How it all started

Chapter 1: The Beginning

It was a sunny day in July 2016, when Mary and Flo, met in a park in Munich. They had one thing in common: they wanted to try improv, a form of theater where everything is made up on the spot.

They were nervous, curious, and excited. They didn't know what to expect, but they were ready to have some fun. They collected some people, played some warm-up games, and then started to improvise scenes based on suggestions from each other. They laughed, they clapped, they cheered. They felt a connection, a spark, a magic. They knew they were on something special.

They decided to meet again the next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. They became friends, they became a team, they became part of something bigger.

A year passed, and the group was still going strong. Two of the members, Antonio Lucho and Atanas Atanasov, took over the leadership and made the event even more welcoming and fun. They introduced new games, new themes, and new challenges. They made the group more visible, more accessible, and more attractive.

Chapter 2: The Growth

The group grew bigger and bigger, as more and more people joined them. They came from different countries, different backgrounds, different walks of life. They spoke different languages, had different opinions, had different styles. But they all shared a love for improv, and a respect for each other. They learned to listen, to accept, to support, to trust. They learned to say yes, and, and, and.

They started to offer more and more sessions, where they shared the basics of improv to newcomers and challenged themselves with new exercises and formats. They started to organize social events, where they hung out, ate, drank, sang and played together. They started to perform shows, where they showcased their talents and creativity to the world. They amazed, they entertained, they inspired.

They became a diverse, dynamic, and delightful community. They also gave themselves a name: Rice Cookie, a name that has a history by itself.

They had their first show, the Winter Impro Madness, in 2017, where they had a blast on stage and in the audience. They performed short-form games, they made jokes, they made mistakes, they made magic. They received a a lot of compliments.

They later also participated to the shows in the Cave, a cozy venue where they performed for a loyal and enthusiastic crowd. They experimented with different genres, themes, and formats. They did horror, romance, sci-fi, and more. They did monologues, duologues, group scenes, and more. They did improv, sketch, stand-up, and more. They did everything, and they did it well.

Chapter 3: The Challenge

Rice Cookie faced a big challenge in 2020, when the world was going through a difficult time. They had to stop meeting in person, to stop hugging, to stop sharing the same space. They had to adapt, to change, to reinvent themselves. They had to move online and keep the improv spirit alive.

They didn't give up, they didn't lose hope, they didn't stop playing. They used technology, they used imagination, they used humor. They created online workshops, where they played improv games through video calls and chat rooms. They created online shows, where they performed improv scenes through live streams. They created online connections, where they stayed in touch and supported each other through messages and calls.

They overcame the challenge, they showed resilience, they showed strength. They proved that improv could happen anywhere, anytime, with anyone.

Chapter 4: The Stage Got Bigger (2021 – 2025)

Even when indoor meetings weren’t possible, inspiration never waned. Casual improv sessions began to bloom under the sheltering roof of the Pinakothek der Moderne. Nothing formal, just scenes, games, and connection, they kept the spark alive.

And then the screens finally went dark, and blinking into real sunlight, the Cookies began again, where Munich feels most like a stage: Englischer Garten. A few picnic blankets marked the audience, shoes marked the stage, and laughter echoed between trees. It was improvised theatre at its most grassroots.

Those open-air circles grew until a rainy Wednesday convinced everyone to try four walls again. Salsa Studio’s door creaked open; there were no masks, just the thrill of being close again, of sharing space, eye contact, and playful vibe.

From there, momentum snowballed. Workshops on Wednesdays, intensives on Fridays, try-out shows on Saturdays at Salsa Studio. To share the spotlight fairly, a moderation algorithm was introduced; suddenly the shy first-timer and the veteran pun-master were taking turns guiding the fun.

The community followed. The Rice Cookie Meetup group rolled past 3,500 members, and also the new Friday-night residency sprouted a wait-list longer than its guest-list.

As the audience grew, so did the stage. The shows began to migrate, first tentatively, then boldly, beyond the cozy embrace of Salsa Studio. Lofts, theaters, studios: no improv venue in Munich was off-limits. Each one transformed for a night into a home for stories, laughter, and spontaneous joy.

June 2025 crowned the surge: Rice Cookie’s debut at Theaterwoche, one of Germany’s most celebrated theatre festivals .

Carried by that festival high, the troupe turned the very heart of the city into a stage: a pop-up Rice Cookie Corner blossomed on the cobblestones of Marienplatz. Commuters slowed, tourists filmed, and an imaginary cow was politely milked beside the Glockenspiel.

Then came the shows, the chairs filled faster than they could be counted. For the first time, a sign reading “Sold Out” hung on the door, and stayed there for three consecutive shows.

Now the ninth birthday beckons: 16 July 2025, the exact date the first Cookies crumbled to life. 
The celebration? Still unwritten, exactly as improvised theatre should be. Yet one thing is certain: the magic of Chapter 1 is still here, only now it echoes from attic beams, mirrored studios, festival halls, and even the cobblestones of Marienplatz.

The tale continues…