The Improv Shop

So the talent on any given night is hit & miss. It’s no Second City people, but it’s stl own version of improv at a very wallet friendly $ 5 cover. Small venue so you can hear the actors even if you’re in the back by the bar. The best part, even if the show sucks, you can still enjoy w/​some delirium tremons (the most expensive part of the evening).

I enjoyed The Improv Shop partially because I could appreciate how difficult it must be to get up on a stage and entertain people extemporaneously.
Other people in my group were like «Yea, it was okay but I doubt I would do it again.».
Yes, some of the skits were a little flat and some jokes sailed clean over most of the audience’s heads but I guess a lot of how good it is depends on who happens to be there that night.

Staff was nice, price is good. Probably hit or miss depending on the troop for the evening, but the funny to profanity ratio was disappointing. Had much higher expectations from previous reviews.

In my book, this place wins «best date night» and «best place to bring friends from out of town» and «best place to support local comedy.»
My husband and I have been to the Improv Shop for several «Stupid Brain» shows hosted by Steve Raines and Bobby Jaycox. They are fantastic hosts, super random, and definitely hilarious! For only $ 5/​person, seeing a show here on a random weekday night is perfect. The Stupid Brain shows have consisted of several stand ups and then 2 different improv groups. I feel we definitely get our money’s worth every time.
Specials at the bar when we have been here have been $ 5 tall PBR cans (during the show) and then $ 3 wells and $ 2 regular PBR cans after the show. There is also a water cooler on the side of the bar (help yourself).

It’s an okay place.

I have seen improv in Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and now St. Louis. I feel that improv is almost always hit or miss. The Improv Shop proved to be neither a hit nor a miss, which was a little surprising given all of the 5 star reviews on Unilocal.
My husband and I were looking for something fun to do for the evening and we stumbled across The Improv Shop. They have both an 8 PM and 10 PM show on Saturday evenings. They also have shows on Fridays and Mondays. All of their shows are $ 5, which is super reasonable (and makes for such a great, cheap date night!).
We came on a Saturday night and attended the 8 PM show, which I believe involves their most senior group. The 10 PM show has more novice improvers. In terms of the show, I was relatively impressed with the group. I was smiling pretty much the whole time and chuckled quite a bit. With that said, with 5 star reviews on Unilocal,I was expecting to be crying with laughter (maybe my expectations were too high?). I will say that I was sober during the show, which could have lowered my rating.
I think the biggest reason that the show wasn’t as funny as it could have been has to do with the structure of the show. More specifically, their Saturday show involves having a guest come in and tell his/​her story for about 5 – 10 minutes per act, and then the cast comes up with skits based on the guest’s story. The individual who told his story tonight seemed to struggle to come up with funny events that had happened to him in the past. In my opinion, this made it very difficult for the cast to act out his story. It just felt like the improv crew had to pull teeth to get him to talk about his life. As a result, I’m not ready to definitively say that this improv group is only okay because they had such poor material to work with. I plan to return in the next few months to see if a different guest with different material helps improve the show. Given the previous improv shows I’ve attended, I do think a better approach would be to call out to the audience for ideas rather than waste 10 – 15 minutes of the night with a non-​improver on stage struggling to come up with ideas for their performance.
In addition to improv, The Improv Shop has a full open bar with okay priced drinks. They have several different wines for $ 6, beers for about $ 6, and then a variety of cocktails for about $ 9 a piece. As I noted previously, I was sober for this experience (which is probably not the best approach), so I can’t say more.
Overall, not a bad way to spend $ 5 on a Saturday. Will definitely check out The Improv Shop again in the future.

The Improv Shop wins «Best Cheap Date» for St. Louis!
I had never seen improv before coming here, and it’s absolutely hilar. lolz, for real.
Somewhat upscale with a nice stocked bar and cozy seats and side tables all over the place, definitely arranged for mingling in-​between sets. The teams were so entertaining and
All for a measly $ 5 cover! Highly recommend as a date-​night shakeup!

How did i never know this place existed!!!
I went because Christine F. wanted to go one Thursday night after happy hour. I REALLY didn’t want to go. For some reason I had in my head that it would not be funny. Um, yeah. I was wrong. Way wrong.
A coworker in town from NYC, myself and Christina F headed there after a few drinks at Mission Taco. I was pretty reluctant to take a NYC person there, after all, she has seen an improv show or two in her day but she wanted to check it out so i agreed.
The show was 5 bucks. Which is practicably nothing. There is a full bar, with drink specials although i can’t recall what they were that night. We grabbed our drinks and claimed our seats. It was a pretty full house — so that was a good sign!
THE. SHOW. WAS. AWESOME. There were three separate shows throughout the night and we ended up staying for all three. UNTIL MIDNIGHT, unheard of for me on a school night ! :) I still can’t get over how funny and awesome the crew here is. WOW.
My friend from NYC was equally impressed. She loved it. And could not stop commenting on how cheap it was, how cheap the bar was and generally how cool St. Louis seemed — in large part to Improv Shop!
We went outside during intermission and found out that many of the people at the show were students taking improv classes. A very friendly bunch of folks that did not hesitate to start up a conversation with us.
If you are looking for something to do with friends, or want to impress a first date I beg you to check this place out. They do shows on Thursday, Friday and I think Monday too. I cannot wait to go back. I’m just kicking myself that I didn’t try it out sooner!

I have Unilocal to thanks for finding this place. I went here last night with two friends and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Monday nights at 8PM is lab night at the Improv Shop. There were 3 skeches about 20 minutes long each with 2 10 – 15 minute intermissions.
It is located on Euclid near Washington in the CWE and is right next to Evangeline’s. The Improv Shop has about 100 – 150 chairs for the audience, a fully-​stocked bar, and a stage. I never noticed this place before Unilocal introducing me.
Each of the skits was so funny. I know I will be back. Entrance to the shows is only $ 5. There is a show on most Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Check the website to doublecheck. They also offer multiple levels of improv classes.
I highly recommend this place for a good laugh. It’s very reasonable and well worth it.

Whether you’re shy and looking to branch out or make friends, or an outgoing person who wants to add some fun to your life, The Improv Shop is the place to go.
Their shows are always hilarious. They take place every other Thursday, and every other Monday. Check their website or like them on Facebook for specifics.
Their improv classes are top-​notch. You’ll come out not just a better improviser but a better person altogether. They teach you to support each other, let your personality shine, face your fears, and be a positive force inside and out.
Everyone who comes here leaves with a smile.

I am in love with the shows that this group puts on week after week! I cannot think of a single time when I didn’t leave there a happier person for the experience. The talent is top notch and is on par with anything you may see in other cities. The bar staff (Terry) is excellent and they always have some special going on from their fabulous kitchen. (I highly recommend grilled cheese/​tomato soup combo.) If you’re looking for something that will truly put a smile on your face — this is it!!!

Absolutely love The Improv Shop! I joined it earlier this year and I feel like I have found a purpose in my life. No, I’m serious. Like really serious. Yes, I know that’s sad and a bit dramatic to say. So what. It’s true. I love it! Improv in St. Louis, woohoo!