INTERVIEW: Mopco’s 30 Years of Making the Capital Region Laugh
10 N. Jay Street Schenectady
Photos provided by Mopco Improv Theatre
“…stay open, stay lean, and just say yes to stuff.”
Michael Burns never imagined that a small after hours improv class in a karate studio would grow into the heart of Schenectady’s arts scene. It sure did, and still does today, after all these years. “It was a fun group that really wanted to be an improv company and perform.” That early energy sparked the creation of The Mop and Bucket Company. “A name I didn’t like at first,” the founder admits, but now in its 30th year, Mopco Improv Theatre has become a place people know and love.
In the early days, Burns and his troupe took gigs wherever they could find them. Bars, cafes, libraries, you name it. Sometimes it was rough. “People say, ‘those guys,’ which isn’t great for morale,” he says. But improvisers want to do it. They love it. “It’s almost like basic training for army folks.” There’s something about cutting your teeth in those chaotic early shows that shapes a company and its people for the long haul.
Burns took a break in the mid-2000s to finish a degree, write a book, and paint a house in Maine. Then the phone rang. The new Wood Theater in Glens Falls wanted a benefit show. “I said, ‘Sure, we’d love to do that,’ and then I hung up and thought, ‘I don’t have a company.’” Frantically, he reassembled performers, including Kat Koppett, now his partner and company co-head. “This woman is brilliant. Knows a lot more than I do. She keeps going away, India, San Francisco, but her diligence probably kept things going.”.
Soon, Burns and Koppett were dreaming bigger. They met with Proctor’s head Phillip Morris to create a permanent home for Mopco. “Philip said, ‘So what’s stopping you,’ and I am so glad Kat was there. We just wanted to get on the ground floor,” Burns recalls. That meeting led to regular Friday night performances, rehearsal space, and nearly a decade of support from Proctors, which he calls an incubator that kept them energized and striving for more.
In 2016, Mopco bought a former firehouse on North Jay Street. “We got a construction loan. This was so stupid. If anybody reads this part, don’t do it,” Burns laughs. Six months later, the gut-renovated building opened as Mopco’s home, full of color, stage lights, and laughter. Now, nine years later, it’s a space where performers and audiences come together to create something joyful and unexpected.
Mopco has grown far beyond a troupe. Classes like Improv 101 and Fundamentals welcome newcomers, while long-form performances and the popular Mopco and Chill series bring audiences back for spontaneous and hilarious evenings. The theater has also drawn attention beyond the Capital Region. “People around the country know Mopco. We just had a couple here from Poland as part of our anniversary celebration. Jeff Michalski, one of the founders of Second City, has been here too.”
Part of Mopco’s success comes from staying lean, flexible, and open. Amy Schumer, once called wanting to work on material in the theater with just hours to prepare. “We put stuff online for tickets, figured out security with a few improvisers sitting on stools, and it sold out in 15 minutes. To me, it’s an example of "stay open, stay lean, and just say yes to stuff.”
Mopco is also about creating a third place, a community outside of work and home where people can laugh and create together. “People need a place where they can actually go and be creative, meet like-minded folks. There’s less and less available these days. It’s incredible.”
Looking ahead, Burns is thinking about the theater’s future. He knows he won’t run it forever, and the goal now is keeping the company thriving and passing leadership forward without losing its spirit. Koppett continues her international work in applied improv, with her book Training to Imagine just released its third edition.
This month, Mopco celebrates its anniversary with special performances and workshops. Mopco and Chill on December 19 promises an evening of inventive scenes and unexpected characters, and New Year’s Eve brings two shows, including a family-friendly performance at 7 p.m. and a late-night countdown show.
From a handful of performers to a nationally recognized company, Mopco has become an essential part of the Capital Region’s scene. 30 years in, the story is far from over, and the next scene is ready to be improvised. Burns sums it up best: “To survive, you have to adapt, stay focused, but also have a little bit of craziness and a good sense of humor.” That has been the secret to three decades of laughs, and it’s what will keep Mopco going for decades to come.