MadLab

11/01/2025 - First time visiting MadLab with some friends for an entertaining evening for the multiple plays of “Acts of Pride”. Small space with impactful performances. The seating is for a smaller crowd. Somewhat comfortable with arm rest and the seating is on elevated panels so there should not be obstructions. Decent lighting for the performers. Parking is free at a designated area (please see staff for parking information), paid parking lots, and paid street parking. Enjoy.

MadLab supports local playwrights and Improv, and sometimes rents its space to other local acting groups. The seats are comfortable and few, making this a very intimate performance space.

Great place to see new works.

MadLab is a great place to go ! My Son held his first comedy showcase event there and we all had a great time !! Thanks for the hospitality MadLab see you soon !!!

Never seen a show here but I'm doing a play right now and love the space.

Staff was great, but the place needs some TLC. The performance was OK .. ticket prices were not bad at $20 each.

Up close and personal, great experience awesome show.

Great show. We had a great time and enjoyed the show. Lots of fun.

The venue is a perfect size. The productions are generally quite good. There are no bad seats.

Such a nice new venue! I came to see Happy 9/11 this past weekend and really enjoyed myself. The room is very spacious and has tons of seating. This is the place to see new exciting theatre in Columbus. Be sure to check it out. You can park in the lot directly adjacent to the building. They also have a very helpful map on the door of the theatre if you're unsure where to park.

Madlab is no snob. This venue supports arts of all varieties, whether it's housing a play (which it does most frequently), an art show, live music or an improv comedy troupe. And it perhaps could not have a more appropriate moniker. Madlab also acts as a breeding ground and experimental haven for emerging playwrights, artists and musicians. It's been a while since I've been able to make it out to a show (I live out of state, or that wouldn't be the case), but the last performance I caught was called Split. It was written by a playwright who was extremely new to the scene, and who was also on hand (although he was from Pittsburgh or Philly) to play a set of his original music after the show (highly entertaining - dude was hysterical) and on the way out, we stopped in the lobby, which also acts as the gallery, to check out the "Too Much Photography" exhibit of local photographers' works. Turns out a friend of mine was showing some of his work that night, unbeknownst to me. As you can see, the price of a ticket = an entire night's worth of art experience. Not a bad deal. The performance space is intimate (I mean, freakin' TINY), but the company makes clever use of what they've got. Madlab also offers snacks and soft drinks before the show and at intermission (cash only). The building is a little tricky to find, parking a little less so. It's directly on the corner of Broad and Long - that part's easy. Problem is, you can be looking straight at it and not realize it's there. The building used to be a mechanic's garage, I think, so this is not your mama's theater.

The name of the troupe escapes me now, but I really enjoyed "History Boys" at MadLab. The acting was well above what comes to mind with "community theater." The seating is limited, but there's not a bad seat in the house. I'm not sure if it's MadLab or the troupe, but there's some kind of "pay what you want" system for shows. How cool is that? If, right before showtime, and there are still seats available, you can just show up and pay whatever you want for them. $5, $2, $200, whatever. What a great way to make art accessible to all, yet still keep profits intact. The entrance area is a bit sparse, but there's a little coffee stand to keep you from snoozing through shows. I kinda wish there were a little bar-- offering a limited selection of beer, wine, and maybe a signature show-themed cocktail. Oh well, maybe in the future. MadLab is a little hard to find on the quiet side of downtown, but if you know where to go there's plenty of food/bev options for before or after your show. The El Camino Inn/Little Palace/Dirty Frank's strip isn't far, and neither is Due Amici or Latitiude 41, if you want something snazzier.

Really wished Full Frontal Nudity lived up to their names. I guess I went with high expectation, however only a mere chuckle escaped my mouth. Lots of enthusiasm, but not enough talent.

We went to see "the History Boys" last night at the MadLab. Available Light Theatre utilized MadLabs space for their performances. What a great space! Like another review stated, there is a section of the parking lot directly adjacent (south side) to the ML building, which was very convenient. The seating is like a movie theatre and you can see the show space anywhere you sit. The performance we saw was a "pay what you want," but I'm assuming the cost will vary depending on the show. MadLab is a great locally run space that supports local art, performances, and more! Check it out!

This place is a lot of fun. I'm a bit spoiled growing up on second city, but very happy cbus has improv. Also, you can't beat the ticket price. Note that they do have a parking lot, and will give you a pass at the ticket counter, so don't bother looking for street parking

This is my favorite community theater spot - trendy performances, carefully edited casts, fun crowds, and a very comfortable, tidy theater space. This theater tops CAPA and at least equals Short North Stage for me (although Short North is more musically inclined??) Pro-tip - this place is SUPER non-descript from the outside. You gotta look for the door, hard.

Great time. I went to see a production of Love in the Time of Comedy over the Valentine's Day weekend. I had a great time. Great cast. Affordable fun and an excellent date venue.