ColdTowne Theater

I love Coldtowne! We go there regularly. They have so many great improv troupes and you can’t get live entertainment for cheaper. (Check out Bad Boys on Friday nights, they’re one of our favorites.) It’s BYOB, but they do sell soft drinks.

I’ve been going to ColdTowne shows since I moved to Austin, and I’m currently taking classes there. This is professional level comedy. Such amazing, talented performers!

I love the intimate feel of both the bar & the theatre itself: the bar are has some cozy couches to chill before heading into the 3-​row theatre. Yes, it could be considered a little dive-​y, but I think it adds to the charm!
Came on a Tuesday for a variety show that had both standup and improv acts which were pretty funny. A few of the jokes fell flat, but they definitely got some good laughs out of us.
Don’t forget it’s BYOB!

As a first timer in Austin, and a stand up comedian myself, I had NO expectations when it came to watching a friend at an open mic on a Monday at 10pm. I mean seriously … I’ll probably double the audience right? Cos I’m bringing my husband. Ha! Not so. 20 comics showed up for the booked open mic which was really well produced and hosted by comedian Maggie May. The audience was about 25 which meant the 48 seat theater was half full and they were ready to laugh. Each comedian got 4 minutes to do their best and Maggie kept the momentum up with high energy observations and callbacks. All in all, a really well run show and by the looks of things a really well run club with a lot of options for comedy. As a producer of affordable yet funny comedy nights out in San Diego, I got a LOT of interesting ideas for new venues. Nicely done ColdTowne. I’ll be back. (said in my Australian accent … not a Terminator call back. although. now that I said it. that’s all you’ll hear).

We saw the Friday night improv show, where an audience member gives the crew a song lyric and they create a live movie out of it. I loved watching these guys at work. They stayed on their toes and entertained us the whole time doing it. It was a totally fun hour for me, my 10-​year-​old son, and my mother. Not technically a family show – they warned us ahead of time that language was likely to get a little rough – but perfectly within our acceptable range. For under $ 10 a head, this was a super fun Austin experience for a visitor and for us locals too. We look forward to going back.

Want to see top quality sketch, improv and stand-​up without all that pretentious singing and dancing? Coldtowne. Any night of the week.

such an awesome atmosphere with awesome improve. And they take beer of donations of 2 $ only… WHAT??? pretty small once you get in but its cozy and the people are very talented. I cannot wait to go back. Love the place and Im glad I stumbled, literally, across it.

Went to the frank mills show tonight, absolutely hilarious, these guys are awesome, can’t wait to come back

I’ve been going to comedy in Austin for years at all the local venues and I enjoy the shows everywhere, but Coldtowne Theater is my favorite. Other theaters you might want to be very selective what night of the week you go and which act you see, but at Coldtowne the acts are just so consistently funny. A reason for this is their improv classes are consistent as well, training their students to perform as top of the line talent and developing their comedy skills to be utterly hilarious. They seem to be having such fun onstage and yet they also put so much work into being entertaining. All theaters in town have a core group of talent who are very funny, but at Coldtowne they are constantly creating fresh comedians who perform at a level you wouldn’t expect of someone who has only been doing improv for a year or two. They are just so supportive of each other. Every so often you will see a troupe do a run of final shows, because the people on it are moving to New York or LA to try to make it in comedy. So there is a chance that the people you’ll see currently at Coldtowne could be in movies or TV in a few years.
So if you’re remotely interested in improv classes, this is the place to start. If you just want to watch shows, this is the place where you are most able to go any night of the week and be entertained. A current favorite is the all female troupe Loverboy that plays on Wednesday nights, or the team Movie Riot on Fridays, or the Frank Mills on Saturdays, but these are just acts to start with if you don’t know which to choose and want to see people who have been performing for years. Those weekend shows often sell out so buying online is worth considering if you don’t mind the service charge, or else get there 45 minutes early (& beat all the people who thought they could get there 30 mins early). I go there mainly to see comedians who are new and fresh to the comedy scene, it’s exciting to see if they are going to bomb or bring the house down, and constantly it’s the latter and I’m cracking up at how funny some new person is that I haven’t seen before.
Added good qualities are that they are BYOB, street parking isn’t hard to find in the event that their parking lot is full, and for many shows the tickets are only $ 5. Once a month they have Karaōke after the final midnight show plays, and anyone can just sign up on a list and get up and sing.
For parents there is a kids’ show every Saturday morning where they perform an improv show with a talking poodle named Steve (there is actually an improv performer on the mic doing his voice). They get the kids up on stage if they want to be part of the show, and pepper the show with jokes for the parents as well.

It’s been a hot minute since I first reviewed this joint, and I believe it deserves an update. Seeing as how my first review kind of accurately reflects my virginal opinion, there must be some clarifications made.
A few things have changed. The creepy, drippy word «LIVE» is gone from the front exterior. It has been replaced with new paint and a cool new mural on the side of the building! Coldtowne is still not a place to watch porn (see previous review). You can drive on down to Dreamer’s for that. They have expanded the space somewhat inside. Still BYOB, forever and always I hope. Purchasing tickets through their website is a nice and easy, since they have gotten a bit more popular over the years. I got waitlisted on a recent Friday evening since I didn’t purchase tickets in advance! Sad face! No worries, they let me in. Parking is now a constant issue, so park in the neighborhood if you can.
I’ve introduced a lot of my friends to this little theater and they always love it. No one has ever been disappointed in my recommendation. Sometimes it gets me all nostalgic… like «Back in my day, Sundays and Wednesdays (maybe even Mondays) were FREE and/​or pay what you want!» OR «Back in my day there weren’t any hip restaurants on Airport to eat dinner at before a show. Now we’ve got hip places like Kome, Bun Belly and Bullfight within walking distance.»
They have a lot of mainstay shows. I’ve seen some of the same troupes many times because they have had a weekly timeslot for years. And it never gets old. I may be the one and only biggest improv fan who has never been close to attempting to take classes. And while I totally and completely admire the work of improvisers, public speaking is a feat I have yet to tackle! Public anything, really. That being said, I have been to all of the improv theaters in town. I had a first date at Hideout once. But that’s another story. Coldtowne is BY FAR my favorite. There is a big difference from theater to theater. Some are more theatrical, relying more on acting skills and less comedic improvising, in my humble non-​graduate opinion. I can only assume that Coldtowne probably has the best improv teachers, since they always have the best shows. Sure, it’s divey, and seating is limited. Just sit in the front row. You’ll thank me later.

This place is amazing!!! The improv shows and late night stand up are fantastically funny. Also, did I mention it’s BYOB! I’ve been a few times with my boyfriend and other friends and we’ve gone in with our bottle of wine. We usually just ask for a few plastic cups from the staff at the front counter and they are more than happy to oblige. They are friendly and comedians are great. I can’t wait to go back!

John Ratliff! John Ratliff! John Ratliff! John Ratliff! John Ratliff!

intimate venue to go check out some improv/​comedy. i am glad i came to check it out. also, super nice staff.

It’s a good place. I liked the BYOB n free popcorn when u book online. Cozy, comfy, happy :)

This is a super cute comedy theater. I don’t often go to comedy shows but I went to improv night last night and it was pretty fun! The space is quite tiny and intimate so you are really there with the actors.
It was kind of nice feeling like part of this community for an hour or so. It’s like going to an intimate concert and then seeing the same band play at Stubbs. You never know who you might ‘discover’ and I love supporting a local business. BYOB and only $ 5.

This is my go-​to place to take friends in from out of town! Great atmosphere and always hilarious!

It was amazing. Went on a Sunday night. The performers were great. Nice intimate environment. Will definitely visit again. Definitely worth the $ 5.

Intimate improv at its best! When you walk in you’ll feel like you just got invited to the insider’s party. A casual atmosphere where friends hang out before the show and enjoy wine, beer, topo chico or other refreshments. Plus, you can BYOB if you so choose.
Be sure to book online and you’ll get free popcorn! — Not to mention you’ll make sure to get a ticket (sometimes they sell out if you wait til the door)
The theater itself is very intimate (about 20 seats) and you almost feel like you’re on the stage with the actors. Depending on what troupes show up that night, the show can make you cry laughing so hard or just mere entertainment. — Either way, you’ll leave feeling a surge of energy from the small crowd and closeness to the actors.
No doubt, this is one of the best date/​hangout spots I’ve found in Austin and all for a minimal cost.

First off, BYOB! Wish we had known.
Secondly, very appealing. Sometimes very funny, sometimes kind of rough, but this is where it starts, folks. Tiny venue, very friendly, give it a try.

We went on a Thursday night and didn’t have a problem with parking or seating. I love the seats and couches, so comfy. I thought the show was funny and my boyfriend really enjoyed it as well. And everyone was so friendly! The comedians even shared their pie and beverages with us strangers :) I will definitely be visiting again!

ColdTowne Theater was fun! Love the BYOB, cute little trailer outside for yummies and the staff was really friendly. We went to a really random improv show and had a really good time. The theater is intimate, and you almost feel like part of the show. Everyone there, cast and crew included, was having a good time. I will definitely return with friends!
My only word of caution is that even though they have a Unilocal deal, there was no way to redeem it by buying a ticket online. Luckily, it was easy to get tickets at the door and use the deal that way.

So, these guys (and sometimes ladies) are just fantastic! What an amazing troupe of improv rock stars. We regularly bring out of town guests to see what’s new. Nothing has ever been repeated, the shows are all very original and entertaining.
BYOB (yay), tight seating, small parking lot. Just don’t get there at the last minute. That, and being late is rude. And also, you are fair game for funny bait!
I only have one problem with these guys, and it’s the online ordering charge. On one hand, I understand, someone else probably does the processing. But on the other hand, they are getting a heads up that we’re buying tickets. I just bought three tickets and had to pay $ 3.75 in «Service Charges» and then another $ 1.00 in «Delivery». Now, when I’m doing Will Call tickets… and buying them a few days out… do you really need to charge me $ 4.75 in additional charges? I have called before when I bought the Unilocal deal and it was sort of more of a hassle than it was worth, which is why we didn’t buy another one.
This of course, has nothing to do with the excellent quality of the shows, or the great stars, or even the people who staff ColdTowne. I just think the ordering process could be a bit better.

A friend of mine manages some shows here, so I tagged along when I was in town visiting. I had heard of this place back when I lived in Austin, but for some reason it never dawned on me that I should actually check it out. Man I wish I did.
Cheap, friendly and chill atmosphere, cool crowd, funny people, BYOB, next to I Heart Video… seriously, what else could you ask for? In the age of comedy clubs charging ridiculous fees + requiring the purchase of crappy overpriced drinks, this place is refreshing. It’s true to Austin, while not being pretentious about it.
Don’t know what to do on Friday night? Go see a show here. The acts I saw were mainly local, many perhaps just getting started, but that was all part of the entertainment. No it won’t be a Comedy Central special, but it’s a whole lot of fun.

I am an improviser in Chicago.
It does my heart good to see a small BYOB theater carrying the torch.
I was there on a night they were doing the «Stool Pigeon» form, similar to iO Chicago’s «Armando Diaz» or UCB’s «Asssssssscat.» A monologist recounts a story or two, and the cast creates scenes inspired by those stories.
I had improv and I had a six-​pack of Lone Star Beer. I smiled as I enjoyed a little bit of home and a little bit of Texas at the same time.
Support your local comedy scene, Austin!

So far so good. wine? Check. anticipatory smilie face on? Check. Oh damn do they have a bathroom? Thank God check! More later after the show…:).ok, now my face hurts! Fantastic competition AND I was lucky /​blessed that my first time here happened to be an annual (truly funny) event!
Talk to those sweet things out back after the show! Talented, photo hounds, & accomodating to their fans! !! :)