Third Coast Comedy (Nashville)

Third Coast Comedy Club was founded in 2016 by Luke Watson and Scott Field, two Nashville-based performers who co-taught an improv class together and recognized that Music City lacked a dedicated comedy venue with a structured training program. The founders launched a Kickstarter campaign in April 2016 that raised $32,480 from 211 backers, demonstrating genuine community demand for an improv theater in Nashville. Third Coast quickly established itself at 1310 Clinton Street, Suite 121, in the historic Marathon Village complex in downtown Nashville — a repurposed early-1900s automobile manufacturing facility that has become one of the city's most vibrant creative hubs. From its founding, Third Coast positioned itself as both a training center and a performance venue, building the infrastructure that Nashville's nascent comedy scene needed to grow from scattered open mics and pop-up shows into a cohesive community. Within its first few years, the theater became the undisputed home of Nashville improv, attracting performers from across the city and establishing a regular show schedule that gave audiences a reliable place to experience live comedy. The grassroots, community-funded origin story reflects Third Coast's core identity — this is a theater built by and for Nashville's comedy community.

In 2025, Third Coast Comedy Club operates as Nashville's premier improv theater and training center, running classes year-round alongside a packed performance calendar of improv shows, stand-up nights, sketch revues, and special events. What makes Third Coast distinctive is its position in a city undergoing a dramatic creative transformation — Nashville's entertainment industry, while historically synonymous with country music, has expanded rapidly to include film production, television, podcasting, digital media, and live comedy, and Third Coast has grown alongside this broader cultural shift. The theater occupies a unique niche in Marathon Village, surrounded by recording studios, creative offices, and other arts organizations that create a natural ecosystem for artistic collaboration and cross-pollination. Third Coast's training program serves both aspiring professionals and Nashville residents who want to explore improv as a hobby or creative outlet, and the community the theater has built includes musicians, songwriters, and music industry professionals who bring Nashville's characteristic storytelling sensibility to the improv stage. The theater also serves as a proving ground for Nashville comedians who are developing material for the national touring circuit, podcasts, and digital content creation.

Getting started at Third Coast Comedy begins with the Level 1 improv class, which requires no prior experience and is open to all adults. Registration is handled through the theater's website, with new class sessions starting at regular intervals throughout the year. The training program features a comprehensive six-level improv track that takes students from absolute beginner through advanced long-form performance. Levels 1 and 2 cover foundational concepts including listening, agreement, shared construction, and basic scene-building skills. Levels 3 and 4 dive into character work, scene mechanics, and acting technique for improvisers. Level 5 focuses specifically on long-form improvisation, teaching students to create thematically connected scenes that build into cohesive, sustained performances. Level 6 is the culmination of the training — students develop and rehearse a fully improvised show, performing three times on the Third Coast stage. Access to Level 6 is by invitation only, extended after week 8 of Level 5, ensuring that students entering the capstone level have demonstrated the skills and commitment needed for public performance.

The training experience at Third Coast emphasizes emotional honesty, active listening, and ensemble trust — values that reflect both the theater's artistic philosophy and Nashville's storytelling culture. Classes are taught by experienced Third Coast performers and instructors who bring a range of improv backgrounds to their teaching, and the six-level curriculum is designed to build skills progressively so that each level meaningfully expands on what came before. Each class session runs approximately three hours, with eight sessions per level, giving students 24 hours of instruction at each stage — a generous amount compared to shorter formats at other theaters. Beyond the core improv track, Third Coast offers classes in stand-up comedy, sketch writing, musical improv, and acting for the stage, making it possible for students to develop a well-rounded comedy skill set without leaving the theater. The theater's intimate Marathon Village performance space creates a warm, audience-friendly environment for both student showcases and professional shows, and students are encouraged to attend live performances throughout their training to learn by observation. Third Coast also hosts regular jams and open-play sessions where students at all levels can practice their skills in a low-stakes setting outside of class time.

Third Coast Comedy attracts a distinctly Nashville student body — a mix of aspiring comedians, musicians exploring comedy as a complementary skill, entertainment industry professionals from Music City's recording studios and production companies, and Nashville residents who want a creative outlet in the city's vibrant arts scene. The cross-pollination between Nashville's music and comedy communities gives Third Coast a unique character — performers who write songs for a living bring strong storytelling instincts to their improv, and the result is often improv that is more narrative-driven and emotionally resonant than what you find at more joke-focused comedy theaters. While Third Coast is too young to have produced a deep bench of nationally recognized alumni, the theater's graduates are increasingly active in Nashville's growing comedy and entertainment scene, and the city's rapid growth as a media hub means that the professional opportunities available to Third Coast-trained performers are expanding every year. The theater has also become a community gathering place that extends beyond comedy — Third Coast events attract a diverse crowd of Nashville creatives, making the theater a networking hub for the city's broader entertainment ecosystem.

Classes at Third Coast Comedy are priced at approximately $225 to $325 per level in 2025, with pricing varying by course type and level. The introductory improv levels fall at the lower end of this range, while specialty courses like musical improv ($275 for eight three-hour sessions) and stand-up Level 1 ($78 for a shorter introductory format) have their own pricing structures. The complete six-level improv track represents a total investment of roughly $1,350 to $1,950, which is competitive with or slightly below comparable programs at established institutions in larger cities. Third Coast's Nashville location means students benefit from a cost of living that, while rising, remains significantly lower than New York, LA, or San Francisco — making the total cost of training substantially more manageable. The theater offers teen programs (Tween Improv Club at $328) alongside the adult curriculum, providing options for younger aspiring performers. There are no hidden fees beyond the class tuition, and students who advance to Level 6 perform their showcase shows as part of the curriculum without additional costs.

Third Coast Comedy is the essential training destination for anyone living in the Nashville area who is interested in improv, sketch, or stand-up comedy — there is no comparable institution in the region, and the theater provides the structure, community, and stage time that aspiring performers need to develop. If you are a musician or music industry professional curious about comedy, Third Coast is the perfect bridge — the storytelling skills you have developed in music translate beautifully to improv, and the theater's community will embrace you as one of their own. For complete beginners, Third Coast's welcoming atmosphere and well-structured curriculum make it one of the least intimidating places to try improv for the first time. However, if your goal is a professional career in television comedy or national touring, view Third Coast as an excellent foundation that you will eventually supplement with training at a nationally recognized institution in Chicago, New York, or LA. Songwriters and lyricists will find that improv training at Third Coast sharpens their creative instincts and collaborative skills in ways that directly enhance their primary craft. For corporate teams and organizations in Nashville, Third Coast's workshops offer one of the best team-building and communication-skills experiences available in the city.

Embrace the cross-pollination between Nashville's music and comedy communities — attend open mics, songwriter rounds, and live music events alongside your Third Coast training, and look for ways to bring your musical sensibility into your improv work (Nashville audiences respond particularly well to improvisers who can incorporate music and storytelling). Move through the six-level curriculum at a steady pace rather than taking long breaks between levels — maintaining momentum keeps your skills sharp and strengthens your relationships with classmates who will become your fellow performers. Attend Third Coast shows regularly and stay after for the social hour — the post-show community at Third Coast is where many of the most valuable connections and collaborations in Nashville comedy begin. If you complete the curriculum and earn a Level 6 invitation, treat your showcase performances as seriously as any professional engagement — Nashville's entertainment industry is small enough that people talk, and a strong showcase performance can lead to unexpected opportunities. Look for ways to create your own comedy content outside of Third Coast — start a podcast, produce a web series, or organize an independent show at one of Nashville's many creative venues to build your profile in the city's growing comedy ecosystem.