Improv-a-Tease was created by a burlesque performer named Tessa Von Twinkle who was based in Bloomington, Indiana. Tessa was a showstopper and a pioneer as a burlesque performer and producer in Indiana. She had a few different versions of the show and made minor adjustments over the years, but props always remained a key feature. Tessa especially loved doing Improv-a-Tease with a live band. 

When Tessa retired from burlesque around 2015, she gifted me the show, knowing that I shared her love for it. The first Improv-a-Tease I produced was in August of 2017. As anyone who has done it knows, producing a show is quite a feat. For various reasons, I did not produce another Improv-a-Tease right away and over that time (and a global pandemic) I renewed my love for the show format, became a stronger producer, and realized there was a whole new audience and group of performers to introduce the show to.

Improv-a-Tease re-launched in January 2026 with a Y2K theme and served as a zany testing ground to judge the show’s potential. After a wild evening of laughs (and a stuffed lion), the latest “Blue Ribbon Champion” was announced and the next date was planned.