The Squirrel Comedy Theatre is a non-profit theater that aims to be New York's premier destination for sketch and improv comedy, with world-class live shows and classes from a diverse group of the city's best and brightest performers and writers. Guided by the comedic principle of The Game of the Scene, The Squirrel values community, representation, transparency, and equality, starting with, but not limited to, financially compensating its artists. 

 

Squirrel founders and veteran comedians Lou Gonzalez, Michael Hartney, Patrick Keene, Maritza Montañez, Alex Song-Xia, and Corin Wells saw the new alt-comedy landscape in COVID-era NY as an opportunity to continue creating, performing and teaching comedy inspired by their training, but with a new structural and organizational approach more in line with the wants and needs of the greater comedy community.

 

Starting with its majority-queer and POC foundership, we want this community to more closely resemble the vibrant melting pot of the city we're in. By ensuring that there are diverse voices in leadership, on our stages, and in our classrooms from day one, we will attract more diverse audiences and students. The Squirrel will not merely give diversity a seat at the table; it will be the table.

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Our classes and stages, virtual and live, are dedicated to growing, nurturing, and uplifting diverse voices historically underrepresented in comedy. To that end, a portion of our fundraising will be earmarked for a fund providing free classes to students from marginalized communities. Our programming will include various open forums focusing on diversity and inclusion, and our faculty will do regular professional training, all in hopes of fostering an environment of acceptance from which we all can create and thrive.

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​The safety of our artists is of utmost importance to us. We will not tolerate abuse, and we will not work with abusers.