Is the UCB Theatre Back?

Less "cool" perhaps, but younger and poised to take over

In 2019, the UCB Theatre was under fire. There had been financial instability with a few payrolls happening late, as well as class and show prices jumping up. There was a lot of criticism online (both fair and unfair, IMO) that said the theatre was not doing enough to promote diversity, fight sexual harassment, and pay performers. In April of 2020, one month into the Covid-20 pandemic, the UCB announced they were closing the NYC campus. In early 2021, they announced they were closing and selling the Sunset building in Los Angeles.

It was easy to assume that the UCB Theatre was finished.

Then in 2022, a group backed by a venture capital firm called Elysian Park Ventures bought the UCB and promised to bring it back.

Today at the end of 2024, there are UCB Theaters in both LA and NYC again, with classes and shows running.

But is the UCB really back? Yes, and no.

It’s lost a big step as a place for “cool” comedy. And it needs to adapt its attitudes towards newer comedy movements (clown and character) to avoid becoming irrelevant.

But it’s younger and more diverse than ever. A new generation of talent is brewing. And in LA at least, it has some of the best physical stages for improv shows (this reporter has not yet seen NYC stage, though I hear good things!).

UCB is smaller and younger, but still mighty. The next few years will tell us a loty as to how much of its old glory it will fully reclaim.

The Bad

Many Vets Left

The biggest loss that the UCB has suffered that the most popular and well known veterans mostly perform elsewhere. Shows like “Facebook” and “Shitty Jobs” are gone. Performers of that generation do “Dinosaur” at Largo, or maybe “Ultimate Improv Show” at Dynasty. Ben Schwartz has become a full industry unto himself, touring huge venues around the world. They’re getting paid well, performing for big places.

Now that they’ve seen improv on that scale, I’m not even sure HOW the UCB could get them back.

It also feels that high level performers who maybe used to come to UCB to do silly bit shows or try-out shows, will now go elsewhere. The Elysian Theater in LA and Dynasty seem more likely to showcase a comedy star developing a show than UCB.

It’s remarkable when you look back to, say, 2010 to appreciate how UCB at that time seemed equally likely to have a level 1 improv grad show, or Comedy Death Ray featuring the best stand-ups in the country. Over in NYC you had Mike Birbiglia doing improv and Whiplash showcasing one of the best stand-up lineups in the country for free on Monday nights.

For now at least, that top level of performer seems gone from UCB.

Improv Has Diminished

Improv comedy overall is less powerful than it was 10 years ago. After its heyday in, say the late 2000s early 2010s — improv has lost its mystique. Clowning is hot. Instagram and TikTok and YouTube seem to attract the people who maybe would have become obsessed with mastering long-form improv. Improv is a known thing, rather than a mysterious secret comedy practice.

This is beyond the theater’s control: but improv itself is a bit less cool than it once was.

More Competition

Since UCB 1.0 closed, approximately one million improv theaters have opened in LA. I started one myself. There’s exciting shows and great teachers at many places, often for way less than you pay at UCB. It used to be if you took a class at UCB, you would never even visit another theater. The walls are down, and students at one place generally are studying at two other schools, at least.

The Good

Younger Performers

However, UCB has a stronger hold than ever on the next generation. With the vets gone, the shows are focusing on newer people. It used to be a big problem that the most veteran performers were holding all the show spots at UCB. They got older and older —- and yes I am pointing at myself here —- but still did the lion’s share of shows.

Harold Night in LA is greener than it once was, but it’s also more exciting. There may be less people interested in improv than there were 10 years ago, but there’s more than enough to create a vibrant community. UCB is rolling the dice on younger people with more diverse backgrounds.

It used to be you needed to be around the scene for five year or more to even think about getting on a team. With the vets gone, it’s easier to get on the UCB stage. This bodes well for the next few years.

More Sketch and Characters

There’s more sketch at UCB these days than there used to be. Maude Night, the network of sketch teams used to be a distant second to Harold Night — but now might take more importance in performer’s mind.

There’s multiple character shows at UCB —- which used to be a huge blind spot for the community.

The Best Stages

Having just spent a year looking for a space for my own improv theater, I can say with confidence: UCB Franklin is the best stage for improv comedy maybe in the entire country. Big enough to be exciting, small enough for an unmiked troupe to dominate. The second stage — UCB Annex — is a great second stage: perfect for class shows, jams and open mics. Ask anyone who played on UCB NY’s cavernous Hell’s Kitchen stage — the physical space matters a lot. And UCB has one of the best ones, if not the best one.

Loyal Alumni

Even though many of the famous vets do shows elsewhere, the UCB is still home and family to many of them. As the UCB spaces in each coast get established, you are seeing some of the old dogs come back for shows. Holy Shit improv — though not exclusively a UCB property — now does it’s most popular shows on that stage. Chris Gethard is doing a show at UCB NY. I’m doing “Play by Play” again in January at UCB even though I run my own theater in the same neighborhood!

I have to imagine that everyone who left UCB still values it and will be a part of it now and then.

So What’s Next?

What does UCB have to do to reclaim some of its lost stature? Here’s my guess:

Give one-off shows to your rising stars. Don’t wait for the newer performers to come up with ideas. Go to the most interesting performers and give them the title of a show that sounds good, and ask them to do it. Lean on characters that you’ve seen people do in their sketch shows.

Establish a cheap show model. All improv shows are $15 and up. We need the free/cheap shows back. A free midnight show is where people can perform for young crowds and find their voice. This is what Largo/Dynasty/Elysian cannot do, but UCB could.

Force collaboration. Outside of UCB most performers are one-man bands. An improv theater is one of the only places where people learn cooperation early. Take 3 people who have not worked together and challenge them to do something.

Accept clowning. This is something the UCB has already been doing but should do more. Welcome in the clowning community. Even better, mix them with the long-form improvisers. Everyone wants to mix clowns and stand-ups but I think clowns and improvisers make more sense.

Hit the veterans up for special events. You’ll never get the old dogs back permanently, but you don’t need that. Just now and then for things like: Oscar bit shows, graduation themed mash-ups, holiday jams.

Why The Heck Do You Care? Don’t You Run Your Own Theater, Will Hines?

Yeah, yeah. I do. And I love my theater. I’ve got too many ideas and energy to simply do a show at UCB now and then.

But the truth is that a strong UCB is good for the little guys like me. A rising tide raises all boats. And nothing fuels sales of improv classes like UCB Harold auditions. Nothing gets new people excited for improv than a good show on the UCB stage.

So both out of loyalty and for practical reasons, I want a strong UCB Theatre.

Shows At My Theatre

I will close out this article with some plugs for shows at the WGIS (my theater):

• Lake Fantasy & Friends - Advanced improv forms, done by fun people, directed by Craig Cackowski

• Living Room Living Room: 10 people. 5 do a living room, the other 5 do scenes off of it. Then they switch. This Sunday Dec 8, 7:30pm

• Improvised Sci-Fi: two full improvised sci-fi stories, Tuesday Dec 10, 6pm

• Party People Say Hey! A legit short form show done by amazing people. Next Friday Dec 13, 9pm

• Boxing Day Improv - We do improv in British accents. Dec 26, 7:30pm