National Comedy Theatre

National Comedy Theatre was founded in Los Angeles in January 2000 by several owners of ComedySportz franchises.

In July 2000, the name was extended to an association of theaters across the United States, including locations in San Jose, Kansas City, Indianapolis, San Diego, New York and Austin, Texas. In some cities, the NCT name serves as a stamp of approval, and in some cities, such as San Diego, New York and Phoenix, the theatres carry the National Comedy Theatre name.

In Los Angeles, National Comedy Theatre is located at 733 Seward Street in Hollywood and serves as the home of ComedySportz Los Angeles. It was built in the 1920s, and through the years, the theatre was both a bakery and later a photographer's studio. It was converted into a theatre in 1977 by Paul Kent and Jomarie Ward, and produced plays and musicals as the Melrose Theatre for two decades. In the late 1990s, the theatre was known as the HBO Workspace, a famous showcase stage, where comedy acts could audition for the HBO U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. In 2000, the theatre was jointly managed by HBO and Warner Brothers Television (then called the HBO Warner Brothers Television Workspace), where they also developed material for television. The show also has the distinction of being the longest running show in Los Angeles.

The National Comedy Theatre of San Diego is located at 3717 India Street in Mission Hills. Unlike Los Angeles, the theatre has dropped its ComedySportz affiliation, and does not participate in national ComedySportz events. The theatre is nestled next to the Shakespeare's Pub and Grille. The San Diego location has been awarded "Best Live Comedy" by local station KGTV's "A-List" competition for both 2007 and 2008. In 2009, the theatre celebrated its 10-year anniversary. To celebrate, the San Diego City Council declared October 9, 2009 "National Comedy Theatre Day".

The success of the San Diego's franchise led directly to the opening of the New York branch, which was started under the same management. In New York, National Comedy Theatre is located at 347 West 36th Street.

The Phoenix branch is the newest National Comedy Theatre, and was opened by former San Diego director Dorian Lenz. It recently won the distinction of "Best Theatre Company" from the local newspaper.

References

Spindle, L. "Readers' Choice Awards: Favorite Rehearsal/Rental Space", Back Stage West, May 10-16, 2007

Locations

• Austin, Texas
• Los Angeles, California
• Phoenix, Arizona
• New York City, New York
• San Diego, California

External links

• National Comedy Theatre, Austin
• National Comedy Theatre, New York City
• National Comedy Theatre, San Diego
• National Comedy Theatre, Phoenix
• National Comedy Theatre, Los Angeles