Forthcoming Union Square Improv Comedy Theater Will Serve Beer and Taquitos

Somerville is getting an improv comedy theater that will serve alcohol and various snacks. The folks behind the Union Improv Festival and the Kerfuffle event series plan to open Union Comedy, a 72-seat theater and improv school located at 434 McGrath Highway, up in the Prospect Hill section of Somerville’s Union Square area.

Union Comedy will offer original long-form improv comedy programming, as well as an improv comedy school. Theatergoers won’t go hungry or thirsty: There will be a bar which will serve beer (Red Stripe, Anchor Steam, and Somerville’s own Aeronaut all feature on the opening night menu), cider, wine, liquor, and soft drinks. Attendees will also be able to indulge in various snacks, such as personal pizzas, burritos, cheese and chicken taquitos, and chips.

“The bar program at Union Comedy Theatre is all about affordability and choice for our customers,” co-founder Ben Scurria told Eater via email. “With most of our shows being $10 or less, we wanted a bar that reflected that approachable attitude too. We’re going to have six tap lines. Four of those will offer a rotating selection of beers and ciders, with at least one local beer always on tap. The other two lines will be reserved for a white wine and a sangria. We will also be offering a selection of canned mixed drinks at opening, with an eye towards expanding the bar program as we grow.”

Scurria is joined in the endeavor by partners Andrew Barlow, Ben Gibb, Pat Kearnan, and Sara Teague, all of whom have produced, directed, and performed in various comedy productions in and around Boston. They’re currently running a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to help offset some of the costs related to construction and opening, seeking to raise $30,000 — or ideally the stretch goal of $50,000 — over the next month. (At press time, they were already nearing $18,000.) The project is also being covered by the founders’ capital and SBA-backed small business loans.

The team hasn’t announced a timeline for Union Comedy’s opening yet; stay tuned for updates. When it does open, it’ll add to Union Square’s comedy scene: The Comedy Studio is open on the second floor of Somerville’s Bow Market, featuring stand-up comedy daily.

• Union Comedy Crowdfunds for Permanent Theater [Scout Somerville]
• Union Comedy is Building Boston’s Newest Comedy Theater [KS]