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Chicago Tribune
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
5 new comedy clubs to know in the Chicago area
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 — and more open all the time. So get your maps out, order your two-drink minimum and chart a course with us across some of the area's newest comedy venues. 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. 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. They chose a former call center in downtown Oak Park as their theater's home. The basement space, vacant for a decade, had an 'intimate, speakeasy vibe' that Timms says is perfect for a comedy club. With downtown Oak Park being 'a destination for so many in the area looking for a nice night out,' Timms says, the location made sense. But the location was about more than marketing. 'We wanted to be a part of the community we were located in,' Timms says. Their regular open mics, as well as their commitment to booking both local and touring comics, speak to this Playground is both the oldest theater on this list and the one most recently opened. It's been around in some form since 1997, when groups of improvisers played bars like Cue Club, Cafe Ashie and Jako's. 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 until the pandemic forced them to vacate the premises in 2021. Now, however, The Playground has returned, taking over the upstairs space at My Buddy's on Clark Street. 'This new era will welcome the next generation of Chicago improvisers and independent artists, alongside longtime Playgrounders, mentors, and alumni,' says managing director Kaydee Dolan. The Playground has long worked to uplift the improv community, always adhering to their motto 'Laughter, For All, Forever' by making the theater available to anyone who pitches or produces. This spirit continues to thrive in the theater's latest iteration. 'When we have the freedom to choose, to create, to be part of something bigger than ourselves,' Dolan says, 'we can realize our true collective power. Whether artist or patron, we are all showing up in this new space to be part of something.' The easiest way to show up is by joining their weekly mixer, every Monday at 8 p.m. Half workshop, half improv jam, it's a perfect place for anyone looking to play, laugh and join an ever-growing artistic John Stoops opened The Revival in 2015, he wanted to return Chicago improv to its roots. 'Our first theater was built on the very same corner that the Compass Players occupied,' he says — the Compass Players being the Hyde Park comedy troupe that eventually morphed into what we now know as The Second City. In the summer of 2024, The Revival moved to a new location in the South Loop, but Stoops' commitment to offering, as he says, 'the best improvisers — period,' has not wavered. Stoops, a veteran of iO, The Second City and Amsterdam's Boom Chicago, is The Revival's 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's Camp Whatsitsname whisks guests to an improvised summer camp musical jamboree. Holding true to its motto — 'Unapologetically Unscripted' — The Revival is committed to uplifting an American art form, right in the heart of the city that invented it. Emily Ramirez has been a performer her entire adult life. An actress, improviser, director and dancer (notably as part of the national tour of 'The Phantom of the Opera'), Ramirez has now added club owner to her many achievements by opening BABS Comedy Club in Forest Park. Ramirez first contemplated opening her own club in 2019 after becoming disillusioned by what she called the 'growing corporate energy of the larger comedy institutions in Chicago,' despite their 'soulful alt-comedy origins.' However, it wasn't until 2021 that she took the first concrete steps. She created BABS Comedy, liquidating a 401k earned while on tour with 'Phantom,' 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's help. The club opened on Oct. 25, 2024, and has consistently put on shows since. 'People have told me that it feels like they're at a house party,' she says of the vibes her shows bring — and it's 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 Home Comedy Theater has direct connections to a decades-old legend of the Chicago comedy scene. When iO announced its closure in 2020, 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. 'It felt like my artistic home was really gone,' Jaime says. However, Jaime recognized that the team's 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. The Home draws from the iO tradition of long-form improv, aiming to, according to Jaime, 'get back to the basics … the way it was taught to us.' This means focusing on support and ensemble work, centering around the classic form known as The Harold. Classes at The Home are open to students of all levels, with performances and shows coming in the near future.
The Citizen
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
Braam Fashion Week returns with bold designs and Joburg's young talent
Now in its fifth edition, the biannual Braam Fashion Week returns this May. It could be argued that Braamfontein in Johannesburg is a world of its own — a vibrant hub for students from the city's top institutions. It makes sense that a fashion show in Braamfontein is catered for young aspirant designers. 'Braam Fashion Week exists to give young designers, models, and makeup artists a platform to showcase their skills and creativity,' co-founder Phetogo Pule told The Citizen. Pule co-founded the event alongside Thato Mokgawa. Now in its fifth edition, the biannual Braam Fashion Week will take place at the end of May at The Playground in Braamfontein. 'We believe in creating opportunities where there often aren't enough and providing a space where fresh voices can be heard,' said Pule. ALSO READ: Soweto Fashion Week cultivates next wave of trailblazers with autumn/winter 2025 showcase Shining the spotlight on the youth Students studying fashion at institutions such as Villioti will showcase their work at Braam Fashion Week's Winter/Fall edition. 'As well as makeup artists from Face-to-Face West Rand / Roodepoort Beauty School who bring not only their passion but also the technical skills needed to succeed in the industry,' shared Pule. According to the founders, this year's theme, I am fashion, embodies the spirit of individuality and artistry that defines the event. 'The Braam Fashion Week show is open to all Joburgers and celebrates the city's unique fashion culture. The event showcases authentic street style, offering everyone a chance to enjoy and appreciate the creativity and talent that make Johannesburg's fashion scene so special,' shared Mokgawa. The first edition of Braam Fashion Week was in 2023. The organisers say more than 600 people attended, while last year's edition drew just over 400 fashionistas. 'These numbers show that this event truly resonates with the people; it's a platform they connect with, a celebration they see themselves in. This year, we are hoping to keep the same energy,' Mokgawa said. 'Attendees can look forward to an extraordinary showcase of fresh talent, daring designs, and the unique energy that comes from blending fashion with South Africa's thriving music and arts scene. It's a movement, a space where creativity flourishes, and a show that will leave everyone inspired.' There's an entertainment element to the fashion show, with performances by upcoming music artists expected. NOW READ: Get to know Zoalize Jansen van Rensburg, representing Mzansi at Miss World competitions
