The Elysian Theater

Amazing place for the performing arts. A non-profit that restores your hope for humanity. Ultra friendly, inclusive, and helpful staff. Cute concession stand with delicious local beer by FrogTown Brewing; had the Blonde and IPA, they were top notch. All-gender restrooms are a huge plus. The decor everywhere is so cool and visually stimulating. The theatre is quaint and intimate. I saw Mae Martin here and it was a treat to be so close to the performer. If a performer that you like is playing here, SEE THEM!

Cool place but the online ticket buying experience is off-putting. They charge fees for purchases made via their own site and those fees are routinely over 20% of the ticket list price. What’s even more mind-boggling is that they charge fees on DONATIONS for the free shows. The fee thing just leaves a bad taste which is unfortunate because I like to support a small independent venue that puts on interesting shows but not if I feel like I needlessly nickel-and-dimed.

Terrific place to see live theater on the eastern edge of Hollywood. Intimate, small theater, ample and free street parking. See their website for show info and classes. They also have open mic nights and plenty of improv. We saw "Fresh Fish", it was a lot of fun.

Great little (and I mean tiny) space for live entertainment. Not a bad seat in the house. Staff is incredibly friendly and checked us in quickly. One downside: only street parking is available, and no dedicated parking lot. Nearby lots are for other businesses and are chained off.

Great posive vibes crowd and excellent entertainment! Talented people, small venue, super friendly environment. Loved every minute!

We went to see God is a Woman by Luisa Omeilan here tonight. Only two Tuesdays left to experience this incredible talent in such an intimate space. If you want a fun-filled evening, check it out!

Charming little theater. I saw a comedy set here and it was a great space. Rory Scovel was hilarious! Would definitely revisit for another show. Edit: I revisited and was blown away. You never know who you might see at Rory Scovel's "The whatever show!"

My favorite theater in LA. They have amazing new, experimental, hilarious, community built shows with 3 unique show spaces. The staff is great & they have an assortment of concessions during shows. The Elysian is such an asset to the community and I am lucky to have had so many live-changing experiences there. I’ve made so many friends outside and inside the theater doors & I hope to have this theater around for a long time !!

It's small yet noticeable place on Riverside Drive. The theater itself is pretty intimate. We could hear mid to back row audience member reply to the actors on stage while sitting in the front row. The Fuck June comedy night was amazing and full of laughter. It was a great way to end the month. There is street parking but it's a first come, first serve situation. The area seemed pretty safe and rather quiet. The bar had a small selection of non-alcoholic drinks, water, beer, and wine. 2 restrooms. Colorful and fun decor all around. There are some neighborhood eateries and bars nearby (within 5 min drive) so you can easily do an after show hangout! I'd be happy to go back when the opportunity arises!

This is a wonderful intimate venue. While the seats are narrow & things aren't stacked enough so that if you're behind a taller person you'll have a slightly obstructed view, in the end there really isn't a bad seat in the house just due to how small it is. Staff is very helpful and friendly. Everyone working the door, the concessions, and the auditorium itself all greet you with a smile and help you out however needed. I will say, if I had to give one downside, it's one that plagues most of Los Angeles: parking. If you're lucky enough to find metered parking around the venue, good for you. If not, there's a lot around the corner. When I showed up for my venue, I was told it was currently cash only. I'm so glad I had that on me but I could easily see that being a problem for others. I believe it was around $20-$25 but with how things go this way, I'm sure that price is only going to go up. Definitely bring some cash with you just in case. But, once you park & are inside the venue, be ready for a great time.

Cool space (for what it is)! Of course the bathrooms could be a little newer and better maintained, and the seats are a bit worn down, BUT that is all part of the charm of a down and dirty performing arts space that is affordable and not all gentrified yet. Enjoy it while it lasts! Parking is FREE along the street in both directions. That's unheard of in LA. We've seen a bunch of top level comedians here for affordable prices. People like Chris Estrada, Frankie Quiñones, Moshe Kasher, and Marcella Arguello.

An intimate theater that has shows 7 days of the week. I'm a huge fan of the sketch show team Rabble Rabble. They are HILARIOUS and RIDICULOUS. They perform bi monthly so definitely check them out. I like sitting right in the front to see all the action but you put yourself at higher risk to get called on. Street parking only but it's easy to find if you come early.

I watched a show called RED BASTARD, and it was absolutely hilarious! The interactive nature of the performance made the audience an integral part of the show.

I'm not sure how you review a theater. Did it have seats? Yes. Was there a show? Yes. Was it the beat thing I've ever seen? No, but it wasn't the theater's fault. It was a full house, people enjoyed beer and wine from the bar and lots of people cut in line in front of me while I waited. Hey, it's LA. Parking is all about street parking and there is the weirdest surf shop next door. Go figure.

Nice hub of comedy. A cozy and inviting venue. If I lived closer to the theater I would come every week to a random show.

I have loved coming here, I've seen lots of shows. Better when they served wine and beer. It was never out of hand, from what I have seen, not many people drank... but the option to have one was nice. Yes, I can have one before or smoke some weed, but it's not the same as sipping and laughing. And TBH lots of the comics could use a few less sober people in there to genuinely laugh. The "theater" people sure do find bland jokes funny, but its pedestrian humor. Not Rory, you don't need a beer for his show, but it also is a nice addition. Maybe they never had a license, maybe someone got out of hand, but hey, its something comedy sort of needs. Again not a rager, just a classy addition.

Charming little venue. Came here for a comedy show. Nothing really special about the venue but I wouldn't mind coming out here again for a specific performer or event.

There's a new comedy venue in Frogtown. Cool, intimate vibe with 97 seats. No hassle street parking. Great comedy shows. On their site they support "weirdo comedy." Went to the Live Birth grand opening party and it was a lot of fun. Lizzy Cooperman was so funny and Ron Lynch's Tomorrow Show was awesome as well. Ron's show has a lot of variety and features offbeat, talented performers. Highly recommend it.

My partner and I were super stoked to catch a show at The Elysian Theater while visiting Los Angeles. We didn't have tickets and the show was sold out, but we were lucky enough to snag stand by tickets. The venue itself feels pretty intimate, you may get a bit cozy with the people next to you (especially if you have broad shoulders), but hey, we're all friends. There are definitely no bad seats in the house. If you want a snack or beverage they have a concession stand inside. FYI - they do check your COVID vaccination card before entering, so be sure you have that handy. Great space, nice staff, hilarious shows - we had a great time and look forward to catching another show here when we're back in town.

Fun venue, interesting acts The only thing I don't like is how the ticket checker has to mark your hand with a pen at the entrance & then another person at the next door just several feet away asks to see it Idk why they think this system is necessary but I don't like having to scrub marker off later since I'm sensitive to soap & it looks trashy My feeling is that if anyone manages to sneak past the very orderly & competent ticket-takers, maybe they really need to see some free theater

This is a great little theater. I watched a show called Mom Stomp on Mother's Day and it was so funny and entertaining. This theater is right off the freeway and I felt safe walking in. The venue isn't huge, so there isn't a bad seat in the building. I'd like to check out Funny Games soon.

Small intimate theater. Every seat is a good seat. Concessions for sale but no beer or wine.

Wonderful energy, fantastic show, loved the space. Three stars because We caught Covid. Masks not mandatory in theatre, unlike most places. They do check vax xx cards, but that's not enough.

TL;DR they sold us tickets for seats they didn't have and refuse to refund us. I hate writing this review... I've been so excited about the Elysian and saw some really wonderful performances here. I thought it was a blessing that they opened up down the street from my house. I also feel that I have to write this review in hopes that they will make some improvements. A week or two ago I went to a show with my girlfriend and waited 30 minutes in standby for a couple tickets. At the last minute, they sold us tickets, and then AFTER taking our money, they informed us they had no more seats and would let us watch the show from a "booth". They then walked 4 of us -- the other couple had purchased tickets ahead of time and were also denied seats -- up to a tiny upstairs black room surrounded with noisy equipment that made it impossible to hear and where there was barely enough room for even two of us to reasonably see the show. Me and my girlfriend decided we would just come back another time and on the way out asked for a refund. We were already annoyed, but patient since this is a new theatre and I understand they're trying to make things work. The show had been on for maybe 5 minutes. This is where it got really whacky. The staff continued to offer us weird seating arrangements and when I suggested we'd rather just come back another time they refused to refund us. They took no responsibility for having sold us tickets for seats they didn't have and tried to tell me there's no way to process refunds at all. After a bit of back and forth they gave me an email address and told me that it would be taken care of. I've worked in small venues and indie theaters my whole life and knew this would be a pain, so I tried to get the refund processed on site. They continued refusing so I sent the email explaining the situation in their presence and then left. I got no response for a week, sent a follow up, and then finally got the following response: """ Thanks for getting in touch! As per our refund policy, we are unable to process refunds or ticket exchanges for shows. As far as seating goes, you can always let an employee know next time that you're having trouble hearing the show and they will happily find you another spot. - The Elysian Team """ I really want to be supportive and struggle to make things work as a performance artist myself, but this is just pathetic. For what it's worth, I'd be happy to update this review if they take any responsibility or make an effort to fix the situation.

Love having this little theater in the neighborhood showcasing some of the best alternative comedy LA has to offer.

I had an amazing time here tonight at the Sara Schaefer show. Great theater, great staff. Can't wait to come back.

My first time there. It's a small theater. What you would call a "mom and pop store" equivalent. It's an older building. I can't rate the talent of the performers. I just want to warn you that you should ask where the emergency exit is in case of fire because it's not lighted (is that legal?) which poses safety threat. Unless I asked I would have never ever found it in the complete darkness and the exit is narrow. I doubt the light would be turned on immediately to show the exits in case of fire/emergency.