Check out the podcast as we sit down with Brandy Sullivan of Theater 99 to trace the history, heart, and day-to-day of one of Charleston’s most beloved improv institutions. Brandy shares how Theater 99 grew out of The Have Nots improv group, opened its first brick-and-mortar in 2000, moved to Meeting Street in 2005, and became a hub for shows, classes, festivals, and community performance.

Highlights include Theater 99’s training program (five progressive levels from intro to advanced long-form), the popular drop-in sessions, teen and 55+ peer classes, and monthly student jams that give newer performers the chance to play with company members. Brandy explains the building blocks of improv—”yes, and,” character work, relationship scenes, and how sketch often grows from improv moments.

We also cover Theater 99’s role in the wider Charleston arts scene: launching the Charleston Comedy Festival and Piccolo Fringe series, hosting visiting artists and workshops (including work by Greg Tavares and collaborators like Amber Nash), and producing clean family-friendly improv nights alongside their edgier main-stage shows. 

Go to Theater99.com for schedules, tickets, and class sign-ups, and notes active social channels on Facebook and Instagram (@theater99).