Charna Halpern (born June 1, 1952) is an American comedian who cofounded iO theater with Del Close.
Early life
Halpern graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1974 with a major in English and Speech. Following graduation, she worked for a juvenile delinquency school.
Halpern met Del Close in 1981, and they later held competitive improv tournaments under the iO brand and adapted a long-form improvisational style that Close had been creating over the years called the Harold. In 1995, Close and Halpern decided to acquire a more permanent location in 1995 by Wrigley field. iO West opened in 1997 in Los Angeles. By the COVID-19 pandemic, iO was drowning debt including a $100,000 property tax. In 2020, Halpern listed the theater's building for sale.