The Peoples Improv Theater

What an interesting place. Bar on top with lots of great people and conversations. And then if you want you can go down to stage sets to watch very talented people do great comedy sketches. It is very personal and up and close which is great! Fun, lots of fun!

A top improv school. Very nice staff; expert teachers; all levels welcome. Prices are very reasonable and there are inexpensive drop in sessions.

Awesome vibe, fantastic shows, relatively inexpensive drink prices. One of the best spots in NYC to catch top notch improv shows and survey burgeoning talents.

Ah, I love the PIT.
I first started going in 2010 and used to see the free underground improv shows where people from the audience would participate. They were usually funny but def. a hit or miss. I recently went back to see a show called North Coast and it was hilarious! If you’re looking for a good time, cheap drinks and a good laugh, The PIT is where you should be!

The PIT is my go-​to place for taking writing/​production classes. Their teachers are incredibly knowledgeable and actually let you pick their brains even after you complete your courses. I have nothing but great things to say about this place; every penny I’ve spent on it was well-​spent. I’ve also made some lasting friends through these courses.

We’re students, and PIT has $ 1 tickets, which is great. After reading reviews online, it seemed there wasn’t a better deal for comedy in NYC. Maybe it was just a bad night, but I guess you get what you pay for. We stayed for one sketch comedy show at 9:30 on a Friday night (a night I would have expected them to have their best comedians performing), and hands down, it was the worst comedy I’ve ever seen. A few sketches got pity laughs out of the audience, but maybe they were more drunk than we were (not drunk at all). If you’re looking for cheap improv or sketch comedy in an all-​inclusive environment, this is your place, but I have a feeling it’s very hit-​or-​miss.

The PIT is pretty awesome. It’s a great place to go for a night of improv/​stand-​up/​sketch comedy. The shows are entertaining and the acts are usually funny. The first time I went was to support a friend in a show and since then I’ve taken many people and they’ve all seemed to really enjoy it. The shows usually start at $ 5 which you just can’t beat and there is no minimum drink policy either, which most live comedy places have. The bar is by the entrance and the drink prices are great. There are two stages and they both have adequate seating. The overall vibe of the place is really chill and laid back which is what I like about it the most. If you ever want to switch it up for a night and try something different, definitely check this place out.

Love the PIT!
They teach great classes and the shows are always fun. If you want a sure thing try the more established house teams on Friday & Saturday night.
I can guarantee no matter what the show is like you’ll have a great time.
Get to the venue early to grab a drink at the Love Bar and stay a bit after the show to chat with the performers.

Amazing Time with BHP of Columbia to see Mikey perform with THe Vern!!! He was great! The theatre is super and can’t wait to take classes there!

Really would like to rate this place 3.5 if I could. Came here on a Saturday night not knowing what to expect because I’ve never been to an improv show before. Arrived to the PIT at about 750, showtime 8 pm. We got our dollar tickets (which were never checked at the door) and grabbed a seat when they opened the door. Theater was cute and intimate but very little leg room. I was so uncomfortable. We saw the Baldwins and Big Black Car. I won’t lie, I was so confused it took me a while to get into it. I admire people who are into this kind of stuff though and it had its funny moments, not hilarious but funny. Other people were really into it, cracking up laughing knee slapping and everything, so I may be the minority opinion. If you’re looking for something different to do that only takes an hour and is pretty cheap, I would check it out. Bar had good drink specials also (beer and shot for 7 $). Overall I thought the place was cute and the actors hang out after the show in the bar area if you wanted to chat. I may come back and check out other shows.

I love this place.
First the acts are great: some of the best improv comedy in New York, and there are multiple acts in multiple stages each night.
Second it’s intimate. The stages are relatively small and they are rarely overpacked, even on a Saturday night.
Finally it’s actually a nice bar. It’s not too packed and you can bring a bunch of friends to get drinks for an hour or two before a show. The space has a nice flow to it.

The place has charm and character. I’ve been here a few times on Wednesday nights for Super Free Wednesdays and laughed a lot. Some groups are definitely better than others, but overall there’s a pretty high standard.
The bar is amazing and the drinks are very strong for a great price-​$ 5beer, $ 6well drink is the standard and during happy hour it’s one or 2 dollars off everything. Nice place to chat before or after a show.
The theater is clean and comfy (not always the case with improv) and stadium style so everyone can see. The sound is also really well done in here so you never have a problem hearing.
One group completely improvises a musical based on a suggestion which is pretty impressive! Most of the other groups I’ve seen improvise based on a word or something, but it is always pretty good.
Definitely a great date night or friend’s night out!

Attended the show, david and katie get re-​married at the pit on Friday, and a while back saw the saved by the bell show there. Tickets to shows are usually cheap and they have student discounts.
The theater on the main level where we saw David and Katie… is small, the basement where we saw saved by the bell is bigger but less theater like.
Both times we’ve went it was packed so it looks like it’s a popular spot.
Parking is not too bad after 7pm.

My lady took me here to see Hold on to Your Butts which was hilarious. The room was small and fit 50 – 60 people. Luckily it was roomy enough that I didn’t feel crammed and was pretty comfortable. We didn’t order any food or drinks so I can’t speak to prices or quality. I can say the venue was clean and in great condition and the staff were friendly. We’ll be back again some time.

I am highly inexperienced with comedy (shows, that is — in general I’m pretty good at laughing), but came here because of a friend of a friend was performing with this sketch comedy group. So yes: this review is definitely 100% objective.
The venue is fun, lots of interesting decorations, and pretty good prices overall. Tickets for the show I went to were $ 5, and for other shows they ranged from $ 1 to $ 15. You can buy your tickets online, which is convenient (although there’s a small fee). We all got the $ 7 beer-​and-​a-​shot deal — not bad. My only complaint is that the bar was very slow/​understaffed — I was afraid we’d miss the start of the show!
The show itself: I was impressed! It started off a little slow, but got better and better throughout. What’s especially fun is that they all come and just hang out around the bar afterwards; they’re just as funny in regular conversation.
If you’re feeling inspired from the shows, PIT also offers improv and comedy writing classes!

I really wanted to like this place. My girlfriend and I are huge live comedy fans, especially improv. This place was only a few blocks from where we were staying over the weekend and were referred to go see the «The Baldwins & Big Black Car» show by a friend who visits this spot often.
The venue and theater itself is very cool and clean. We didn’t have any issues getting tickets (we bought online) or finding seating.
The first part of The Baldwin’s show only involved one thing from an audience member and was completely improved from there. The Big Black Car show involved no audience participation and was made on the spot.
This review is low because I laughed a total of 0 times. My girlfriend, who is much less critical, laughed once the entire show. The point of going to a comedy show is to laugh, so this was almost like going to see a live band and they don’t play ANY songs you like. We ended up going to The Stand later that night and laughed our asses off.
It felt like the audience either had mostly forced laughs or were friends of the performers. Eh, maybe it was just an off-​night?
2 stars instead of 1 star because the drinks were cheap and strong!

Have a free evening and craving some low-​pressure entertainment? Head to the PIT for some improv comedy with no drink minimum. But don’t worry — there’s still a comfortable bar up front to meet your drinking needs. Win-​Win.
There’s a variety of improvised shows to chose from every day of the week. You could see anything from puppet ‘prov to improvised rap with the popular group Northcoast. Recently I also saw a scripted comedy production that recreated Jurassic Park shot by shot using 2 actors and a foley artist — hilarious.
By the nature of improv and sheer volume of shows programmed, it’s going to be hit & miss. But at least you don’t have to worry about blowing your budget. Mondays & Wednesdays are free and students can get $ 1 tickets to the regular shows, space permitting. Meaning you’ll have extra cash to drop at the bar — beer starts at $ 4 for Budlight.
For those looking to tread the boards themselves, there are also free weekly drop-​in jam sessions.
The PIT serves up some NYC improv, but without the lines and intensity of some of the other popular comedy venues.

I love going to the People’s Improv Theater. The acts are usually amusing and the prices are fairly reasonable. I have taken a lot of my friends here and they all see to enjoy their time here.
The location is great for locals and visitors. You might have to walk a little ways from the metro but you can always catch a cab. They don’t accept credit cards for ticket purchases, but the bar does accept cards. They have a good happy hour that makes their drinks a little more affordable.
I can’t wait to go back next time I’m in NYC. Definitely my comedy bar of choice here.

I am hoping this will work out with their ATM and my bank. (go and you will know if you have Ally Bank)
About the improv, it’s my first time going and felt stupid I don’t even know what it is. These people actually make stuff up when they are acting and that blow my mind. Out of the door. We seat in the basement theater and dark as any movie theater. Even though I was late after being held up at the bar, I didn’t miss much as the plot kept changing and the show is so fun. hint of advise from a friend, never sit in the front.
Everyone is so nice here for some reason. I guess they are all drunk or just love the place. I liked it and definitely going back to the free monday and wednesday shows. I heard the weekends are better.
Have fun

In complete irony, I’ll make this review as boring as the PIT is funny/​worth your time.
Show’s good. Improv’s funny. Ticket’s cheap (free on Wednesdays). Beer’s flowing. Seats aplenty. Attend back-​to-​back shows for a night of laughter. Go.
End.