Curious Comedy Theater

I love the Curious Comedy Showdowns on Fridays and Saturdays. They are different every time because of audience participation and suggestions! So the show never gets old. The comedians all have their own distinct wits and work so well together. The popcorn is tasty. There are some beverage choices such as cocktails, beer, wine, and soft drinks. The food menu is limited. Service is always friendly and accommodating. There is plenty of free parking in the lot behind the building. Highly recommend for a date night, birthday celebration, or just a night of needing to laugh out loud!

One of the worst comedy acts I've seen in recent memory. While I wasn't expecting "whose line is it anyway" laughs I was expecting the performers to have some comedic talent. Only a couple in the group could call reasonably call themselves entertainers and charge to watch. I paid $43 for 2 hours for something that most random people on the street could have pulled off. We couldn't get out of there fast enough to be honest. Past reviews were good so maybe it was an off night. The club reached out and made it right. Thankful for a second, hopefully better experience.

Bought tickets to see Carter Anderson. Fantastic show. Drove down from Seattle. I wish the venue had specified either on the tickets or site that it was in the Annex - we wouldn't have been waiting in the wrong line and have to disrupt the show to find seats. Packed house with not spaced out chairs, I was squashed between folks all night. Snacks and drinks were closed by the time we got there (to the Annex). So I guess in summary: the show was hilarious, all the comics and emcee were tremendously funny. I will be glad to see them in a different venue.

What a fun experience and such a beautiful little theater. I got to have my first improv game night. Went on a date with an experienced improver and he killed it. I did okay. The facilitators do a great job of leading and explaining and keeping the space safe. Loved it!

Our first experience will NEVER BE FORGOTTEN! Bought tickets online 3 hrs before a Saturday night show, Improv Night 7:30! It was HILARIOUS! When we arrived they checked us in, showed us where everything was, and then let us choose our seats in the front! They are a nonprofit so all the staff are volunteers! Very nice and clear space, cozy! They had a great vegan and vegetarian menu, get the artichoke dip! And drinks were great too, bar being held down by one hardworking gal! We did not know what to expect of the show but WE WERE NOT DISAPPOINTED! It was so funny and because it was improv, everything was made up on the spot! Floored by the experience and will be back!

Honestly, it was a great night! These performers and stage designers are beyond talented. I think that was why seeing generative AI used for the show felt like such a jarring turn off. I am in town visiting family who have seen another iteration of the same show (the showdown) and it wasn't used then. I hope that in this city that prides itself in eco-consciousness and support of artists that it isn't a regular occurrence. Update/response: I hope utilizing the review function for its purpose (leaving constructive criticism) is met with meaningful change rather than the resistance I'm seeing in this disappointing response. Local artists have the right to publicly know whether a local organization professing to support them is using generative AI in their work. I am noticing a trend in your language that suggests it wasn't used - when it quite blatantly was in the second act of the show Saturday night, 5/17/25, to curate posters for movies the artists were making up on the spot. Public art requires receptivity to accountability, especially when collaborative and inclusive. Perhaps instead of trying to privatize my concerns you could simply state whether your team has used it in the past and whether you will discourage its continued use. Again, this is a platform to share constructive criticism we believe the public should know. It is up to you what you do with the commentary.

Curious Comedy is an awesome place for great improv shows! It’s also an inclusive, welcoming, spot for classes for people at all levels and experiences. I really enjoyed the Intro Workshop for Neurodivergent Folks today!!

Went on a Saturday night for the Showdown and it was so great! I was laughing the whole time.

What a diamond in the rough; highly recommend going to a show, it was fantastic! Cheese quesadilla was yummy-yummy-yummy and drinks are spot on. Kind staff, enthusiastic and welcoming, helped set the tone for our Christmas event out as a team. Thanks for the beautiful venue and fun evening!

I had not heard of this space and plan to keep an eye out now after having such a great time. I will say that I would show up earlier as the seating was awkward. It felt a touch cramped just where we were placed so some of the seating seems a bit tighter then others - especially if you are watching a show and having some snacks and drinks. Speaking of snacks - I was not expecting anything at all but love the options! I went with a vegan and she had options which is always delightful. That popcorn smelled amazing but I was so glad I grabbed their charcuterie plate which had a nice pile of meats and cheese, yummy crackers, fruits and veggies. It was great with some soda since I had actually forgot to eat. The show itself was amazing! This was a Third Angle production of Slipping off the Petticoat. What a female empowered piece with some amazing prose from Edna St Vincent Millet, Tatiana de la Tierra and Gertrude Stein (to name just a few). Hannah Penn's voice was incredible and she used her delightful range of vocal training to exhibit opera and jazz with Maria Garcia on the piano. There was a piece by Hannah's daughter who is crazy young and clearly already immensely talented. It sounds like they have much different performances here too.

My company had half of our holiday party at Curious Comedy Theater. I'd never been to an improv show but it was pretty funny. I appreciated how they let us incorporate some of our industry topics in the bits. I ordered a well drink thinking it would be cheaper than their "signature cocktails" but it wasn't. I wouldn't say it's an amazing option for a company party because you can't be too social but would be a fun date night!

Curious Comedy was a fantastic experience. The host was funny, amicable and efficient. The servers were helpful, expeditious and friendly. The array of drinks was way better than what I anticipated, as well as the food options. The place is set up like a comedy-place, with a large stage and TV sets to improve the experience. I attended it on a Friday for the Showdown, and it was a blast. Really well-developed talent, funny throughout it, and just overall a good experience. Next time I'm in Portland, I'll definitely be attending this place again.

FUN! My face hurt from smiling and laughing. Such a creative cast. Very clean venue with excellent air conditioning. Snacks and drinks add to the experience. Go and enjoy.

Fun and entertaining. Competition based laughs. Yes they are competing for the most laughs and a winner is crowned in this hilarious comedy show.

Overall, I was pretty damn impressed. I'm used to Harvey's Comedy Clib and Helium Comedy Club. We came with a group of 4 with fairy low expectations but we were very surprised how well the performance went. Will definitely be back!!! Food was great. Recommend the popcorn, pizza and spinach dip. They have a decent selection of beer and hard alcohol.

If you're looking for Improv - you found a great and vibrant space to laugh. Tons of show options. Really funny and strong cast. Great date night event. Food. Drinks. Street parking. Fr Thank me later.

The venue was comfortable, and the food we ordered was very good! We really liked the giant bowl of popcorn! It was a fun night, and a good venue. Two thumbs up!

I went to see my daughter's first improv show, and it was absolutely exhilarating! Street parking was available, I guess people are still being careful about going out (as am I, masked up). That made it easier to arrive in Portland's usual pouring rain. The place was packed, everyone was wearing a mask, and the atmosphere was wonderful. I did not eat any food nor buy anything to drink, I promise I will next time! They invited everybody over for New Year's Eve--in case you haven't made reservations yet, hurry up they still have places. Great vibe, very cool!

Great date for dates and outings with friends. Amazingly funny shows and fun classes.

Came here for a date night and left wanting to recommend to everyone. The space is very inviting, and they reserve tables if you purchase tickets in advance, which is helpful so you don't have to worry about getting there early to find a table. The staff was so kind and they don't pressure you to purchase food or drinks from the bar. We stopped in for Improv night and OMG... I had actual tears coming down my cheeks. It was HILARIOUS! I've never been to a comedy show or improv at that, so my expectations were honestly low. But this place surpassed all expectations. Tickets are reasonably priced and it's nice to support a non-profit. We will definitely be back!

A supportive, all-inclusive environment, great for beginners. I've taken both improv and stand-up classes; they are super fun, and helped me get over many festering fears. All the teachers are wonderful so far. Do it!

Drinks: The bar is easy to get to and prepares food and drinks pretty quickly. Service: Wonderful service; pleasant people and very efficient in seating people. Ambiance: It is NOT a hole in the wall theater. It has a large stage, great lightning, videos that play to showcase points and funny images and pictures especially during improv shows. In addition, sound system was wonderful and the piano player was top notch during improve and so was the cast. Highly recommend checking this place out!

This is the funnest place to be in PDX.. if you like quirky hileriousness, do get your ticket. The performers are so creative and funny. You will love the one of a kind skits they come up with right before your eyes. Their cocktail menu is fun too... Snacks definitly decent. The best $18 you will ever spend.

"I peed a little". "did he just say that?". these are things you hear in CCT. what a cool place. They remodeled in the last year and the stage is much nicer! they are getting better and better. the food is great for such a small kitchen. The acts are improving and seem to really like each other on stage. it is almost like we are just watching this all unfold in someone's home. So very impressed with the comedy and care that goes into the productions. When you go to the early show they late you stay for the late show for free..... SWEET!

It was funny and impromptu at its finest. It was missing creative comebacks to the dialogue and random topics that they offered for the evening. Smart remarks were sought out more from on the plays that they performed on. Nice seating arrangement and convenient to grab drinks around the corner brewery. Got a few hearty laughs and smiles in for the night!

A great place to laugh out loud. Talented local performers, especially improv, with a decent kitchen and parking in back. It's a solid location with a wonderful mission.

We went to the Tuesday Night Showdown, and we had a blast! The show was relaxed, interactive with the audience, and really funny!! After having such a bad day, the show was exactly what we needed. *We got our tickets for only $5 online *Food and drinks were delicious *Very clean and modern looking venue *Staff was very polite and helpful

We had such an amazing time! We had a big group and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Great selection of food and drink, which was very reasonably priced, and the servers were quite kind. The show was hilarious and their piano player amazed us all! We didn't get to stay for the 9:30 show, since we needed to travel home, but next time we are in town we will surely return!

Such incredible improv comedy, some of the best I've seen. Their "Comedy Showdown" is a ton of fun. These improv actors are awesome. Such a treasure in PDX. Their bar is also great. Some yummy options available. Love the vibe and lovely people who run everything. It's my favorite thing to do on the weekend.

What great value! My partner and I were in Portland on vacation from Tuesday-Sunday and this seemed to be the most exciting event to go to on a Thursday evening. Prices are great, crowd may be small but it's intimate. We enjoy watching standup can def see ourselves going there again the next time we're there. Thursdays they have a mini competition where the only winner gets to perform for the Friday of the week after to compete again, quite fun! The laughs were consistent, no douchey audience members Nor performers. All of the acts were creative and feel very new yet comfortable. Drinks are tasty! Reasonable prices, try the Thai I've tea one! Recommendation(preference): get more audience participation with the performers because I think that's what really gets people's attention especially with the small crowd.

So good! My first improv show in Portland and it was the perfect mix of silly and unpredictable. Will definitely bring a group back soon!

I don't usually attend any kind of live theater or improv, but I had guests that were into the art so we attended an improv show. It took me a couple minutes, but once I warmed up I could not stop laughing. These people are hilarious and quick! It's amazing they were able to put on the show that they did all on the spot. Musical numbers, zany stories, hilarious one liners, it was impressive. We were all very entertained and will be returning.

Another great night of entertainment Trapeze was awesome and really makes flying fruitcake a wiz bang of an evening

Ow! my face hurts! Went Curious Comedy for the second time for a second helping of Revolutionary Comedy - a hour long show with 4-5 comedians raising funds for local causes like Race Talks and Portland Resistance. The series is once a month. If you are having issues with the current political climate it's a little theraputic to hear events filtered through some dark , blisteringly funny comics. Good beer selection, full bar, good food. I had the spinach artichoke dip which came out steaming hot with pita and carrots. It tasted freshly made. I also split a huge tofu peanut bowl and that was more than enough food. Can't wait for next month!

Visiting the area from Florida and decided to do an impromptu visit to the Friday night Showdown improv and was very pleased. If I lived locally, this would be a routine place to visit for drinks and comedy.

Friday Night Fights was a super fun and affordable event! Both teams were very entertaining and the bonus stand up comedian was great. I will definitely be back!

We went last night for the 2nd time and loved it! The 1st time was before the pandemic and we went with our adult sons, we all had a great time. Last night we went with another couple and it was even funnier I think! We pretty much laughed the entire time. I recommend this to anybody who loves to laugh!

We had a seriously hilarious, bellyache laughing time at Curious Comedy Theater's Main Stage Show on Saturday. We're originally from Chicago, the Land of Lincoln and the Land of Thousand Comedy Clubs, and we're also some tough critics. This is one of the best comedy shows we have ever seen. I recommend the Main Stage Show to anyone with a sense of humor. The Main Stage Show plays every Friday and Saturday at 8:00PM and features sketches, improv and stand up comedy. The crew is funny, smart and very like-able. The Main Stage Show is affordably priced at $12.00 a ticket or less depending on specials and does not require the dreaded two (2) dollar drink minimum like other comedy places. The thirsty should not fret; the theatre bar has Hopworks Urban Brewery and Deshutes on tap and carries a wide range of other liquors and hot and cold beverages as well as snacks for those with the munchies. Other interesting shows include Open Court every Thursday and Shadow Puppet Theater on Saturdays. Open Court is like a workshop open to improvisers of all levels to hone their skills or audience members who want to practice laughing. Shadow Puppet Theater is kids-focused and encourages play, creativity and imagination. The theatre is conveniently located on a public transit line and supplies amble parking to the vehicular types in the back of the building and on the street. Curious Comedy is located in the Vanport Square, between Alberta and Killingsworth. They don't have a sign up yet, but it's next to Old Town Pizza's new location. We love that Curious Comedy Theater is a nonprofit organization and the first nonprofit theater in Portland. They first opened their doors in October 2008 and clearly on track with their mission: To bring all of Portland's diverse communities together and share laughter. With all the rain we put up with majority of the year, we deserve a good laugh. Laugher is the best medicine for a frown, even better than a smile. Go and enjoy at least one of Curious Comedy Theater's Main Stage Shows. When they opened in October, they did 30 plays in 60 minutes. They change their skits often, so we'll be back for some more.

This place is great! We spent the weekend in Portland and were looking for something fun and inexpensive to do on a Saturday night. I found Curious Comedy using google, and it seemed the best out of our options. I was a little concerned that it was pretty much empty when we showed up but we were a tad early. So we grabbed a drink at the **bar and took a seat. The show started on time and I have to say it was the best $12 I have ever spent on a show. We had so much fun the hosts and improve team were fantastic. The audience was even invited to stick around for a later show, and we would have if we didn't already have plans. I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a good laugh. **I'd stick with the beer or wine and steer clear of the mixed drinks. The bartenders were very nice but the quality of the mixed drinks was just not up to par.

I came with my partner for a performance of Pipes, the fully improvised musical. It was incredible!!!!! Improv can be so hit or miss. I've seen some pretty grimace-worthy improv in my time. But Pipes was spot on. They nailed it! Laugh out loud, overboard funny. I will definitely come back again. The place was very neat, bathroom was clean, staff were friendly and outgoing. Honestly, when we left I found myself asking, "Why don't we come here all the time??" The stress release of two hours of laughter was probably worth $500!! It felt so good to just relax and let them take us on a crazy, hilarious ride.

We went to Curious Comedy Stand Up Showcase - the website says both 9:45 and 10:00pm start times - we were out of there by 10:45 - which seems really short (although to be fair, the tickets were only $5). It was improv - and our crowd was really appreciative that it was kept PG (maybe PG13 ) - I don't like the really explicit comedy that I've seen at some places and was concerned going this time of night it would be pretty blue... Nice house, I think the other shows are probably a better representation of what they do. Probably not worth a stop on it's own.

My honey and I went last night for the first time and will definitely go back again. It was a "Showdown" night and the improv was terrific. That's a skilled and gifted cast! We laughed hard, had a couple of drinks, and shared some popcorn. Go early for good seats, but it's a great spot and very convenient for us NoPo people. Buy tickets on line, give your name at the door, get a good spot and walk to the bar to place your order (no pressure to buy food and drinks). They deliver the food to your table when it's ready and pour on the spot. PLUS: it's a non-profit and very supportive of local issues. We were amazed at the level of improv and live music through the whole show and will return!

Fun venue! We loved the audience participation. (You don't have to participate for the shyer folks!) The food was simple, good and reasonably priced. We laughed a lot! It was a nice spur of the moment find!

My wife and I came here with a Groupon to see their show Pipes. We felt the improv that was done in the first half of the show prior to the musical was much better than the musical itself. Comedy is rather hit or miss and I think the musical itself was a big miss for us. Overall I think the rest of the audience enjoyed it though (although we noticed a few other tables not really enjoying it so much too).

I went here recently with pretty low expectations. I was floored at the quality of the improv actors. I loved how the tickets were very affordable and you were not forced to buy food or drinks. It was so enjoyable and they took lots of input from the audience. I loved the host for the improv show. This is definitely a great place to go with a date.

We had such a good time at the New Year's Eve show. We had an under 21 who is currently working the surely teen attitude. It wasn't easy to find something for New Year's Eve during our visit to Portland that wasn't lame or 21 and over. The show kept our whole party laughing til midnight.

Such a great comedy place! The improv artists are all so talented and every skit was so good. Had me laughing non stop!!

Great fun; creative cast - lots of audience involvement. A unique, affordable night out.

Went for their Sunday School show. All the performers were great and it was fun. Worth checking out.

Great place to catch a show! Boyfriend and I went to the Not My President's Day performance that benefited Planned Parenthood. Besides a clean and roomy place, they had good food deals for good prices. A giant pretzel for four dollars? Great evening time snack. Overall a good place. Parking is not so good but I don't think they're catering to the driving crowd, even though they're located on a state highway.

Another fantastic show tonight! Dynamite was absolutely hilarious! I have never been hear and not laughed until I have cried. Also drinks are reasonable and the service is good!

Visited Oregon and felt a little displaced until I came here and realized funny people with personalities exists in Portland! I love the design and theatrics of the place. It makes a show 10x better. We attended the Improv and it was dope.

AMAZING!! So much fun and a great atmosphere. This is a great place for a fun date night. I go there every week and love to support this non profit theater. It's an inexpensive night of fun and laughs. What else could you ask for? Alcohol and pizza? Yeah they have that too!!

We love coming here for date nights! Tasty food, great drinks, and laughing our asses off every time we come!!

The show and experience are tons of fun! My group had a blast. Didn't order any food but what I saw looked good. Drinks were ok but the female bartender, not so friendly. I'd expect someone more personable at a comedy club. Everyone else was great!

amazing theater with fabulous performers and a terrific bar with great food options. I came for open court which is an opportunity to take in an improv performance or, if you're feeling especially inspired, join in on the fun. All of the coaches and performers seemed like they had an excellent presence and it made for a very entertaining night of play!

Visiting from Oklahoma. Wanted something fun to do with some friends. Had a wonderful time. Very affordable to get in. Cost us $5 a person to get in. The comedians were very funny. Loved the interaction with the audience. Will definitely be going again.