Taking Agency Over Their Careers, These Beloved Improvisers Formed Their Own Non-Profit Comedy Theater And School

When she was in the fourth grade Corin Wells had to memorize and recite Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have A Dream speech. While the task might seem daunting and a lot of pressure for a fourth grader, she performed to great acclaim and even got a standing ovation.

“All I remember was that I was wearing white tights, how proud my grand pop was and the high of getting that standing ovation,” says Wells who can still recite the speech by heart.

Thankfully for us, she has been chasing that high ever since.

Wells found her mojo when started taking improv classes at Philly Improv Theatre. “I fell in love. Or was I brainwashed?” she wonders. “Hard to say.” In 2014, Wells began studying improv at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade (UCB). Considered one of the world’s leading improv schools and theaters, Corin was a standout there.

She joined the beloved musical improv team Rumpleteaser, which literally created a brand new musical on the spot. As Mike Birbiglia said after seeing the show, it was “the hardest I’ve laughed in a long time.” She also created some fiercely funny characters like “Cupid Joins The Black Panther Party” or “Eve Giving Birth,” performing them at UCB’s Characters Welcome show.

For Wells, creating and performing at UCB gave her that high like no other. “I drank that sweet Kool-Aid and would have done whatever I needed to to get on that UCB stage,” she says. “There is nothing more freeing to me than performing in front of a packed audience or in a bar, basement or on Zoom and just messing around with a bunch of people who I love, respect and make me laugh. It’s basically adult pretend and once you learn how to do it really well, it’s the best feeling in the world.”

Last April after the pandemic hit UCB’s training center and theater were shut down. For many in the UCB community the news was devastating. “When UCB made the decision to close, a lot of people, including myself, were at a loss. We all thought, going into the lockdown and quarantine, that we would have a stage and a community to come back to,”explains Wells.

With her artistic home gone she and her several other UCB performers found a way to build a brand new one where they could where they could create, perform and teach. “We set out to create a space where everyone, including those disenfranchised with other theaters, could rebuild and redefine the New York comedy scene and create weird stuff with weird people,” says Wells.

This past November Wells and five other UCB talents—Lou Gonzalez, Michael Hartney, Patrick Keene, Maritza Montañez and Alex Song-Xia formed the non-profit Squirrel Comedy Theatre. Their mission is to provide a creative home for sketch and improv comedians. At its core the theater celebrates community, representation, transparency, and equality. They are also devoted to financially compensating artists, which many improv theaters don’t do.

“No one owns The Squirrel Comedy Theatre so every decision we make will be purely for the good of the theater,” explains Hartney who was also an original cast member of the Broadway musical School of Rock. “Non-profit status also makes us eligible for grants and large, tax-deductible contributions that will help us secure a physical space and subsidize classes for scholarship students from diverse backgrounds. And finally, having to be transparent about our financials means accountability, something I believe the community has been demanding for a long time.”

For Wells and the rest of the Squirrel Comedy Theatre founders inclusion and equality is embedded in their fabric. Core in their beliefs is to foster an environment where people can fully express themselves and not feel like their identity is a limitation or a tokenized commodity. Starting with its majority-queer and POC foundership, they aim to create a community that fully resembles myriad diverse voices.

“I’m a black woman who has had to navigate predominantly white spaces my entire life. And let me tell you, it’s exhausting. Especially when you are trying to create art that is authentic to you while also having to appease and impress the white gaze,” shares Wells. “We want everyone to feel a sense of belonging when they come to Squirrel. We want them to feel that this theater is theirs.”

Jeryl Brunner: It’s hard to create a sketch and improv comedy theater and school, period. But it would seem especially hard during a pandemic. Why was it important to create Squirrel Comedy Theatre now? 

Corin Wells: This life pause allowed us to really do our homework and research so we could do this the right way. We were able to really flesh out what we want this theater to look like. Also, a lot of people went from performing and taking classes everyday to instantly nothing. That’s jarring and dare I say, traumatic. So filling that void for our community as soon as possible was really important to us. 

Brunner: So many people dream of doing something super creative like starting a comedy venue like The Squirrel Comedy Theatre. What gave you that courage? 

Wells: Honestly, it’s the other Squirrel founders. I trust Michael, Patrick, Lou, Maritza and Alex fully. They are so passionate, talented, driven and smart as hell. They are a really great group of freaks who have a similar vision and love for New York comedy.  

Brunner: What kinds of virtual courses are you offering via Zoom?

Wells: Squirrel offers online classes in sketch, improv and characters at all levels. I teach a character class called Creating Characters that guides students through conception, writing and performing their own original characters pieces. Teaching via Zoom has been surprisingly fun and easy. The class is a good balance of writing and performance and discussion so Zoom really lends itself well to the format. Some of my students have said how cathartic it is to have a consistent creative outlet every week where they can talk to and create with people. It’s been very cathartic for me too.  

Brunner: What would you like people to know about your shows?

Wells: We currently do shows Wednesday and Thursday nights starting at 8 on our Twitch Live Stream. They are so fun and weird. It’s amazing to see people create through this panda mic.  

Brunner: What has kept you sane during this time?

Wells: Assuming I am sane. The jury is still out. I’m rewatching True Blood with my roommate, performing with Borabish! every week and playing Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. I feel exposed.