The WIP Theater

This is the best Children’s Theater Program in the City (The WIP Training Center). The instructors are so encouraging, the shows are super sweet, and the kids love it! We have been involved from the start, and will continue to be for years to come! I have three daughters, and they have all taken classes & performed in shows. We are lucky to have this theater in the neighborhood. Definitely recommend checking it out!

Go out and support this place! Friendly staff and a quaint room for theater or comedy. I really appreciate that these guys are creative with shows. And hey, BYOB is always nice. My only complaint is that they can be hard to contact… but hopefully that was just an isolated thing. All in all, a spot worth checking out. I’ve been there twice now and found the shows to be entertaining both times.

The WIP theater is a real gem in the Edison Park neighborhood. The owners, and everyone else involved in the production of the theater are great people… trying to bring great things to the Edison Park community. They offer shows, plays and classes for kids. They bring you a wide variety of plays and shows… How could you go wrong with BYOB… On Tuesdays for $ 5 you can play trivia for prizes and after watch Chicago’s up and coming comics generate laughs among the crowd.
If you are looking for something todo on the weekend check out one of their shows! Jake the Snake, Preston Lacey, JJ Walk and Roney Ray have all passed through the theater on a Friday and Saturday night. Don’t miss out!

Great comedians. They still did awesome even though it was empty thanks to the hawks game! It’s byob so make sure yo bring something to enjoy during the show! Will definitely be going back soon!

This place is great! I have been several times, and it’s always worthwhile. I usually go for the comedy on weekends, but they have other events on the schedule; I saw a magic show once, which was impressive. Cost is a reasonable 15 to 20 bucks, and alcohol is BYOB. There is NOT a store in the immediate Edison Park neighborhood that is open during the 8pm or 10 pm showtimes, so come prepared if you’re interested in a drink at the show. I will definitely be back — love the WIP!

If I could give this place more stars I would. Thanks to Unilocal or we would of never found this place. The people running the show are over the top friendly and welcoming. And the comedians made me laugh so much my cheeks still hurt. The only con I could give doesn’t have anything to do with The WIP, but a annoying woman in the crowd. And even then the comedians are so good that they were able to keep the crowd laughing. This is a must see when in the area. Thanks for the good memories.

Went with a group of 5 last night. Laughed my ass off. The guys at the door were very nice. I look forward to going back. It’s BYOB so take advantage!

The WIP Theater is the kind of black box that makes the performing arts accessible to everyone, even in small communities. It’s run by a group of people who are not only invested in the community of Edison Park, but also deeply passionate about comedy and theater, and live performance in general. I’ve been several times, and it’s been impossible not to enjoy myself.
Tickets are easily affordable, you can bring your own drinks and eats, and chances are the owners and the performers will all personally thank you for coming. They have shows for kids through adults, and other fun things like trivia nights and classes.
What more do you want? A hippopotamus for Christmas?

Ah-​maazing, amaazing place!
The coziness of WIP makes you feel like you’re at some underground Chicago location, very hipster if you’re into that sort of thing.
A friend and I caught Verbatim Verboten here, and it was unlike any show I’ve ever seen. The audience was small but I never felt awkward, nor did it seem the performers were awked out. I’ve been to another show here which was phenomenal.
Ticket prices are cheap ($ 15), and it’s a wonderful way to spend an evening on the town without worrying about lines and crowds everywhere.

I’ve been meaning to check this place out since it opened up and finally did. A nice local neighborhood theater is great addition to the area. I went on a Friday night with a couple of buddies along with a case of beer and had a total blast! We saw 5 or 6 comedians who were all hilarious in their own different way (something for every comedic taste). The length of the show at about 2 hours was perfect. We were laughing the whole time. The crowd mix was diverse as well — from friends hanging out drinking beers to couples on a date to 30-​somethings taking their parents out for a show. All in all a good lively crowd.
The cosmetics of the theater are really nice too. The dark black walls coupled with small, round, candle-​lit tables creates an intimate atmosphere that would be a great start to any date night. The bathrooms are newly remodled as well and tastefully done.
You can tell that the owners really care about what they are doing and have a true passion for entertainment. Everyone was very welcoming and the owners all show a true interest in making sure you have a great time. ⁵⁄₅ stars for me and I’ll definately be back often. Admission price is very reasonable & it is currently BYOB too.
The area has a ton of bars and restaurants too so you can make it a total one-​stop evening.

The WIP Theater performances are very entertaining. I have now seen two shows; The Freak show and Verbatim Verboten and both times I was fully entertained and enjoyed myself. I agree with the other Unilocalers that sometimes you do not get the full description of the performance beforehand, but I get it, the shows are fluid works of art, you get the general idea but you have to see it acted out to fully appreciate it. And I am assuming each performance is different. The theater is very intimate and cozy. It is BYOB so I recommend bringing a bottle of nice wine, sitting back and enjoying the show. Parking is metered right in front or you can walk and find free parking across the street from Café Touché. There are also lots of other great restaurants in the area too, there is the famous Zia’s and Moretti’s that my friends and I have frequented long long time ago for special occasions such as proms and birthdays when in high school. The WIP Theater is a great addition to the neighborhood and has some very talented and passionate people working there.

The Space:
This is a nice cozy venue, primarily used for stand-​up and improv shows. All of the staff is friendly and welcoming. Tickets are cheap ($ 10-​$ 20 range) and can be purchased online. It’s BYOB, and there’s a liquor store nearby. Street parking is $ 2 per hour, but there are also a couple of free lots (described on their website). The theater itself is intimate and clean.
The Show:
A friend and I saw the Halloween show – The Séance. It was funny and we were thoroughly entertained, but the ads didn’t accurately explain what the show was. Example from the Chicago Reader: «In this re-​creation of a Victorian-​era séance, the cast tries to connect with Thomas Bradford, a Detroit native who committed suicide in 1921 in hopes of finding out if an afterlife exists.»
While Thomas Bradford was certainly discussed, no séance to attempt to speak with the dead happened. The two-​man show was half lecture on the history of spiritualism and half hilarious magic show. Both Jonny Zavant and Thom Briton are talented performers, but for a Halloween show, something was missing at the end to tie it all together.
I would’ve enjoyed either an earnest attempt (even if it led to nothing) to communicate with «the other side,» or a planned stunt to scare the audience (e.g., a false ending but then the lights go out and the doors slam closed, followed by a creepy in-​audience monologue from «Thomas Bradford» or the «Fox Sisters»).
Definitely check out this venue. It’s a nice addition to the far, far, far northwestern side of Chicago; I will definitely be back!

So we are waiting for the 10pm show inside just listening to one of the comedians. Laughing out tushies off. Can’t wait for the show to start.
The show was killer. Five comedians all great. Only bad part, mc was behind curtains smoking ciggies, and we were sitting right at the stage edge. That part sucked, but we will be back and let them know when we walk in about our smoke issue. Will be back soon and telling friends about this place! It’s great!