Chicago
What's on
Shows, comedy, open mics, jams and classes across the metro. The recurring listings come from the venues' own published schedules — always confirm with the venue before you drive.
Chicago is where modern improv was invented, and it's still the deepest scene in the world. The Second City has run in Old Town since 1959; iO on Kingsbury Street — where the Harold was developed — stages shows six nights a week; The Annoyance in Lakeview plays nearly every night; and that's before the neighborhood layer: five-dollar BYOB shows at Logan Square Improv, free nights at CIC Theater at The Western, ComedySportz's family-friendly matches, and donation-based indie stages in Wicker Park and Uptown.
The calendar below is built from the venues' own published schedules, every listing links to the theater's own box office, and the classes page compares every training center — because in this town, taking classes is half the point.
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The theatres
Every active improv house we know of in Chicago, with tickets booked at the venue's own box office — we never resell or mark up.
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The Annoyance Theatre & Bar
read from the shows page for the week of Sep 13 to Sep 19 with the theatre's own day labels — Sun Sep 13 5:30pm The Hail Marys and 7:30pm Comedian Cabaret 20: Back to School; Mon Sep 14 7:00pm Anything But Dragons, 8:00pm Short Form Improv Jam and 9:30pm Improv Student Jam (student shows); Tue Sep 15 5:30pm Ya'll Mic, 8:00pm Tuesday Musical Improv, 9:00pm BYOT (Bring Your Own Team) and 9:30pm Open Stage; Wed Sep 16 8:00pm The Firm Wins Double and Uninvited, 9:30pm Jury Duty and Best Of?!?; Thu Sep 17 7:30pm Earhart 2 Hart, 8:00pm Insignificant Mile, 9:30pm Code Words and Revolving Door; Fri Sep 18 8:00pm Poly Party and Missed Call, 9:30pm Hitch*Cocktails and Anti-Virgin Club, 11:59pm Holy Fuck Comedy Hour; Sat Sep 19 7:00pm Splatter Theatre and Trigger Happy, 8:00pm Fire & Beer, 9:30pm Best of Annoyance Sketch, 11:59pm We Took Edibles an Hour Ago. Further out: Sun Sep 20 6:00pm Spitball and 8:30pm Manything; Cryptic: The Improvised Paranormal Documentary Wed Sep 23 8:00pm; Annoyance Character Night Thu Sep 24 9:30pm; Blue Velvet Lounge Fri Sep 25 6:00pm and Baby Wine 9:30pm; Open Sketch Sun Sep 27 5:30pm; Misery Loves Company Wed Sep 30 8:00pm; Escapades! Fri Oct 2 9:30pm; Toast! Sat Oct 3 10:00pm; Murder at Moidah Manor Thu Oct 8 7:30pm.
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The Second City
shows run continuously on three resident stages — Mainstage ('Pandemonium, Please Hold', 'Best of The Second City', 'No Grown-Ups Allowed', 'Live Sketch Comedy' and the seasonal 'Not Today, Santa' and 'Rudolph Runs Wild'), e.t.c. ('Reality Detox: The Improv Experience', 'Second City Presents – Thank You, Goodnight') and UP Comedy Club ('The Second City's: Not Today, Santa'). Some thirty-five visiting productions run in UP, e.t.c., Donny's Skybox Theater, de Maat Studio Theatre and Judy's Beat Lounge — including 'Shamilton', 'Clued In', 'Wheel of Improv', 'Improvised Broadway', 'Starship Edsel: An Improvised Star Trek Satire', 'ANARCHY: The Improvised Rock Opera', 'Whodunnit Anyway?', 'Legs Will Be Broken: A Play, Improvised', 'Set In Chicago – Improvised Spooky Movie Sequels' and Baby Wants Candy — plus student and Training Center shows. The only dated run printed on the index is 'Clued In Presents: Travel Can Be Murder', 'Thursdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 4; October 15 – 31st', $30; all other showtimes are behind a per-production 'View Showtimes' link.
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iO Theater
closed Tuesdays, open the other six nights across four stages. The published bar and kitchen hours are 'Sunday & Monday: 5PM – 8:30PM / Tuesday: Closed / Wednesday & Thursday: 5PM -10PM / Friday & Saturday: 5PM – 10:30PM'. 'Free Improv Jam EVERY Saturday at 3:30pm!' is still stated on the classes page.
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CIC Theater (Chicago Improv Company)
free shows at The Western Bar & Kitchen, 4301 N Western Ave — 'Tuesdays 7pm-the Tuesday Good Show (improv/standup)', 'Wednesdays 8pm-The Grad Class w/The Princeton New Money Assclowns(improv)', 'Thursdays 7pm-The Open Stage(improv, everyone can play)', 'Thursdays 9pm- The Scene(improv)' and 'Fridays 9:30-Internet Online(improv)'. A ticketed Saturday Night Showcase, 'THE BEST IMPROV COMEDY SHOWCASE IN CHICAGO!', 'Starting September 12th' at 9:30pm (Saturday Sep 12 2026), is listed on the shows page with a ticket link.
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Logan Square Improv
'$5 improv shows Wednesday through Sunday' at 2825 W. Diversey Ave, 'We are BYOB!', with a Patreon option of '$5 per month for access to all shows at LSI'. Student class shows are on Thursdays at 7:30pm. Individual showtimes are on the theater's own show calendar.
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Malarkey Comedy (ComedySportz Chicago)
a roster of shows at the Kingsbury stage with days and prices per show — ComedySportz ('TWO TEAMS, ONE REF, SCENES, SONGS, GAMES', all ages, 90 minutes), whose own ticket page lists dated performances at 1501 N. Kingsbury St every Friday at 7:00pm and every Saturday at 6:00pm and 8:00pm from Sep 18 through Oct 24 2026 (general admission $39.16 including fees, students 12 and under $23.40, military $28.65); ComedySportz Minor League, Thursdays, $10; A Bunch of Friggin' Cats, $5; Magic Mondays, three house teams in short-form games, $5; Fridays 10pm House Party ($20) and PJPRTY ($10); Saturdays 10am Two Birds One Scone ($20); Sundays 7pm What's Yours Like? ($15) and 8pm Funny Business ($15); Person / Place / Thing on the third Sunday of the month at 8pm ($20); plus Trapped in a Musical and the Improvised Disney Channel Original Movie without stated days.
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The Playground Theater
donation-based improv and sketch shows by member ensembles at 4416 N Clark St (upstairs), plus The Mixer — 'One part workshop / One part jam!' — every Monday at 8pm.
Schedule unconfirmed — check with the venue.
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BABS Comedy Club
a dated calendar mixing improv and stand-up — a free weekly Open Improv Jam, 'Every wanted to try improv? This FREE weekly event is the perfect fit!', Wednesday Oct 21 8:00pm-10:00pm; a free Standup Open Mic Thursday Oct 22 8:00pm-10:30pm; the Local Laughs Standup Showcase, 'a brand new lineup of the hottest standup comedians every Friday', Friday Oct 23 8:00pm-9:20pm; Kid-Prov! Improv for Kiddos Saturday Oct 24 3:00pm-4:15pm; Micrófono Abierto de Comedia (stand-up in Spanish and Spanglish) Saturday Oct 24 6:00pm-7:00pm; and TORTURE-PROV! and BABS Babes Improv @ 8, the house team, Saturday Oct 24 8:00pm-9:30pm. Later: a Kid-Prov Open Gym Saturday Nov 7 and a BABS Student Showcase Sunday Nov 22. Nothing is dated before the Wednesday Sep 23 improv workshop.
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Comedy Plex Comedy Club
a dated calendar of mostly stand-up shows and classes — an Open Improv Jam Tuesday Sep 15, $5 online / $10 at the door, doors 6pm; a free open mic sponsored by Tre Sorrelle (two-drink minimum) on Wednesday Sep 16 and Wednesday Sep 23; Laugh Lounge Thursday Sep 17, $10, doors 6:30pm; Bill Squire Friday Sep 18 (doors 7pm) and Saturday Sep 19 (doors 6pm), $20; Late Night Locura Friday Sep 18, $15, doors 9:30pm; a jazz afternoon and the R-rated showcase Naughty Nite Laughs ($5 advance / $20 door) on Saturday Sep 19; and Mitch Fatel Thursday Sep 24, $25, doors 6:30pm.
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Incognito Mode Improv (at Center Stage Theater)
an improv troupe performing at Center Stage Theater, 1665 Quincy Avenue #131, Naperville — upcoming shows Saturday Oct 17, Saturday Nov 7 and Saturday Dec 12 2026, all at 7:30pm ('ON SALE SOON'); the Saturday Sep 12 show has passed. No prices are printed.
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Oak Park Improv
Oak Park Improv Open Stage at the Oak Park Library Main Branch, 7:00pm-8:30pm; the most recent session was dated Wednesday Aug 12 2026 and the next date is yet to be posted. 'Admission is always FREE!' Sign-ups are taken through the form on the page.
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Oil Lamp Academy (Oil Lamp Theater)
no improv shows — Oil Lamp Academy ('Training For Life Through The Performing Arts!') is the arts-education arm of Glenview's Oil Lamp Theater, offering improv and acting classes for kids and adults, storytelling, stand-up comedy, creative writing and musical theater at 1009 Waukegan Road.
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Piven Theatre Workshop
no improv shows — Piven Theatre Workshop is a theatre school at 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, offering adult acting classes and one public adult improv course this autumn.
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The Bit Theater
a dated calendar of improv, stand-up, sketch and variety at the theater's Fox Valley Center Drive room in Aurora — the improv listings are Triple Threat ('Short Form Long Form') Friday Sep 25 and Thursday Oct 1 at 8pm, and TBD&D, 'a fully-improvised, interactive comedy show inspired by Dungeons & Dragons', Saturday Sep 26 at 8pm (doors 7pm), each $20 or $60 for a table of four; a free stand-up open mic, 'Laughter at the Bit', runs Sunday Sep 13, Sep 20 and Sep 27; 'doors and bar open one hour prior to showtime'.
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The Comedy Clubhouse
'Chicago's Premier Local Comedy Venue - Delivering laughs since 2015!' at 1462 N. Ashland, presenting 'all kinds of live comedy, from improv to stand-up to scripted comedy'. No weekly grid is printed on the homepage; dates are on the ticketing site.
Schedule unconfirmed — check with the venue.
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The Home Comedy Theater
no shows yet — the shows page reads 'SHOW AND EVENTS INFO COMING SOON' and the theater is still collecting sign-ups 'FOR UPDATES ON EVENTS, CLASSES, AND OFFICIAL OPENING!'. Described as 'Chicago's newest comedy venue featuring the best improv comedy shows in the city', with an 80-seat theater, bar and kitchen, and a training center at 2843 N. Halsted St. The Training Center is running; graduating ensembles are promised a place on the performance schedule performing 'The Harold'.
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The Revival
no public show calendar is currently published — the theater's box office lists autumn-term classes rather than shows. The nearest thing to a performance listing is Ampersand: An Improv Show-cial, Thursdays 6:00pm-8:00pm from Sep 17 through Nov 5 2026 in the Fine Arts Building's Little Studio.
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Quick answers
Where can I see improv in Chicago tonight?
Almost anywhere: The Annoyance runs shows Monday through Saturday most weeks with occasional Sundays, iO six nights (closed Tuesdays), The Second City continuously across three stages, and Logan Square Improv puts on a weekly Thursday show for five dollars. The calendar above shows tonight's verified listings with ticket links.
Where should I take improv classes in Chicago?
The famous programs are The Second City's Training Center, iO's five-level long-form program, and The Annoyance's AP1-AP5 track — with CIC Theater and Logan Square Improv offering strong, cheaper alternatives. The Chicago classes page compares all of them with sign-up links.
Is there free or cheap improv in Chicago?
Plenty. iO runs a free improv jam every Saturday at 3:30pm, CIC Theater's Tuesday-to-Friday shows at The Western are free, and Logan Square Improv charges five dollars for everything, BYOB. Filter the calendar by 'Open jams' for the free stuff.
Run a theatre, class or team?
Listings are free and always will be. Submit your event and it goes on the calendar once a human checks it — this calendar is built with the venues, not scraped behind their backs. Something wrong or missing in your listing? Tell us and we'll fix it, usually same day.