Richmond’s art community has allowed for the success and flourishing of a young comedy scene that is now entering a new stage of its development.
The Richmond Comedy Coalition is opening their new venue, Coalition Theater, this week. The downtown location is the result of a successful Kickstarter and fundraising campaign earlier this year. With a goal of raising $25,000, they saw their goals starting to fall into place when they ended fundraising with $27,196 in their pocket.
In the past the Richmond Comedy Coalition has brought a number of people and events to Richmond, put on weekly shows, and has teamed up with a number of local businesses. They are hoping with this new location they will be able to continue this involvement, but from a central hub.
Their new location has been newly renovated with a new stage, and is located in Richmond’s Art District on 8 West Broad Street.
Weekly comedy shows and improv classes will be the backbone of the Coalition Theater. They are not waiting around to get started, either; their opening weekend offers a full schedule of local comedy.
Friday August, 2nd marked the opening night of the stage at Coalition Theater. The night was scheduled with a sketch comedy piece entitled “In Your Facebook.” Later in the night comedians tested their skill in “The Jam, You Pay What You Can,” which is similar to “Whose Line Is It Anyway” and requires audience participation.
Four improv classes will also be offered on a regular basis: Improv 101: Intro, Improv 201: Character and Emotion, Improve 301: Patterns and Games, and Improve 401: Longform. Experienced improv comedians, who have experience in a number of different theaters, will be teaching the classes.
For more information on showtimes or class schedule check out the Richmond Comedy Coalition website.