Dad’s Garage at 30 still sets the stage for bold comedy in Atlanta
By Adrianne Murchison
Publish Date: September 9, 2025
Thirty years ago, ten college-aged dreamers envisioned something Atlanta hadn’t quite seen before: an independent improv theatre company with its own space. One of them was George Faughnan, who still performs today and remains the last active founding member of what would become Dad’s Garage theatre company.
Originally located in Inman Park, Dad’s Garage is now a cornerstone of the Old Fourth Ward’s creative scene, housed in a renovated former church on Ezzard Street. The building, which still features its original steeple and once held a baptismal pool in the sanctuary, was purchased and remodeled in 2015 with the help of a $1.2 million Kickstarter campaign. The company moved into its new home in 2017.
“We thrive because the community really stood up for us,” Faughnan said. “Our mission is to change people and communities through laughter — and we mean that.”
The name, he added, was inspired by the idea that your dad’s garage is often the place where aspiring artists find the confidence to perform and create. In similar fashion, Atlanta’s Dad’s Garage has long been a place for artists to try out new material and push creative boundaries.
“The nice thing about doing improv is everything is off the cuff. You are doing shows and creating scenes [in the moment],” said Co-Artistic Director Jon Carr. “You’re able to have a good time and get ideas across the way that you want to.”
Carr, who is a former executive producer of Chicago’s famed Second City, shares artistic direction at Dad’s Garage with Tim Stoltenberg.
During the summer, Dad’s Garage staged “Murder on Vavianna Island,” an interactive burlesque comedy and murder mystery.
“The show takes over the whole building. It starts as soon as you walk in. It’s a very silly, fun show,” Carr said last June.
In similar spirit, Dad’s Garage will present, “Murder, She Improvised,” on Fridays from Oct. 3 to Nov. 14. The fully improvised whodunit is filled with zany plots and unforgettable characters. Visit dadsgarage.com for a full calendar of events.
The theatre company is celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Faughnan recalls the company’s early days with humor, including a time when they set up a wrestling ring outside their original Inman Park location for late-night performances. In one show titled, “Brawl,” costumed performers would clash in the ring, creating loud crashes that disturbed security at the nearby home of then-Mayor Bill Campbell.
Police were occasionally called, Faughnan said, but they often stayed to enjoy the performance — which never ran too long.
“It’s been an incredible journey going from a small, scrappy comedy improv theater to a place that is nationally recognized and kind of sets the standard in a lot of ways — particularly in Georgia,” Carr said.
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