Curious Comedy Theater (Portland)

Curious Comedy Theater was founded in 2008 by Stacey Hallal, who envisioned a comedy theater in Portland, Oregon, that would be explicitly built on principles of inclusion, equity, and community access. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Curious Comedy was structured from the beginning to prioritize its social mission alongside its artistic goals — the theater exists not just to produce comedy but to use comedy as a tool for building community, amplifying underrepresented voices, and creating spaces where people from all backgrounds can experience the joy of creative expression. The theater established itself at 5225 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Portland's King neighborhood, a deliberate location choice that reflects the organization's commitment to being embedded in a diverse community rather than operating from a gentrified arts district. Over its 17 years, Curious Comedy has grown into Portland's only theater solely dedicated to comedy, offering training in improv, sketch, and stand-up while producing a year-round calendar of shows and community events. Hallal continues to serve as Artistic Director, providing consistent creative leadership that has kept the organization focused on its founding mission even as Portland's comedy landscape has evolved. The theater's longevity in a city known for high turnover among small arts organizations speaks to the strength of its community support and the resonance of its values-driven approach.

In 2025, Curious Comedy Theater stands as a distinctive institution in the national improv landscape — one of very few comedy theaters in the country that centers social justice, intersectional inclusion, and community access as core organizational values rather than add-on initiatives. What distinguishes Curious Comedy from other Portland comedy venues and from improv theaters nationally is the depth of its commitment to creating a genuinely welcoming space for performers and audiences from communities that are historically underrepresented in comedy, including BIPOC communities, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and economically disadvantaged populations. The theater runs the Curious BIPOC Program, a dedicated initiative that provides training, mentorship, and performance opportunities specifically for Black, Indigenous, and people of color in the Portland comedy community. Curious Comedy's nonprofit model means that all revenue is reinvested in programming, community access, and facility maintenance, and the organization actively fundraises to support scholarship programs and sliding-scale tuition that keep training accessible. The theater produces shows regularly, featuring both in-house performers and visiting artists, and its performance calendar reflects the same commitment to diverse voices that drives its training program. Portland's progressive culture and strong support for nonprofit arts organizations have created a natural home for Curious Comedy's mission.

Getting started at Curious Comedy begins with an introductory improv class that is open to all adults with no prior experience required. Registration is handled through the theater's website or by calling (503) 477-9477. The training program covers improv, sketch comedy, and stand-up, with multiple levels of instruction that progress from fundamentals through advanced performance techniques. Each class series typically runs six to eight weeks, with weekly sessions of two to three hours. The curriculum emphasizes emotional intelligence, collaborative scene work, and the development of each performer's authentic voice — values that align with the theater's broader mission of creating comedy that reflects real human experience rather than relying on stereotypes or punching down. Curious Comedy's approach to teaching is explicitly anti-racist and anti-oppressive, which means instructors are trained to create classroom environments where power dynamics are acknowledged, all perspectives are valued, and harmful comedy tropes are actively challenged. For students who cannot afford full tuition, the theater offers scholarships and sliding-scale pricing — students are encouraged to apply for financial assistance without stigma, as expanding access is a core part of Curious Comedy's mission.

The training experience at Curious Comedy feels meaningfully different from classes at more commercially oriented comedy theaters — there is a thoughtfulness and intentionality to the teaching that reflects the organization's values-driven approach. Instructors are experienced performers from the Portland comedy community who have been specifically trained in Curious Comedy's inclusive pedagogy, and classes regularly incorporate discussions about the social impact of comedy, the ethics of humor, and how to create material that is both genuinely funny and respectful of the diverse audiences who will receive it. This does not mean the training is humorless or overly serious — on the contrary, Curious Comedy classes are known for their warmth, laughter, and genuine creative freedom, but that freedom is grounded in awareness rather than ignorance. Beyond the structured curriculum, the theater offers workshops, drop-in jams, open mics, and community events that give students opportunities to practice their skills and connect with the broader Portland comedy community. The Curious BIPOC Program provides additional mentorship, training, and showcase opportunities specifically designed to support performers of color in developing their voices and building their careers. Students who complete the training program can audition for house teams or participate in independent shows on the Curious Comedy stage.

Curious Comedy attracts a student body that is notably diverse by improv theater standards — the theater's explicit commitment to inclusion means it reaches communities that often do not see themselves reflected in mainstream comedy institutions. Students include aspiring performers, activists, educators, social workers, therapists, and community organizers who are drawn to comedy as a tool for expression, connection, and social change, alongside more traditional comedy enthusiasts and hobbyists. The theater has become particularly important to Portland's BIPOC comedy community through the Curious BIPOC Program, which has created a pipeline for performers of color in a city and state that has historically been among the whitest in the nation. Notable local performers who have come through Curious Comedy include Jay (featured on NPR's Live Wire and Kevin Allison's RISK!, who has performed with Kevin McDonald and Colin Mochrie), along with a growing roster of Portland-based comedians who perform at venues across the city and region. While Curious Comedy has not yet produced nationally famous alumni on the scale of institutions like UCB or the Groundlings, its impact on Portland's comedy culture and on the lives of the thousands of students who have trained there is profound and growing.

Classes at Curious Comedy Theater cost approximately $175 to $225 per level in 2025, with scholarship and sliding-scale options available for students who need financial assistance. The nonprofit structure allows Curious Comedy to keep prices lower than most comparable programs while still investing in quality instruction and facility maintenance. The complete training track from beginner through advanced levels represents a total investment of roughly $700 to $1,000 for students paying full price — and significantly less for those who receive scholarship support. Drop-in workshops, open mics, and community events are often free or priced at $5 to $15, providing affordable ways to engage with the theater's programming outside of formal class enrollment. The Curious BIPOC Program offers additional training opportunities that are free or heavily subsidized for qualifying participants. Curious Comedy actively fundraises from individual donors, foundations, and corporate sponsors to support its scholarship and community access programs, and the theater publishes information about financial assistance prominently on its website to reduce the stigma of asking for help. Compared to commercially operated improv theaters, Curious Comedy's nonprofit pricing model makes training genuinely accessible to a wider range of Portland residents.

Curious Comedy Theater is the ideal choice for Portland-area performers who want comedy training that aligns with their values of inclusion, equity, and social consciousness. If you are a performer of color in Portland, the Curious BIPOC Program is an invaluable resource that you should explore immediately — it offers training, mentorship, and stage time specifically designed to support your development in a city where those opportunities are otherwise limited. For complete beginners who are nervous about trying improv, Curious Comedy's warm, supportive, and explicitly welcoming environment makes it one of the least intimidating places to start in the entire country. If you are an activist, educator, therapist, or social worker who wants to use comedy as a tool for communication and connection, Curious Comedy's approach will resonate with your professional values. However, if your primary goal is the most technically demanding improv training available or a direct pipeline to entertainment industry opportunities, you may want to supplement Curious Comedy training with study at a larger institution. For Portland residents who simply want a fun, meaningful creative outlet and a community of like-minded people, Curious Comedy provides exactly that.

Inquire about scholarship and sliding-scale options when you register — Curious Comedy is genuinely committed to accessibility and will work with you, so do not let finances prevent you from enrolling. Attend the theater's shows and community events regularly, not just your classes — the community you build at Curious Comedy extends far beyond the classroom, and the relationships you form will enrich your creative life and your personal life. If you are eligible for the Curious BIPOC Program, apply as early as possible — the additional training, mentorship, and performance opportunities it provides can accelerate your development significantly. Bring your whole self to the training — Curious Comedy's emphasis on authenticity means the more honest and vulnerable you are in your improv, the more powerful your work will become. Look for ways to connect your comedy training to other parts of your life — the communication, empathy, and creative-thinking skills you develop at Curious Comedy are directly applicable to education, advocacy, community organizing, and professional settings. If you are interested in producing your own show at Curious Comedy, talk to the staff about opportunities — the theater is open to programming that aligns with its mission and is often willing to support emerging performers in developing and staging original work.