{"id":69794,"date":"2025-07-17T11:47:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T11:47:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/69794\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T11:47:18","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T11:47:18","slug":"5-new-comedy-clubs-to-know-in-the-chicago-area","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/69794\/","title":{"rendered":"5 new comedy clubs to know in the Chicago area"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The North Side has long reigned as the cradle of Chicago comedy. Stand-ups flock to Zanies or The Laugh Factory, and improvisers and sketch comics flit between The Annoyance, The Second City and iO. But while these places are comedy classics for a reason, the city is replete with options for Chicagoans to let loose and laugh \u2014 and more open all the time.<\/p>\n<p>So get your maps out, order your two-drink minimum and chart a course with us across some of the area\u2019s newest comedy venues.<\/p>\n<p>Comedy Plex Comedy Club<\/p>\n<p>The new year is usually a time when people commit to a goal for the months ahead. But on Dec. 31, 2023, Marz Timms instead celebrated the fulfillment of a dream when he opened Comedy Plex in Oak Park.<\/p>\n<p>Timms, who toured for years nationally and internationally as a stand-up comic, had long studied the clubs he was booked in, cataloging which features made a venue soar and what made the evening sag. So when his business partner Chris Bell proposed a new comedy club in the near west suburb, he jumped at the chance.<\/p>\n<p>They chose a former call center in downtown Oak Park as their theater\u2019s home. The basement space, vacant for a decade, had an \u201cintimate, speakeasy vibe\u201d that Timms says is perfect for a comedy club. With downtown Oak Park being \u201ca destination for so many in the area looking for a nice night out,\u201d Timms says, the location made sense.<\/p>\n<p>But the location was about more than marketing. \u201cWe wanted to be a part of the community we were located in,\u201d Timms says. Their regular open mics, as well as their commitment to booking both local and touring comics, speak to this promise.<\/p>\n<p>1128 Lake St. Lower Level, Oak Park; 708-665-7539 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.comedyplex.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">comedyplex.com<\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider\">\n<li data-index=\"1\" class=\"mng-ge mng-gallery-active\" id=\"mng-ge-0\" aria-hidden=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><img alt=\"Comedian Kiki Yeung performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club,...\" class=\"size-article_inline\"  \/>\n<p>Comedian Kiki Yeung performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"2\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Martin Keller, left, and his fianc\u00e9 Crystal Pun laugh while...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ctc-L-comedy-0710-29_231359810.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Martin Keller, left, and his fianc\u00e9 Crystal Pun laugh while watching comedian and actress Kiki Yeung perform at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"3\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Comedian Big Josh performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club,...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ctc-L-comedy-0710-18_231359698.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Comedian Big Josh performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"4\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Mary Grace Bertulfo, center, and Alan Schwartz, right, laugh while...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ctc-L-comedy-0710-25_231359778.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Mary Grace Bertulfo, center, and Alan Schwartz, right, laugh while watching comedian Kiki Yeung perform at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"5\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-4\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Comedian Julian Flores-Velez performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club,...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ctc-L-comedy-0710-13_231359554.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Comedian Julian Flores-Velez performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"6\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"People attend a show at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club,...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ctc-L-comedy-0710-11_231359518.jpg\" \/>\n<p>People attend a show at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"7\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-6\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person walks outside the Comedy Plex Comedy Club Thursday...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/ctc-L-comedy-0710-39_231359902.jpg\" \/>\n<p>A person walks outside the Comedy Plex Comedy Club Thursday July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Show Caption<\/p>\n<p>1 of 7<\/p>\n<p>Comedian Kiki Yeung performs at the Comedy Plex Comedy Club, July 10, 2025, in Oak Park. (Armando L. Sanchez\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#\" class=\"icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand\" aria-label=\"Expand fullscreen slideshow\">Expand<\/a><br \/>\nThe Playground Theater<\/p>\n<p>The Playground is both the oldest theater on this list and the one most recently opened. It\u2019s been around in some form since 1997, when groups of improvisers played bars like Cue Club, Cafe Ashie and Jako\u2019s. In 1999, they moved to their first permanent home on Lincoln Avenue before relocating in 2003 to 3209 N. Halsted Street. They would stay there for nearly 20 years\u00a0 until the pandemic forced them to vacate the premises in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Now, however, The Playground has returned, taking over the upstairs space at My Buddy\u2019s on Clark Street.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis new era will welcome the next generation of Chicago improvisers and independent artists, alongside longtime Playgrounders, mentors, and alumni,\u201d says managing director Kaydee Dolan.<\/p>\n<p>The Playground has long worked to uplift the improv community, always adhering to their motto \u201cLaughter, For All, Forever\u201d by making the theater available to anyone who pitches or produces. This spirit continues to thrive in the theater\u2019s latest iteration.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we have the freedom to choose, to create, to be part of something bigger than ourselves,\u201d Dolan says, \u201cwe can realize our true collective power. Whether artist or patron, we are all showing up in this new space to be part of something.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The easiest way to show up is by joining their weekly mixer, every Monday at 8 p.m. Half workshop, half improv jam, it\u2019s a perfect place for anyone looking to play, laugh and join an ever-growing artistic community.<\/p>\n<p>4416 N. Clark St. Second Floor, 312-574-0911 and <a href=\"https:\/\/theplaygroundtheater.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theplaygroundtheater.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Revival<\/p>\n<p>When John Stoops opened The Revival in 2015, he wanted to return Chicago improv to its roots. \u201cOur first theater was built on the very same corner that the Compass Players occupied,\u201d he says \u2014 the Compass Players being the Hyde Park comedy troupe that eventually morphed into what we now know as The Second City.<\/p>\n<p>In the summer of 2024, The Revival moved to a new location in the South Loop, but Stoops\u2019 commitment to offering, as he says, \u201cthe best improvisers \u2014 period,\u201d has not wavered.<\/p>\n<p>Stoops, a veteran of iO, The Second City and Amsterdam\u2019s Boom Chicago, is The Revival\u2019s executive director. Unlike other theaters, which may pepper in a stand-up or sketch show into their offerings, every show produced by The Revival is purely improvised. July sees improv legends Susan Messing and Rachael Mason team up for The Boys, The One Offs features performers like David Pasquesi, TJ Jagodowski and Sue Gillan, while Sophia Brazda and Edgar Nevarez\u2019s Camp Whatsitsname whisks guests to an improvised summer camp musical jamboree.<\/p>\n<p>Holding true to its motto \u2014 \u201cUnapologetically Unscripted\u201d \u2014 The Revival is committed to uplifting an American art form, right in the heart of the city that invented it.<\/p>\n<p>906 S. Wabash Ave.;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.the-revival.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the-revival.com<\/a><\/p>\n<ul class=\"mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider\">\n<li data-index=\"1\" class=\"mng-ge mng-gallery-active\" id=\"mng-ge-0\" aria-hidden=\"false\" tabindex=\"0\"><img alt=\"The One Offs ensemble members Kevin Fleming, TJ Jagodowski, Sue...\" class=\"size-article_inline\"  \/>\n<p>The One Offs ensemble members Kevin Fleming, TJ Jagodowski, Sue Salvi, and Beau Golwitzer perform on stage at The Revival in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"2\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Audience members react during a team improv performance by The...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues020_231327016.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Audience members react during a team improv performance by The One Offs at The Revival in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on Saturday, July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"3\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The One Offs ensemble member Sue Gillan sits on a...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues008_231327058.jpg\" \/>\n<p>The One Offs ensemble member Sue Gillan sits on a whoopee cushion during a performance at The Revival in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"4\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Props used on stage during a performance by The One...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues018_231327012.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Props used on stage during a performance by The One Offs are handed out to enthusiastic audience members at The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"5\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-4\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The One Offs ensemble members Kevin Fleming, TJ Jagodowski, Beau...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues017_231327072.jpg\" \/>\n<p>The One Offs ensemble members Kevin Fleming, TJ Jagodowski, Beau Golwitzer, Sue Salvi, Paul Grondy, Sue Gillan and David Pasquesi take a bow after their performance at The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"6\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-5\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A person exits The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues021_231327018.jpg\" \/>\n<p>A person exits The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South Loop after a performance by The One Offs on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"7\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-6\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Merchandise is seen for sale in the lobby at The...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues011_231326996.jpg\" \/>\n<p>Merchandise is seen for sale in the lobby at The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-index=\"8\" class=\"mng-ge\" id=\"mng-ge-7\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The exterior of The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/CTC-L-new-comedy-venues013_231327000.jpg\" \/>\n<p>The exterior of The Revival improv theater in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Show Caption<\/p>\n<p>1 of 8<\/p>\n<p>The One Offs ensemble members Kevin Fleming, TJ Jagodowski, Sue Salvi, and Beau Golwitzer perform on stage at The Revival in Chicago\u2019s South Loop on July 12, 2025.  (Chris Sweda\/Chicago Tribune)<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#\" class=\"icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand\" aria-label=\"Expand fullscreen slideshow\">Expand<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>BABS Comedy Club<\/p>\n<p>Emily Ramirez has been a performer her entire adult life. An actress, improviser, director and dancer (notably as part of the national tour of \u201cThe Phantom of the Opera\u201d), Ramirez has now added club owner to her many achievements by opening BABS Comedy Club in Forest Park.<\/p>\n<p>Ramirez first contemplated opening her own club in 2019 after becoming disillusioned by what she called the \u201cgrowing corporate energy of the larger comedy institutions in Chicago,\u201d despite their \u201csoulful alt-comedy origins.\u201d However, it wasn\u2019t until 2021 that she took the first concrete steps. She created BABS Comedy,  liquidating a 401k earned while on tour with \u201cPhantom,\u201d and began producing comedy shows under the BABS brand. In 2023, she purchased a century-old building in Forest Park, renovating it from top to bottom with her husband\u2019s help. The club opened on Oct. 25, 2024, and has consistently put on shows since.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople have told me that it feels like they\u2019re at a house party,\u201d she says of the vibes her shows bring \u2014 and it\u2019s clear why. Ramirez, as the booker, owner, bartender and occasional janitor, has her hands and heart in every corner of the building. Performers and audiences know they are in loving hands.<\/p>\n<p>7316 Madison St., Forest Park; 773-916-5565 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.babscomedyclub.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">babscomedyclub.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Home Comedy Theater<\/p>\n<p>The Home Comedy Theater has direct connections to a decades-old legend of the Chicago comedy scene. When iO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagotribune.com\/2020\/06\/18\/chicagos-io-theater-is-shutting-down-permanently\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">announced its closure in 2020<\/a>, Cesar Jaime, a stalwart of the iO universe, felt like he lost his comedy home. At the urging of a close friend, he assembled a team of fellow iO teachers and performers with the intent of purchasing and reopening the theater. The team came close to securing a deal but the decision was ultimately made to sell to an outside investment group.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt felt like my artistic home was really gone,\u201d Jaime says.<\/p>\n<p>However, Jaime recognized that the team\u2019s vision was valid. Together with fellow improvisers Liz Allen, Peter Gwinn, Susan Messing, Norm Holly and the late Noah Gregoropoulos, Jaime took that vision and founded The Home. In July 2023, they signed a lease on an empty, century-old building on Halsted Street and began the process of making their plans reality.<\/p>\n<p>The Home draws from the iO tradition of long-form improv, aiming to, according to Jaime, \u201cget back to the basics \u2026 the way it was taught to us.\u201d This means focusing on support and ensemble work, centering around the classic form known as The Harold.<\/p>\n<p>Classes at The Home are open to students of all levels, with performances and shows coming in the near future.<\/p>\n<p>2843 N. Halsted St.; 312-488-9528 and <a href=\"https:\/\/homecomedytheater.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">homecomedytheater.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" lazyautosizes lazyload alignnone\" alt=\"\" width=\"496\" height=\"430\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/FSihj-comedy-theaters.jpg\" data-attachment-id=\"25145418\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Ryan P.C. Trimble is a freelance writer.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The North Side has long reigned as the cradle of Chicago comedy. Stand-ups flock to Zanies or The&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":69795,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,171,5386,1818,2765,1370,1148,1072],"class_list":{"0":"post-69794","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois","12":"tag-keywee","13":"tag-latest-headlines","14":"tag-theater","15":"tag-things-to-do"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114868416983180028","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69794","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69794"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69794\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69795"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69794"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69794"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69794"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}