A June-ful of comedy via Coalition Theater

Comedy comes in all shapes and sizes, for example, the shape and size of a building on Broad Street.

June 1, 2016; 3:02 PM • by Rachel Marsh

The Coalition Theater, now located in the Arts District at 8 W. Broad Street, has been bringing entertainment and laughs to the people of Richmond since 2009.

A longform improv comedy-based theater, they also host standup and sketch comedy nights, in addition to offering classes in all three categories. And no big deal or whatever but it’s been voted the Best Local Comedy Group in Richmond for the fifth year.

This June, in addition to their regularly scheduled programs, they’ve got a couple of extra tricks up their non-existent invisible improv sleeves.

RVA TONIGHT

What it is

Picture the best late-night talk show you have ever seen. But instead of watching it on your boring old couch through your boring old TV, you can watch it live, on stage, here in Richmond.

And instead of having to sit through dozens of lame commercials every 10 minutes, you can view spoofy advertisements about things like Vanderpop, Sally’s Antique Weapons Emporium, Wine-o of the Month Club, and Cash for Eggs.

And instead of watching interviews with people that you’ll never meet, you can watch interviews with locally famous Richmonders that you probably recognize and might even have run into at Kroger once.

Past guests have included Andrew Freiden (that guy that tells you the weather), Sherry and John Petersik (that Young House Love couple), Jonathan the Juggler (that unicycling guy at all the big festivals), Todd Parney (that quirky guy that owns that baseball team of ours), and other interview-worthy Richmonders.

And at the next show on June 3rd, they’ve got a solid lineup of guests, including this one guy named Terry McAuliffe.

Who hosts it

RVA Tonight is hosted by the one and the only Beau Cribbs. Beau Cribbs is to Richmond today what David Letterman was to America in the 1980s. His talk show host personality is a blend of Stephen Colbert (the jokes), Jimmy Fallon (the charm), Jay Leno (the chin), Wendy Williams (the sass), and Maury (he’s always trying to get people to take paternity tests).

And what great late night host doesn’t have a charismatic sidekick to keep the show rolling along?

Enter: Matt Newman. Matt is the co-founder, executive director, and owner of the Coalition Theater itself. And for RVA Tonight, he’s the Andy Richter to Beau’s Conan O’Brien, sharing interview duties and throwing in witty quips, important information, and clever one-liners throughout the show.

Where it’s happening

Usually RVA Tonight takes place at the Coalition Theater, but because it’s their two-year anniversary, and because there’s not much space at the Coalition, and because this show strives to be as Richmond as possible, this month it will be taking place at the historic and exotic Byrd Theater.

When it’s happening

Friday, June 3rd at 8:00 PM.

How to attend

Click here, and follow the instructions accordingly. And most importantly, be there the night of the show.

2ND BEST COMEDY FEST

The number two almost greatest second best festival here in Richmond.

What it is

If the vibe in Richmond seems a little more humorous the third weekend in June, it’s because there are comedians from all over the country infiltrating our space, breathing our air, and entertaining our citizens. This humbly-named festival is blending local comedians with comedians from all over, for a minor explosion of clever improv and witty jokes.

What to expect

Shows! Hey, what’s the point of having all these comedians come to Richmond if they’re not going to entertain us!? For three nights in a row, there will be back-to-back shows, in various venues, performed by over 30 teams from all around the country. You can even buy an all-access pass to have unlimited admission to shows, and to feel really important.

Workshops! Three different workshops from three expert improvisers, teaching attendees to make bold moves, follow patterns, and learn new methods of approaching the stage.

Where it’s happening

The Coalition Theater itself is hosting many of the events and shows Thursday through Saturday; TheatreLab and Gallery 5 will also be housing comedians and their charades throughout the weekend.