Upcoming Events

Wanna learn how to make people laugh? BABS Comedy Club offers a unique way to learn comedy writing, with every week focusing on different elements, forms, and structures. You can even stay after class and try your new material out in front of an audience at our FREE standup open mic, Thursdays @8. Best of all, the entire series culminates in a student showcase where your best writing is performed on the BABS stage! Take the whole program OR simply drop in to any single class for only $25!

Week 1: Generating unlimited material and brainstorming techniques (10/16/25) 

Week 2: The anatomy of a joke (10/23/25)

Week 3: Standup writing and performing; crowd work (10/30/25) 

Week 4: Sketch writing structure and improvising to create a sketch (11/6/25)

Week 5: Sketch writing formats Part 1 (11/13/25) 

Week 6: Sketch Writing formats Part 2 (11/20/25) 

Week 7: Writing Desk Pieces and Monologues for TV (12/4/25)

Week 8: Comedic Song writing (12/11/25)

Week 9: Comedy Showcase Rehearsal (12/18/25)

Week 10: Student Comedy Showcase on the BABS Stage! (Sunday 12/21/25 @6pm)

🎤 STANDUP OPEN MIC – RAW. REAL. UNCENSORED. 🎤

This isn't Netflix. This isn’t a polished special.
This is where comedy is born screaming.

Come watch stand-up comics take real risks onstage.
New jokes. Wild ideas. Total bombs. Surprise genius.
All of it, unfiltered, unpolished, and alive.

This is your backstage pass to the creative chaos—
A room full of comics throwing darts in the dark,
and when they hit? It’s magic.

No rules. No limits. No safe words.
Just a mic, a crowd, and the fearless pursuit of funny.

Support the hustle. Witness the mess. Catch lightning.

* FREE Admission!

* No drink minimum for guests or comics

* Bring Your Own Food! 

* 3.5 minute standup sets

* Online signups begin every Thursday at noon. Go to our Open Mic Signups page!

* Doors Open at 7:30pm

*Accessibility:

Please email babscomedyclub@gmail.com or call (773)916-5565 with accessibility questions or requests. Arrangements can be made to accommodate your needs with prior notice.

*Getting here:

We are located at 7316 Madison St., between Circle Ave. and Marengo. We are 10 miles west of downtown Chicago, off the 290W Harlem exit. We are a .6 mi walk from the Harlem Blue Line Station, and .8 miles from the Harlem/Lake Green Line Station and UP-W Metra Oak Park Station.

*Parking:

There is ample metered parking on Madison Street ($1/hour until 8pm) and free street parking in surrounding residential areas. Please be aware of parking signage and permitted areas, and be mindful of our neighbors when entering and exiting the venue.

*Food/Drinks:

We serve bottled and canned sodas, sparkling waters, beers, and pre-mixed cocktails, as well as small pre-packaged snacks for purchase. We're also a Bring Your Own Food establishment so feel free to order to-go from one of the many delicious local restaurants in Forest Park!

Every week, catch a different lineup of your favorite comedians from all over Chicago, Chicagoland, and beyond! Enjoy a night of laughter while you watch the most iconic rising stars of comedy right in your neighborhood! 

🎭 NEW! KID-PROV OPEN GYM, A Drop-In Improv Workshop for Kids Who LOVE to Laugh! 🎭
Does your kid crack up at our Kid-Prov shows?
Now it’s THEIR turn to work it out—comedy style!

Join us for a high-energy, laugh-filled open gym for the imagination, where kids ages 7–13 can jump into the fun of improv with the pros! Our professional comedians (and seasoned educators) will lead kids through:

💥 Fast-paced improv games
💥 Confidence-boosting activities
💥 On-the-spot creativity workouts
💥 Big laughs, big fun, and even bigger skills

It’s like a workout... for your funny bone 🦴💪

No experience needed—just bring your imagination and your best silly self.

🎟️ After the Kid-Prov Gym, kids are welcome to stay and watch our popular Kid-Prov show for FREE with a parent or guardian present!

Bring the kiddos out to our high-energy, interactive improv comedy show! Watch as our comedians create hilarious scenes and songs based on YOUR suggestions and creating a choose-your-own-comedy-adventure show where your kiddos call the shots! No two shows are the same, so you can come back again and again! And best of all, parents can enjoy the show with an adult libation from our bar featuring beer, wine, ready-to-drink cocktails, and more! Highly recommended for kids ages 4-12. 

Some light is used at this show that may be disruptive to people who are sensitive to light.

**BIRTHDAY ADD-ON AVAILABLE!**

Would your kiddo like to celebrate their birthday at a Kid-Prov show?! Select the “Birthday Bash” add-on at check-out for only $50 more and you’ll get:

-A table set up just for your kiddo’s gifts and cake/outside food (That’s right: all of our shows have the option to Bring-Your-Own-Food!)

-The Kid-Prov! Cast will lead the whole audience in singing Happy Birthday to your little one

-The Kid-Prov! Cast will make your little one a comedy star for the day by bringing them ON STAGE during the show to participate in one of our hilarious improv games! 

-In order to protect your child and our business, we require at least 1 adult in attendance per every 5 children in each show. 

Watch our hilarious improv house team players -- the BABS Babes-- as they create gut-busting comedy scenes and songs on the spot based on your suggestions and accompanied by live improv piano in every show!

🎭 BABS Babes Improv @8: Every laugh is made up on the spot!

Get ready for a wild night of fast-paced, "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"-style short form improv from Chicago's funniest comedians! The BABS Babes bring the heat every weekend at the cozy, speakeasy-style BABS Comedy Club.

No drink minimum. BYO snacks. Just non-stop laughs in your cozy neighborhood comedy destination.

Show run time is approximately 90 minutes. Ages 18+, under 18 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. 

**BIRTHDAY ADD-ON AVAILABLE!**

Select the “Birthday Bash” add-on at check-out for only $50 more and you’ll get:

-A table set up just for your gifts and cake/outside food (No outside drinks, please)

-The BABS Babes will lead the whole audience in singing Happy Birthday to the guest of honor

-The BABS Babes will make your guest of honor a comedy star for the day by bringing them ON STAGE during the show to participate in one of our hilarious improv games! 

Sick of going to open mics that are majority male?  Then Femme Feedback is for you!  Each month we bring in a new veteran (non-male) comic to give feedback to a new lineup of female (cis and trans) and non-binary comics who are trying out material that may not be appreciated by an all-dude audience.  The show is free, all are welcome in the audience, but performance is limited to performers who are female and/or trans or non-binary. Produced by comedians Vivian Burgett and Mary Budd.

Interested in signing up?  Follow the Instagram page at @femmefeedback_chicagoland for instructions and details!

Unleash your creativity, boost confidence, and learn to think on your feet! This 8-week improv course, taught by professional performers with decades of experience, ends with a live showcase on the BABS Comedy Club stage. No experience needed—just bring your imagination.

IMPROV SESSION 5- Wednesdays 6-8

Week 1: Improv Basics (10/15/25) 

Week 2: Finding the Game of the Scene (10/22/25) 

Week 3: Building Characters (10/29/25) 

Week 4: Relationship Scenes (11/5/25) 

Week 5: Physical Movement/Object work/Scene building (11/12/25) 

Week 6: Genres, Emotional exploration (11/19/25) 

Week 7: Short form games, One-liner games, X-factor (12/3/25) 

Week 8: Music improv (12/10/25)

Week 9: Improv Showcase Rehearsal- *only included with 8 class package purchase (12/17/25)

Week 10: Improv Showcase- *only included with 8 class package purchase (Sunday 12/21/25 @6pm)

Looking for midweek laughs and good vibes? Swing by BABS Comedy Club every Wednesday night for our FREE Open Improv Jam – a fun, no-pressure night of comedy where everyone’s welcome on stage (or just to kick back and enjoy the show)!

Each week, one of our hilarious BABS Babes (our house team performers) leads the group through a mix of short-form games, longform scenes, and quick one-liner challenges. Whether you're a total newbie or a seasoned improviser, you'll feel right at home.

🎤 Come to play, or just watch the magic happen
🍻 Bar’s open – beers, wines, cocktails, sodas
🚫 No drink minimum
🎟️ Free entry, always
👶 Ages 18+

Make your Wednesdays weird, wild, and full of laughs.
BABS Comedy Club – where funny happens (and you're part of it).

*Accessibility:

Please email babscomedyclub@gmail.com or call (773)916-5565 with accessibility questions or requests. Arrangements can be made to accommodate your needs with prior notice.

*Getting here:

We are located at 7316 Madison St., between Circle Ave. and Marengo. We are 10 miles west of downtown Chicago, off the 290W Harlem exit. We are a .6 mi walk from the Harlem Blue Line Station, and .8 miles from the Harlem/Lake Green Line Station and UP-W Metra Oak Park Station.

*Parking:

There is ample metered parking on Madison Street ($1/hour until 8pm) and free street parking in surrounding residential areas. Please be aware of parking signage and permitted areas, and be mindful of our neighbors when entering and exiting the venue.

*Food/Drinks:

We serve bottled and canned sodas, sparkling waters, beers, and pre-mixed cocktails, as well as small pre-packaged snacks for purchase. We do not provide glasses or straws at this time. If you’re looking for a full meal, we recommend coming out early and enjoying one of the many delicious local restaurants in Forest Park! Outside food is permitted, however we do not provide utensils or napkins.

BABS Comedy Club is thrilled to collaborate with celebrated Hispanic comedians Uzi Acosta, Jose Alfredo, Adrian Ayala, and Dave Ramos to bring you a brand new monthly standup comedy showcase en español y spanglish! Catch Chicago’s top Latino/a/e comedians in your new favorite comedy club!

Costco Hotdogs is a spirited ensemble of senior performers unleashes spontaneous musical comedy with keyboard grooves, harmonica riffs, and vocal wit—blending wisdom, whimsy, and wild improvisation. Each show is a joyful rebellion against predictability, where age brings rhythm and punchlines in equal measure.

*Please note: OPEN STAGE events are independently produced and do not feature the BABS house team or original BABS programming.

🎭 STUDENT SHOWCASE @ BABS COMEDY CLUB 🎭

Ever wondered what goes down in our Improv and Comedy Writing Workshops? Now’s your chance to find out — and have a blast doing it!

Join us for a special night of laughs as students from both workshops hit the stage to show off what they've learned. From quick-witted improv to original jokes and sketches, it’s a full-spectrum comedy showcase you won't want to miss.

💸 Cost: FREE!
🍹 Bar: OPEN!

Whether you're thinking of signing up for a class or just want a fun (and free!) night out, come support these rising stars and see what BABS is all about.

Interested in learning improv or comedy writing? There's still time to sign up for our next session, beginning January 14th & 15th! Registration closes on January 13th.

A standup showcase featuring the best up-and-coming acts in the Chicago comedy circuit. Produced by Brad St. Ledger. Ages 18+, patrons under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

*Please note: OPEN STAGE events are independently produced and do not feature the BABS house team or original BABS programming.

Our improv workshop series is taught professional improv comedians who also have decades of experience in both performance and education! We lead our classes in both short-form and long-form improv exercises to help you build skills such as confidence, active listening, strengthening your collaborative spirit, creativity, physicality, and comedy performance– all in a fun, supportive, and silly environment! After 9 weeks of classes, the series culminates in a student showcase right on the BABS stage! Drop-ins are also welcome for the comedy-curious.

IMPROV SESSION 6- Wednesdays 6-8

Week 1: Improv Basics (1/14/26) 

Week 2: Finding the Game of the Scene (1/21/26) 

Week 3: Building Characters (1/28/26) 

Week 4: Relationship Scenes (2/4/26) 

Week 5: Physical Movement/Object work/Scene building (2/11/26) 

Week 6: Genres, Emotional exploration (2/18/26) 

Week 7: Short form games, One-liner games, X-factor (2/28/26) 

Week 8: Music improv (3/4/26) Emily & Dave

Week 9: Improv Showcase Rehearsal- *only included with 8 class package purchase (3/11/26)

Week 10: Improv Showcase- *only included with 8 class package purchase (Sunday 3/15/26 @6pm)

Wanna learn how to make people laugh? BABS Comedy Club offers a unique way to learn comedy writing, with every week focusing on different elements, forms, and structures. You can even stay after class and try your new material out in front of an audience at our FREE standup open mic, Thursdays @8. Best of all, the entire series culminates in a student showcase where your best writing is performed on the BABS stage! Take the whole program OR simply drop in to any single class for only $25!

Thursdays 5:30-7:30

Week 1: Generating unlimited material and brainstorming techniques (1/15/26)

Week 2: The anatomy of a joke (1/22/26) 

Week 3: Standup writing and performing; crowd work (1/29/26)

Week 4: Sketch writing structure and improvising to create a sketch (2/5/26) 

Week 5: Sketch writing formats Part 1 (2/12/26) 

Week 6: Sketch Writing formats Part 2 (2/19/26)

Week 7: Writing Desk Pieces and Monologues for TV (2/26/26)

Week 8: Comedic Song writing (3/5/26)

Week 9: Comedy Showcase Rehearsal (3/12/26)

Week 10: Student Comedy Showcase on the BABS Stage! (Sunday 3/15/26 @6pm)

Get ready for a ride! Chicago improv veterans Craig Uhlir and Erin Howell deliver lightning-fast, high-energy, big-character long-form improv that veers into the smart, the silly, and the shockingly musical. With Dave Asher on keys.

Fred Zimmerman is a respected Chicago actor with over 35 years’ experience acting in National Broadway Touring Companies, Regional Theaters, and Stock Companies across the country, as well as network Television and films 

​But when Fred isn't onstage getting inside the heads of his characters, he's getting inside the heads of his AUDIENCE at private parties, corporate events, and tradeshows.

​How does Fred read minds?  Well, he doesn’t REALLY … he uses the tools of an actor … observation, character analysis, the knowledge of human nature and human behavior, and other little-known tools and tactics … to create the experience of psychic phenomenon.  

You’ll swear he can read your mind.

Please note: OPEN STAGE events are independently produced and do not feature the BABS house team or original BABS programming.

Bad Momz of Comedy, as seen on the Kelly Clarkson Show, continues to sell out shows across the country -- making moms and men laugh. Founded by Chicago-based comic Orly KG in 2022, each Bad Momz of Comedy show utilizes a small showcase of hilarious comics from its growing roster of 80+ influential mom/female comics. Previously packed venues include Zanies Nashville, Chicago, and Rosemont, Illinois as well as St. Louis City Winery, Chicago's Theater on the Lake, and more. @badmomzofcomedy on all socials.

Orly K.G. continues to hustle her way into the comedy scene with her sarcasm and antics about marriage, parenting, and her rapidly decaying body. She’s appeared at Second City Chicago, Zanies, Comedy Bar, The Laugh Factory, The Lincoln Lodge, and Annoyance Theater. Orly K.G. is the founder of Bad Momz of Comedy, as well as the co-creator of two pretty decent kids with her patient, non-comic husband. This Jewish mom is funny -- but PLEASE do not call her Mrs. Maisel. Oy! @orlykgcomedy on all socials

🎭 STUDENT SHOWCASE @ BABS COMEDY CLUB 🎭

Ever wondered what goes down in our Improv and Comedy Writing Workshops? Now’s your chance to find out — and have a blast doing it!

Join us for a special night of laughs as students from both workshops hit the stage to show off what they've learned. From quick-witted improv to original jokes and sketches, it’s a full-spectrum comedy showcase you won't want to miss.

💸 Cost: FREE!
🍹 Bar: OPEN!

Whether you're thinking of signing up for a class or just want a fun (and free!) night out, come support these rising stars and see what BABS is all about.

Interested in learning improv or comedy writing? Check out our website for our upcoming workshop sessions! 

Divorce Diaries, created by Michele Traina, is a national touring comedy show, TV series in development, comedy special on Amazon Prime, web series, podcast, and a social media hub for single parents, divorcees, and divorce-related businesses & experiences. Divorced, Married, or Single everyone can find a piece of themselves in Divorce Diaries. Michele has toured over 20 cities with Divorce Diaries, appeared on Tamron Hall, Wendy Williams, Chippendales Las Vegas, and NBC, ABC, & CBS affiliates throughout the country. Divorce Diaries TV pilot has won over a dozen awards and will be released on a streaming platform this fall.