Killing My Lobster is part of a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization called the Lobster Theater Project. It has a Board of Directors and all contributions to it are tax-deductible to fullest extent of the law.  The short explanation is that we decided that setting ourselves up as a non-profit would allow us to do a better job of fundraising and being better integrated into the community here in the Bay Area.

So, what is "The Lobster Theater Project"? 

The Lobster Theater Project is a non-profit San Francisco arts organization that presents original sketch comedy shows (Killing My Lobster), an annual film festival (hi/lo Film Festival), a festival of dramatic plays (Bruno’s Island Festival of New Plays), monthly cabarets, short films and musical recordings. 

Better known as Killing My Lobster, the organization began its artistic mission in 1997. In 2002, the organization was incorporated as the Lobster Theater Project with the realization that as the organization grew – and its programming began to diversify – it made sense to establish a non-profit capable of attracting strong resources while still allowing distinct artistic projects to retain their own identities. Two of the founding members Marc Vogl and Paul Charney continue to lead the organization.

Marc and Paul met as sophomores at Brown University and helped to found Out of Bounds, a comedy group on campus. Upon graduation each went his separate way  (Paul to work for the Public Theater in New York, Marc to work for the Associated Press in East Africa), but in the summer of 1996 they arrived in San Francisco. While numerous peers had gone to LA and New York to pursue careers in the arts and show business, Marc, Paul and a number of friends, set out to establish a collaborative theater company in San Francisco that would take advantage of this city’s history of artistic experimentation and its supportive and adventurous audiences. 

Killing My Lobster was founded because a group of motivated folks believed that talented, creative people should be able to come together and develop topnotch original work across a variety of mediums for audiences eager to be entertained, challenged and inspired.  After eight years of collaboration with hundreds of artists and performances and screenings before thousands of people, this faith in creative collaboration still fuels the organization.

The Lobster Theater Project's greatest strengths are its deep base of talented and dedicated artists and its formidable fan support. The organization aspires to production values not normally associated with sketch comedy and programming reflective of the interests of the artists we work with and the communities we serve. Our principle goal is to establish an enduring institution in San Francisco that provides artists the space and resources to create great work and local audiences the chance to enjoy it. Our primary challenges center on keeping pace with the increased workload and financial demands that our growth requires.

If you would like to help us out we'd love your support