To say that 2022 hasn’t made things easy for live comedy so far is an understatement, but in spite of everything we’re continuing to make progress in our ability to provide high quality training and performance opportunities for improvisers new and experienced.
Our latest big move?
We’ve acquired a new classroom and rehearsal space at 251 Harvard St in Brookline.
Toward the end of last year it became clear that a single space would soon no longer be able to fulfill the entirety of our needs. Because weekday availability is realistically limited to one evening event and weekends are primarily dedicated to shows, our calendar quickly maxed out. With increasing demand for classes at all levels, imminently needing rehearsal space for our upcoming new house teams, and looking ahead to the long term possibility of wanting to expand shows to Thursdays, we needed more room. Because it won't be used for shows, this new space increases our rehearsal and class capacity 130% while only increasing our rent costs 50%.
Why Brookline?
While we still consider Somerville our primary home, we’re well aware that our students and performers come from all over the Boston area and 593 Somerville Ave might not be the most convenient location for everyone. Our new space at 251 Harvard St is a block from the Coolidge Corner T station and a 66 bus stop, making it a better option for people coming from Allston, Brighton, Newton, Brookline, Mission Hill, Roxbury, Back Bay, and areas further south and west of the city. Our hope is that this expansion makes us more accessible to people who are interested in checking us out or getting more involved but who might be geographically discouraged or unable to travel to Somerville. We're also hopeful it will be a useful rehearsal option for performers south of the Charles.
We'll begin hosting classes and workshops in Coolidge Corner starting in March, and the space will be available to be rented for rehearsals on our website starting March 1.