Del Close Marathon
1999-2019 (NYC); 2019-present (LA) · New York, NY (1999-2018); Los Angeles, CA (2019-present)
Also known as DCM
UCB's 55-hour nonstop improv marathon honoring Del Close — the single most important annual gathering in US improv for two decades before its 2019 move to LA.
Known for
- Founded 1999 by UCB founders shortly after Del Close's death; first edition was 36 shows in 30 hours at one venue.
- By 2018 (20th and final NYC edition) grew to 750+ shows across 11 stages at six venues, with a kickoff Carnegie Hall ASSSSCAT.
- Moved to Los Angeles in 2019 (DCM21), citing NYC operating costs and migration of UCB talent to LA.
- After UCB NY's 2020 closure and pandemic disruption, the marathon's continuity became uncertain — the 2018 Carnegie Hall NYC edition is widely treated as the era-closing DCM.
- Era-defining event: the DCM Wiki page, retrospectives like 'Thank You Del: The Story of the DCM' (SXSW 2016), and Seth Simons' reporting treat it as the canonical UCB-era ritual.
Connected to
Schools & Theaters
Forms
Notes
The 2018 NYC marathon (kickoff at Carnegie Hall) is the emotional “final DCM” for East Coast improv. The LA editions beginning 2019 exist, but UCB NY’s closure in 2020 and the post-pandemic shrinkage of UCB itself mean the DCM is functionally a different event in its post-2019 form. The flaunt.com recap of the 21st Annual (first LA) edition is the best source for LA-era coverage.
Sources
- https://wiki.improvresourcecenter.com/index.php?title=Del_Close_Marathon
- https://www.brooklynvegan.com/ucbs-del-close-marathon-is-moving-to-l-a-in-2019/
- https://laist.com/news/entertainment/upright-citizens-bridgade-del-close-marathon-in-los-angeles-now
- https://thecomicscomic.com/2018/06/29/the-upright-citizens-brigade-dresses-up-for-carnegie-hall-asssscat-to-open-20th-and-final-del-close-marathon-in-new-york-city/
- https://thecomicscomic.com/2016/04/01/thank-you-del-the-story-of-the-del-close-marathon-reviewed-at-sxsw/
Referenced by
Forms
Schools & Theaters