A Williamsburg comedy theater shuts down, but its community does not

In the more offbeat Brooklyn comedy scene, I have consistently noticed a tirelessness – these people are always doing shows! Never was this more clear to me than after alt-comedy haven The Annoyance closed their Williamsburg location in late March. Comedy shows popped up elsewhere. In fact, they seemed to proliferate. This was equally apparent when a fire broke out in Park Slope space Union Hall (the venue set to reopen on the 21st!). The shows themselves proved scrappier than any pesky flames, and venues like The Bell House became temporary homes until the space got back on its feet. Similar show-relocating was done when Shea Stadium first closed temporarily. The Annoyance isn’t the only comedy show hub in Williamsburg to depart; many would flock to the Experiment Comedy Gallery and Over the Eight (I even did my own show there once), but they both shuttered in December. However, it’s clear there was something… Read More >