ImprovBoston Announces Corey O'Rourke as Artistic Director

ImprovBoston and its Board of Directors have announced that Corey O'Rourke has accepted the position of Artistic Director of the 40-year-old nonprofit comedy theater. Corey succeeds Michael Carr, who left the organization in 2020 to continue his artistic endeavors in Florida.

Corey has been a dedicated and passionate member of ImprovBoston's community for years. He's performed on casts, including ImprovBoston's flagship Mainstage cast; directed resident casts, including the inclusive and broadly accessible All Access show; and travelled across North America, teaching and performing with the National Touring Company. He's served as an executive coach; a lead trainer with IBCreative, ImprovBoston's outreach arm; and an ever-popular instructor in ImprovBoston's Comedy School. Most recently, Corey served as the Director Education, first overseeing the implementation of ImprovBoston's new curriculum, and then quickly adapting it to a virtual model to continue to serve the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Corey brings this extensive experience at ImprovBoston (and at other theaters across the region) to his new Artistic Director role, along with his evident passion for improvisation and dedication to those ImprovBoston serves on its stages, in its classrooms, and across the region and the country. In his new role, Corey will be responsible not only for crafting and guiding the artistic vision of the theater, but also for working with the rest of the leadership team and ImprovBoston's Board of Directors as the theater takes this rebuilding opportunity to critically re-examine its operations and ideals, reimagine its role in serving the community, and reopen its doors to audiences across New England.

Corey is excited to have the opportunity to expand the ImprovBoston brand to reach new and formerly underserved audiences. Reflecting on his new role, Corey had the following to say:

All I've ever really known is theater. My whole life I've been backstage, onstage, or even building stages. It's all I have ever wanted to do, and what I'm most passionate about. I feel like a lifetime of work, obstacles, and adversity has helped shape me into the person I've become; someone who is beyond honored to have been offered the position of Artistic Director at ImprovBoston, and even more humbled to accept. It means so much to me to be trusted with this responsibility, and it is enormously validating of the time, heart, and effort I have put in over the years. I am overwhelmingly grateful for this opportunity; as well as the trust, confidence, and support shown to me.

I'm looking forward to building a theater where voices are heard, amplified, and valued for everything that they are. I'm excited to foster an environment where the qualities and attributes that separate us as individuals can also bring us together as a whole. And I am thrilled to work towards creating a theater that is reflective of the world and communities we live in; one where the audience and performers exist as equals. A theater where individuals can be inspired and say "I want to be up there, I can do that." or "that's me out there in the crowd as a kid, I want to give them a special moment."

Theater is nothing if not a reflection and expression of the human experience, and I only have my own to draw from. I am open, willing, and prepared to listen and learn from the experiences of others. I am ready to hear what is needed and necessary to blossom and grow a community and audience of valued individuals. I can't do any of this on my own, and I'll never pretend I can. My success and the future success of ImprovBoston is predicated on open honest communication, transparency, and trust. I look forward to creating positive space through progressive change in a meaningful and authentic way.

Kristie LaSalle, chair of ImprovBoston's board of directors, welcomed Corey to his new role: "Corey is a tremendously talented artist who has shared so much of his passion, time, and heart with performers, students, and audiences alike at ImprovBoston. His expertise, dedication, and compassion make him the perfect person to lead our artistic endeavors as we create and recreate, rebuild, grow, and improve. On behalf of the Board and myself, we are thrilled to work with Corey to bring laughter back to ImprovBoston."

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