About the Arcade

Our mission:

Arcade Comedy Theater inspires joy and nurtures community-building by connecting artists and audiences with the dynamic artform of comedy. With exceptional performances and educational offerings, Arcade entertains and uplifts Pittsburgh audiences and beyond.

Our vision:

Arcade will elevate and advance the art of comedy, by fostering a safe, inclusive space to explore and play with humor. In doing so, our community finds artistic fulfillment, confidence, and healing through the development of their unique comedic voice. Our audiences experience exciting, engaging, and spirit-lifting performances that showcase comedy in its many forms.

Our values:

INCLUSIVITY AND SAFETY: Comedy must reflect the diverse world in which it is presented. Humor can hurt as easily as it can help, and a foundation of trust is necessary to enjoy the artform. Arcade will ensure equitable practices and swiftly remedy when our foundation is cracked.
AFFORDABILITY: Arcade is proud to be positioned as the most affordable live entertainment offering in downtown Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. Laughter and levity should be experienced by all. With programs such as our children show’s “Pay As You Wish,” Academy internships, and the Diversity Scholarship, we strive to break down barriers to entry and provide accessibility to our organization.
VARIETY: Like our organization’s namesake, Arcade was founded with a vision to showcase many different styles within one form of live entertainment. We will broaden the audience’s preconceived notion of “comedy,” by producing and presenting everything from proven standards to offbeat styles.
EXPERIMENTATION: Improvisation and other forms of comedic expression are dependent on artists feeling free to try new things, fail, and try again. Arcade’s Academy encourages students to “play,” and for teammates to support one another’s new ideas made up on the spot. In order for individuals to hone their unique comedic voice, there must be a willingness to experiment with an open mind.
COLLABORATION: Arcade values the wisdom, creativity, and input of our community. This is a vibrant, passionate group of artists, audiences, designers, technicians, students, staff, and volunteers. We will also forge partnerships with our downtown Pittsburgh neighbors, the rich tapestry of non-profit arts organizations in the city, and other comedy organizations across the world.

Arcade Comedy Theater is a 501(c)3 non-profit theater organization located in the heart of Pittsburgh’s Cultural District that produces, presents, and educates in the art of comedy. The Arcade was founded in 2013 as the city’s first non-profit theater exclusively dedicated to comedy, with a mission to strengthen and enrich the community through laughter for all. In 2017, the theater successfully expanded from a small storefront to a custom and accessible three-story, two-theater facility in order to serve more artists and audiences with new programming and class opportunities.

The theater presents a variety of programming 52 weekends a year in improv, stand-up, sketch, and other comedic forms, plus a bi-monthly matinee improv show for kids. Improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy classes for all ages and levels are taught by talented professional actors and comedians within the Arcade Academy. Arcade’s Corporate Training and Entertainment strengthens the communication skills of professionals and makes work fun throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania. Arcade has been named “Best Place to See Live Comedy” by the readers of Pittsburgh Magazine multiple times, and has been featured in WQED, Yahoo News, and Paste Magazine.