Arcade Comedy Theater

If you can’t make me laugh you must have the personality of a rock because I literally laugh at everything…
I really wanted to like this place since this place is suppose to be the best improve comedy in Pittsburgh…
they do Improvisation is making up things as you go… they need to get into character and think of what that character would think and say… It’s making up as you go… which is called «Improv»…i came here on a Friday night for fire side chat… two comedians at the end of the show trying to put their names on the Guinness world records. which was pretty exciting… they try to get the audiences to interact with their show… the area is small… beware people will sudden laugh like idiots even though the show not even that funny. area is extremely cramped… barely any space to move around…
FYI: BYOB!!!

This place is awesome. Terrific. Fun!!!
There are shows for kids, shows for adults, shows for adults-​only, shows for families.
The Arcade hosts many types of comedy acts, but my favorites are the improv shows. Short-​form improv & long-​form improv (Yes, both exist, and both exist at this theater.) with many incarnations of each.
The theater is a non-​profit, but I really have little-​to-​no idea why/​how.
There box office has a small selection of snacks, candy, pop, and bottled water for sale at prices slightly higher than a grocery store, but way less than most theaters! You can also buy souvenirs like t-​shirts and stickers. For the Penny Arcade (kid/​family) shows, a special selection of fun snacks is available to purchase.
The ticket prices are very reasonable, and usually quite a bargain for the amount of laughing you’ll do! There are also classes for things like improv comedy, stand-​up comedy, sketch comedy – if you are currently in a class, you can get into many shows for free!
Parking is usually easy to find in the city garage across the street. (Even now when it’s, frustratingly, under construction.) There’s also street parking right in front of the Arcade and in almost every direction – a very viable option, depending on the time of night and the weather!
Though it’s not actually an arcade, the lobby of this small venue does offer a few free-​play video games, and a pinball machine for .50/​game. It’s also terrifically themed throughout! (Check out the furniture, comedy & video game posters everywhere, and cool detail touches like the light switch covers in the restrooms, and the ticket holders at the box office.)
Don’t let the small building/​setting intimidate you, either. Your seat is guaranteed to be close to the performance, and the owners and staff are great people. You will be laughing in no time!

The heart and soul of grassroots theater in Pittsburgh, the Arcade Comedy Theater is something every city should have. Comedy is one of the hardest arts to perform and in this electronic world it is my favorite art to see performed live.
Behind the plain brick wall that practically screams «cliché comedy club» you will typically watch 5 – 6 comedians perform for as little as $ 5 with a Student ID. The nature of the business is of course that a lot of artists just aren’t that good and believe it or not this $ 5 theater is no exception. But for $ 2 more you can make them all funny as that is the cover charge for BYOB! Forget the 2 drink minimum that leaves you with a couple of overpriced Beers and a slight buzz. Bring the last 3 PBRs that’s been behind the mayo jar in your fridge for about a month and have yourself a real cheap night out.
Most of the comedians are very funny and they really know how to keep the audience engaged. There’s just something about this place that is charming in it’s simplicity. Nothing but a curtain dividing the theater from the lobby, and of course only seating 75 in the audience makes for a very personal experience. It’s clearly a quirky little theater and Is most definitely one I would urge all of you to attend.

What a fun place! I have been here for both improv and a live read and loved both experiences.
First, the tickets are extremely affordable. $ 10 for most shows. If there is a second show that evening and you stay, it is only an additional $ 5. The doors to the theater are supposed to open around a half hour before show time. When I was there, the doors opened late so the lobby became quite crowded. It was also a bit confusing because there was no indication that you had to take your paper ticket and turn it in at the box office to get a smaller ticket that they tear when you go in. Thankfully, they just took our tickets when we walked up because it would have stunk to have to be at the end of the line because we were not aware of the policy.
The Arcade has a BYOB policy. You can pay $ 2 and get a wrist band and then enjoy the beer or wine you brought in. They also sell several snacks at decently affordable prices.
The theater itself is small and intimate which is nice because you get a great view regardless of where you are. A down side is that the bathroom is at the far end of the theater, so if you have to go during a show you will likely have to climb in front of the first row of patrons and in front of whatever is going on on stage.
Overall an enjoyable and affordable evening. I’m sure I’ll be back.

Went there last Friday night for the Live Read of the Wonder Years. The show was excellent and all the performers were wonderful. But since this is a review of the Theater, I will focus on that. It is a small theater, so it has a intimate feel, and you have a good view of the stage no matter where you are sitting. The acoustics are excellent. The people who work there are very friendly. In the lobby, they have some old school, stand-​up arcade (hence the name) video games. Nobody was playing them, but at least one of them (Karate Champ — one of my favorites) was out of order. So, I don’t know if people normally play them or not. The price for a ticket to this show was $ 10, which is very reasonable for top quality live entertainment in the Cultural District of a major city on a Friday night. There was another show afterwards, and anyone who attended the live read was able to stay for the other show for just a few dollars more. Finally, the theater offers BYOB for just $ 2 for a six-​pack of beer or bottle of wine. This is an excellent service, as it eliminates the need to buy pricey drinks once inside. A number of bars in the area sell beer-​to-​go, which makes this a very convenient option. Plus, when I bought my ticket for the show online, it came with a coupon to waive the $ 2 BYOB fee. This is a great place to watch top notch comedy and I will definitely go again.

So glad to see the improv/​comedy scene blossoming in Pittsburgh, and this may be my favorite new venue for it! First of all, BYOB! no more paying for overpriced drinks just to get your comedy fix. Their corkage fee is a very reasonable $ 2 per six pack or bottle of wine, and apparently there no corkage for beer purchased from the Sharp Edge downtown (according to their website, though I haven’t tried this yet).
The show I saw – an 8pm improv competition – was hilarious. They clearly have picked their performers and improv games with care, and they pace the show expertly for maximum enjoyment. Plus, my boyfriend and I scored $ 5 student tickets for being graduate students. What a steal!
Love the space, love the location, love the concept. I’m grateful such a cool venue for improv has finally opened up downtown!

Made my first visit with my good friend Jason to the arcade theater. Walked in and there is just a fantastic vibe immediately. The crowd was diverse, the acting was great and everyone had a good time. Highly recommend.

Without a doubt one of the best things to happen to the comedy scene in Pittsburgh! Such a wide variety of different types of comedy. Whether its improv, stand up, sketch, movie live reads, magic or music that you are looking for you can find it at The Arcade. They just celebrated their 1 year anniversary and the excitement continues to build. Not to mention you won’t have to deal with the 2 drink minimum bs that other comedy spots hold you to. The Arcade is BYOB with a minimal corkage fee. They also offer improv and stand up classes for anyone wanting to try it out. This is a must see venue and once you try it you will be back for more!

What a fun way to spend the evening with friends. We were greeted as we arrived and we were offered to make our own alien costume gear to wear during the show. That got things off on the right foot, and the audience participation continued throughout the entire show. Much of the show is improvised, and there were some good laughs. There was improvised singing and an audience vote near the end. The ticket price is reasonable, and I like the BYOB (although you should be aware of a corkage fee). The 10 pm show seems a little late for most Pittsburghers.

Arcade Comedy Theater is a cool addition to the downtown scene that has really grown on me since it opened. Like others have mentioned, the place is BYOB — which is awesome, although so far I’ve never remembered to bring a drink here, I’m so spacey. Still, it’s nice to have the option. I think most of the shows here if not all are $ 10; personally I think the admission price is a little steep — Steel City Improv’s shows always make me laugh and they’re just $ 5 — but I guess given the place’s location and the decent set-​up and backdrop inside, a higher ticket price is expected. And in my experience the tickets are totally worth it.
As others have also mentioned there’s usually an amazing line-​up of shows, which is awesome and hard to pull off. I’d be lying if I said there’s never a dud here and there, but 99% of the shows I’ve attended have been absolutely excellent, and if that’s not a high success rate I don’t know what is. I think my favorite show here was their «A Christmas Story» read-​through, featuring many of my favorite local improvers AND Pittsburgh Dad. It was hilarious, different from the norm, and quite the treat during the holiday season!
Despite the rocky start we had when the first show I attended wasn’t as off the hook as I expected Arcade has definitely found its stride and settled into the area nicely, and while I still can’t really afford to come here too often and I’ve learned to wear layers since it’s often kept quite chilly in here, I’m definitely a big fan and always look forward to the next show I can attend. Keep it up, guys!

I was very excited to check out this place. I read the reviews and everything seemed to check out. I went on a double date with my buddy and his wife and the place was alright nothing special nothing I would ever rush back to. If you are looking for a cheap chuckle not a laugh but a chuckle and no comedies are in the theatres I would maybe recommend this place.
+
* Great audience involvement
* BYOB
* Inexpensive-​$ 10 per ticket
* 5 different comedians-​2 funny 1 not so funy-​2 horrible
* Very close to parking garage
-
* Comedians were wasted drunk, it was embarrassing to watch him make a fool of himself.
* The venue was not even full to capacity. Part of the fun of a comedy show is sitting in the large audience and embracing the laughter.
* 1 not so funny comedian-​2 horrible comedian

Oh great, another 5 star review for Arcade Comedy Theater!
Idk what more I can add, but this place is the bomb. Laughs and BYOB — it can’t get any better. You’ll leave with your sides hurting from laughing so hard and a nice buzz (modest corkage fee applies).
Was there for a Unilocal Elite Event and also for the live reading of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with Pittsburgh Dad, Sally Wiggin, and Aaron Kleiber. Totally. Epic. AND I hear that The Birdcage live reading is next… lord, help us. That is going to be amazing!
You better buy your tickets ahead of time for special events like these — TMNT had two sold-​out shows!

I’d recently had the pleasure of playing the Arcade Comedy Theater with my 7 person comedy variety show and I can’t speak highly enough of them. The performance space is very simple but versatile. They have great equipment, especially their projector, which allows them to incorporate multimedia performances. They are very accommodating to their performers. The owners and workers come from an array of comedic backgrounds and are open to all sorts of acts from stand-​up to improv all the way to found-​footage mashups. I highly recommend this place for any comedians, video artists, sketch groups, improv troupes, and performance artists.

This place is the awesome. Pittsburgh finally has a theater dedicated to comedy of all kinds, and it is in the heart of the Cultural District with all the big theaters.
Started by 5 friends who are all improvisers and lovers of comedy, the Arcade is the perfect space to catch an uproariously comedic show. The place only seats about 75 at capacity and is essentially a blackbox theater… though the brick wall and bold paint give it a little more character than others. The stage is small, but is perfect for short form improv, standup, musical comedy… anything funny really. Shows happen at 8 and 10 on Fridays and Saturdays, and there are occasional shows other nights, but mostly friday and saturday right now.
The thing that really makes this place a delight is how incredibly friendly and easy going the founders are. Also it’s BYOB, with a nominal corking fee. Go to Sammy’s or Sharp Edge and grab a sixpack, or the cabaret and get a bottle of wine and come drink and laugh and enjoy your evening.

It’s really awesome that Pittsburgh is spreading it’s cultural wings, so to speak. Comedy is an oft ignored skill, relegated to open mic nights in some terrible place with a pun for a name (it’s a factory, but for LAUGHS!). And that’s cool sometimes. In fact, one of the people performing at the Arcade Comedy Theater’s Actors Read Unilocal Reviews was a dude I saw perform in the banquet room of a restaurant in the West End during Zombiefest, and it was amazing.
The Arcade Theater troupe, which I wrote in French if you’re reading this aloud, is also amazing. In fact, the worst part of the performance for everyone is that when I am truly tickled, I have an uncontrollable laugh that sounds like an asthmatic seal at the height of sexual congress. It’s been politely described as ‘honest’ but I know for certain that it’s not only unsettling, but it probably gave everybody within a half mile radius bizarre seal-​fetish nightmares that night. I’m used to it, but I’m still sorry.
Even with my seal orgasm laughing, the performers stayed focused and were terrifically funny. It was a terrible catch 22, because they WANT people to laugh, but just maybe not me.
So, this is an improv group with several performances during the week, and for some reason I feel like they mentioned BYOB, so add that into the mix, in a cool, intimate setting. It felt informal, friendly and really fostered audience interaction.
I had actually intended to give the performers a standing ovation, but my ass went kind of numb in the seat, so maybe that’s a check against them as well.
I love that there are local comedy performers in Pittsburgh, and I will definitely be back in the near future.

This shit is funny as hell!
I like the mix of improv and stand up. Oh and did I mention it’s like $ 10? and BYOB? I mean really, what else can you do for $ 10, while drinking your favorite beer, at beer store prices, and pee yourself laughing at the same time?
Bravo Arcade! I’m in.

What a great place to see and enjoy local comedians. Easy parking at Liberty & Smithfield.

The Arcade Comedy Theater is a rare gem. As a performer I am always on the lookout for great places to perform. I travel a lot and have never found a place like this anywhere. I have been on the Arcade stage three times now, and it was a great experience each time. It’s a nice cozy venue, and the audiences were excited and engaged. Plus, since you never know entirely what you’re going to get, there is an air of mystery and it’s thrilling to see what will appear on stage next. It could be anything from improv (where by definition no one knows what’s coming), or just an unexpected act like a crazy over-​the-​top funny sketch about love, or in my case, a yo-​yo champion.
All in all the Arcade is an incredible place and it will only get better. I just hope that Pittsburghers realize how lucky they are and pack the house every night.

Downtown Pittsburgh had no idea how badly it needed — no, WANTED — this comedy theater. Arcade is dedicated to serving all kinds of audiences, from the traditional to more alternative types of comedy. They’ve only been open a month and they’ve already had standup, sketch, improv, music, video, variety (there’s an awesome yo-​yo guy named Mark Hayward, check him out!) and even funny PowerPoint presentations from Pittsburgh based website
.
There’s something for everyone and the price is right. Whether you’re an established act or a newcomer to the world of comedy and trying out something new, this is a great place to perform. It’s like the Goldilocks of comedy venues — juuuuuuuust right.

I am SO SO SO excited about this joint! How lucky are we to have a local comedy club right in the Cultural District? How lucky am I to be able to soak all this funniness in? Is funniness even a word? Whatever… This place rocks!
I hit the opening weekend for their Saturday 8pm performance. I had no idea what to expect, which probably makes the experience even better. First up was the Player One improv group. They’re the resident «troop» of the theater. This was my favorite part of the evening. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen local improv, and it was HIGHLY entertaining. We have some really talented and funny people living amongst us! Whodda thunk it? Loved the audience participation in setting up certain scenes. They were on point!
Next up was a radio show. It was one of those old time radio show set-​ups, where the actors read a script, performing as multiple characters right in front of you. I know the Bricolage Theater does this series with much success. I felt this was the one part that fell a little flat. I get what they’re trying to do, which is introduce different programming, but it may need to fit into a different evening. Something I’m sure they’ll figure out with time.
The mood was brought up by the musical stylings of Burgertime. I don’t know quite how to categorize them other than a musical comedy/​mash up act. Addi, the lead singer, is super adorable and has an amazing voice. Top that off with a version of Fergies «My Humps» and I’m sold. I was also mesmerized by this one cool electronic type instrument they were using. I’m not an expert on musical instruments, but it looked like the base of a guitar with electronic sounds coming out of it. I don’t know how to describe it without sounding dumb, but it was awesome and I want to learn how to play it!
The event headliner was Gene Collier from the Post Gazette. I’ve never seen him do stand-​up before… but he was very funny. I enjoyed his jokes about getting old, etc. We’re all doing it… ugh. But… 30’s the new 20!
The theater itself is super intimate with about 75 seats. I love that kind of setting because it allows you to feel like you’re connecting with the performers. You can see their faces and their expressions clearly. I just know this place is going to get better and better and I can’t wait to experience it all!