving truck and drive around the block. We’ve done our best to be thorough in estimating our needs for our transition to the new space.
Our community deserves a state of the art facility with all the trimmings, but necessities come first. This budget includes costs of contractors, paint, donor and volunteer appreciation, the security deposit, rent & utilities during build out, chairs, equipment and fixtures, a cash reserve to ease stress in the early months of operation, and decommissioning our current space. To put it in improv terms, we have to establish the base reality.
| That’s where our stretch goals come in; in the event this campaign surpasses its goal, our stretch goals allow us to dream bigger. In some cases, this could mean replacing an outdated system entirely, while in others it could mean adding bells and whistles to something we’re determined to obtain no matter what.
We’ll be updating you here, and on social media, as we progress through the buildout and transition to the new space. Fortunately, we have improv to keep our minds flexible as we navigate whatever might lie ahead!
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How You Can Help
We saved for years preparing for this opportunity, but we can’t make it happen on our own. Crowdfunding is a critical piece of our fundraising pie; we have enough to start the moving process, but we need you to finish it. Donating, sharing the campaign, and talking about the theater to friends and family are all great ways to help us complete our mission. You can even create your own fundraiser page and campaign for donations yourself, just click that big blue “Fundraise” button to get started!
This move will be impossible without support from our community; financial support, physical support, and emotional support. Whether you donate to the campaign or spread the word, you’re helping us make Lancaster a funnier place.
Come celebrate this incredible milestone with us on Friday, February 6, 2026 at our First Friday Free For All!
We’re starting the festivities at 6:00pm with a Mocktail Mixer. Enjoy a free mocktail from bartender Alias Day while you mingle with the people of Lancaster Improv Players. After the show, join the fun at the open jam led by our Improv 101 teacher, Mike Andrews!
Featuring performances from
THE FIVE, LEATHERWOOD HILL, HIPPIE AND FRENCHIE, and GIRL CAR
Fundraisers
Teams
Highlights
See all activity11Contact/FAQ
FAQ
How do I make a fundraiser page?
Click the blue “Fundraiser” button at the top of our campaign page and follow through the prompts to make your page.
I’d love to paint the new theater/move boxes/clean out the old theater. Who do I contact to volunteer?
Email kate@lancasterimprovplayers.org with the subject line “LIP Moving Volunteer”; if you have a specific skill set you’d like to offer, please include that in the email.
I want to donate equipment or fixtures LIP may need. How do I make an in-kind donation?
Email finance@lancasterimprovplayers.org with the subject line “In-Kind Donation” and include a description and of what you plan to donate. We are not seeking items outside of our current needs, but appreciate
I have an improv team that would like to perform at LIP. How do we do that?
You can apply to perform at our theater on our website here.
I work for somewhere with a non-profit donation matching program. Who do I contact about making that happen?
Email finance@lancasterimprovplayers.org with the subject “Donation Matching” and include the name of your organization.
Contact
Austin Rittle - austin@lancasterimprovplayers.org
Artistic Director
Kate Nyx - kate@lancasterimprovplayers.org
Communications Director
Will Rosenwinkel - finance@lancasterimprovplayers.org
Treasurer
