**Update 11/4/21**
Permits are finally settled and shows are moving ahead! Full schedule is up at unioncomedy.com/shows.
************
It's been a sec since our last high-level info post so we wanted to drop a status update so you can be aware of where we’re at and what we've been working on.
The most common question we get about the theater since opening in September is “when are shows happening?”
Unfortunately the short answer has been and still remains:
We don’t know.
The long answer is although we are physically and logistically capable of hosting shows in the space, our operations are heavily restricted until the city grants us a couple different permits. We began the process of acquiring these permits immediately upon moving in two months ago but needless to say it is taking much longer than we had hoped.
The good news is we believe we are at least past the halfway point; our entertainment license was approved last week and meetings for the second permit begin this week. It is always possible (and we have come to expect) that additional hurdles and unexpected delays will arise, but barring any major surprises it appears that we have completed the necessary administrative legwork and all that remains is procedural.
Obviously these delays have been frustrating and it has been difficult to be so handcuffed as a new business. Moreover, because the timeline for the permit process has been unclear, it has been hard to plan ahead; for example we may be able to have shows as early as this weekend, or we may have to wait until January. This has been why our week-to-week programming has been so inconsistent and scheduling has been so last minute; we have no idea when our permits might go through.
But we do know that big things move slow and all we can do is take one step at a time while making the most of the options we have available. We are allowed to have performances that are for training purposes, hence workshops like The Simulator, so our plan as it stands now is to both expand the programming we can offer and operate more consistently.
With all this in mind here is our planned schedule for November:
Friday @ 8 | |
Saturday @ 6 | |
Saturday @ 8 | |
Sunday @ 5 | Base Camp (Week 1), THE SLOP (Week 3), Onpoint Improv: Indie Team Jam (Week 4) |
This schedule will continue until our situation changes, whenever that may be. However, the Sunday Jam schedule will continue long term and will always be free to participate. Hope to see you at some of these coming up!