The Playground Theater

If you want to see how «HILARIOUS» and «ENTERTAINING» their show is then my suggestion is watch them warm up right before a show behind the theater. This was my first indication that I should have skipped the show (obnoxious and annoying). Second indication was the small to non-​existent crowd inside the theater. Third indication… the jokes were pedestrian. I was better off watching re-​runs of The Big Bang Theory or Frasier at home. Try another Comedy Club!

Chicago’s best kept secret for up and coming comedy! Very supportive community.

We were here at the end of January, the show was only five dollars and it was hilarious. We had just come from Second City which was funny but Playground was even better. This was my first night experiencing improv and I am hooked. The actors came up with fantastic stories with single words like marshmallows and if I’m ever in Chicago again I will definitely be making a second visit.

Got there right before the show started 8pm Friday, hardly any audience members so we were a bit skeptical. but a few people rolled in to catch the show and…
HOLY HELL IT WAS FUNNY
These were some top notch improv actors. Everyone was really on their game. Super funny, good timing, good pace, no awkward moments, quality acting with appropriate dramatic pauses, really creative witty dialogue (how do they do it?).
Big fan and will return for sure.

I went here recently to watch some improv on a Saturday night, and I definitely got my laugh on. The Belmont Transfer performed along with two other groups that I can’t remember the names of.
The theater itself is kind of small and cramped. When we first got there, we sat in the middle row and actually had to move to the front because my friend’s legs were too long. Nice problem to have, right!!!
Anyway, the Playground is BYOB, which is pretty cool. I wish I would have known this because I definitely would have brought my own booze. I’ll have to keep this in mind for next time. I’ll be back fo sho!

«Period Piece» was great ! The story was entertaining, and the cast did a great job with their execution of this musical comedy. We bought our tickets before the show, and the clerk helpfully informed us that we should come early to get good seats because the show has sold out for most performances.
This place is BYOB, but they don’t provide anything (cups, cork openers, etc.), so make sure to bring the necessary implements for your drinks.

This place is just terrible. Really just not a single redeeming quality here. I’m not sure how Unilocal got it so wrong.
Came here for the 10pm show on a Saturday night. ONLY FOUR PEOPLE in the entire theater, which did not bode well for the evening. The «comedians» were roaming the floor and theater prior to the show, which appeared pretty unprofessional from the get-​go. They also alluded to often performing for very small crowds of 3 or 4 people, so I think the emptiness is pretty typical (no surprise).
Jokes were miserable, if you could even call them jokes. Fake wrestling scenes with the comedians laughing at themselves? Even with two bottles of wine, I have never felt so awkward and uncomfortable in an audience. Ended up walking out of the show early.
I would not wish anyone to attend this theater. Pay $ 10 more and get a far, faaaar superior show elsewhere.

A working man’s byob improv comedy club with nudity. Lots of nudity.
Don’t get me wrong, IO, Second City, Annoyance, Comedy Sportz etc., are all great.
But for the prices they charge for admission and drinks, most people aren’t in a position to enjoy regularly. That — and no nudity.
Enter the Playground. Playground offers free and low priced (5 – 10 dollars) shows nightly and an environment that welcomes patrons to bring whatever alcohol they’d like to consume during the show without any charge.
The shows are as varied as the performers themselves but I prefer Sunday night’s ‘Free for All’ as they sometimes let me play there (see photo). The other Sun night show is also great and free (donation request only). Both have featured several performers who went on to bigger and better improv shows where they charge admission.
All Playground shows are also byob so you can get properly buzzed to laugh your buzzed face off.
Now for the nudity. Improvisers love to improvise naked characters. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed no actual nudity. But I know puppetry of the penis played here, so who knows? Maybe sometime they’ll come back or a new show with actual nudity will debut. Works well for GT on Milwaukee.

I saw the TomKat play and I’d give the show 5 stars. (As of me typing this it is only on Wednesdays, GO SEE IT, its great!) This is a tiny theater with 3 rows of seats and lots of great things happening inside. If you sit in the front row, you could reach out your arm and touch the comedians/​actors, but don’t do that — it’s rude. The theater itself loses a star because the bathrooms are practically on the stage.

I like the playground because its a stomping ground for young new improvisers to get their ideas out and try new things. Each night has a different set of shows, and the theatre is always trying to find new talent and showcase them.
One group that has made an impression on me is Delirious Confetti (Sunday nights at the Free For All) Mostly a male group, the group has always had a high consistent rate of good laughs and improv. They are all normal people coming from different parts of the country and they really make comedy look flawless and easy.
I think the Playground is a Chicago best kept secret that needs to be spread. It’s BYOB and cheap, so really if you need a place to drink and see comedy, this is the place.

BYOB and fun.
Go see Mustang Repair!

Can’t beat $ 5 ticket + byob nights. The theatre is small and intimate. They had 3 performances and all were pretty funny, some performances had some dry moments though. The last bit was a competition between 4 comedians who had 5 minutes each to make the audience laugh which was definitely a success. I’m not sure how much was actually improv but regardless, we had a good time.

The Playground is a great place to drink an entire bottle of wine, straight out of the bottle, and be entertained by people desperate for your laughter and attention. There’s always at least one set that’s a hit. I love it here!
A bit of feedback for the performers/​tech people, however: if you aren’t performing, please don’t whisper in the back, or shout so loud close to the back door that we can still hear you. The space is so tiny. I paid for the opportunity to have you entertain me, and your fellow performers are working their asses off, so be a professional. Believe me, I don’t like having to be the Crazy Lady who gets out of her seat to tell you to shut the fuck up. If it’s distracting me, it’s distracting the entire paying audience.

LOVE! this place.
BYOB already a plus off the bat.
I wish there was more places like this around my area.
Made me want to join in and see what I can do!

One of the best dive comedy spots in Chicago.
First of all, its BYO which is a huge plus. Don’t be timid — there will be people in the crowd with 30 racks of Keystone Light.
Secondly, its so small that you’re no more than 15 feet away from the comedians on stage. This intimate experience makes it much more interesting and fun.
Finally, the shows are very unique and experimental. They might not be the most fine-​tuned or rehearsed sketches, but everything I’ve seen here was pretty hilarious.
Come with an open mind and a six pack and you’ll have a blast on the cheap.

If you are looking for a random yet fun night, go to The Playground.
Free sunday night shows… BYOB.

What do you say to a kid who’s grumpy or bored?
«Come on, I’ll take you to the playground!»
What do you say to the adult child who’s grumpy or bored?
«Come on, I’ll take you to The Playground!»
I had been before and was impressed so it seemed like a no brainer to take the manboy in my life. We quickly became regulars.
Here’s what we like:
The Sunday night show The Free for All is free (we donate though). It’s a great deal and ironically funnier than the pay shows other nights.
All shows are mostly funny. Some moments were hilarious, some were clunkers.
BYOB!!! And I’ve even seen audience members eating there too.
It’s the only co op non profit improv group.
The theater is really intimate and casual. This lends you to be more invested in the performance, feel the nervous energy and excitement, and mingle with the performers before and after. You don’t feel like a kid alone at a sandbox watching the cool kids play, but involved.
The location is great by the Belmont and Addison el stops and many bus routes.
So to get to the punch (line)-great deal and pretty entertaining.
And in tribute to the venue name and purpose a joke.
A man and his wife are asleep in bed. They hear a knocking on their door. The man says, «What do you want?!» A voice says, «Please help… I need a push.» The man angrily replies, «It’s three am-​get outta here!!» his wife says, «Honey, remember when our kids where stranded on the highway and a nice man gave the car a push to the rest area?» The husband answers, «Oh, all right.» He trudges down to the front door and opens it and it’s pitch dark, he calls out, «Do you still need a push?» «Yes.» «Ok, where are you?!»
«Over here… on the swingset…»
:crickets:
Giant hook ala Showtime at the Apollo pulls me from computer.

It was a tough sell getting me to go to this thing. but the economics are very compelling (and it’s close to my house). On Sunday nights they charge $ 0 and it’s BYOB. Not too steep. So around 7 I walked over there, stopping at 7 – 11 to pick up a 6 pack.
It’s improv. The kind where people from the audience yell out random topics and then a couple of hipster dudes on stage «IMPROVISE!!». I was skeptical. Making Charlie Sheen/​Vaccum cleaner/​Alaska funny isn’t easy. And you usually get what you pay for. So how are a bunch hipsterish dudes doing this for free going to succeed?
Well actually, it was laugh out loud funny. And. full dis​clo​sure​.as a rule I don’t like improv. So I’m very impressed.
The way the Sunday nite show works is they have 3 separate groups one after another. Each on for about ½ hour.
It always seemed like something about to be funny was going to happen the whole time. The audience was giddy. Every now and them something funny WOULD happen and we’d and laugh and laugh and laugh. Ahhh .good times.
By the end. having 3 or 4 beers in me, I was definitely in a good mood. I even left $ 5 in donation bucket on the way out.

Oh.Ma.Gawd.
A couple of friends and I went to the Playground last night to see some cheap comedy, and WOW. We went to a midnight showing, «The Davenports», which is set up like a soap opera, but completely made up.
I don’t even know where to start. The cast came out in formals. The intro was to old-​sounding 80s music, where they came out in groups and posed, just like in the beginning of every soap opera imaginable. Every single man on stage was tall, and every single person on stage was good looking, and there were like 15 or so of them. It doesn’t seem fair that every single one of them made me laugh at some point. Attractive AND funny? Suck it, Davenports.
The characters stayed the same throughout the show, which is different from the improv I’ve seen, but makes sense with the whole soap opera thing, and they gave out a little program at the beginning, so if you weren’t sure who a character was, you could just read about them. And now I have a handy little souvenir of handsome men and hilarious ladies I can stalk online.
I will be back. I’m afraid to go back next week, as I don’t want to seem like a groupie, but it’s seriously worth it. I will just have to hope no one recognizes me.

You **Need** to get on over to the Playground ASAP…
–Hilarious groups. You’ll seriously be ROFL! (hehe, I had to do it)
–Cheap cover ($ 5 – 10)
–Young, lively crowd
–Small, intimate theater
–Super close to the Red Line Belmont stop
–BOYB…
Word.