Looks like the laughs are moving west.
“This has been something, that since I took over ComedySportz over ten years ago, I think has always been a bit of the grand plan,” says Benji Cooksey, Executive Director of ComedySportz Houston. “Being able to do a purpose-built theater is such a gift, as hard as it has been.”
After nearly a decade in East Downtown (EaDo) CSz Houston, the family-friendly improv outfit that produces the game-center improv series ComedySportz will be packing up and leaving their home-base on Preston Street. The plan is to launch a new theatrical space in Jersey Village called The Good Friend Theatre, which will launch ComedySportz and a spat of new shows starting on Saturday, July 19.
“ComedySportz is celebrating 35 years,” the producer proudly proclaimes, “and I will say that spiritually ComedySportz will still be the cornerstone of our business. But the exciting thing is we’ve figured out how to build something with multiple stages, and with some many shows and teams coming in, we’re building something for not just where we’re at, but something we can grow into for the next 10-20 years.”
“Having the opportunity to be a part of one of original movements of improv in Houston,” he says, “[I knew] I wanted to take it to the next level for the city of Houston. Seeing all the major cities (and even some of the smaller cities), it is crazy to me that Houston doesn’t have more of this.
“We have obviously seen the development of other theaters for improv, which has been awesome, but I knew for our theater, the growth of not only ComedySportz but all these additional shows we’ve been doing, and wanting to grow the community, I’ve been wanted to create something bigger. Not just for our team, but we are having so many people coming through the Houston School of Improv, just the different shows we are doing. The Good Friend Theater is sort of this acknowledgement I would say of all these people and having a home we can come under one banner with.”
In addition to serving up laughs, Cooksey seems jubilant that they’ll also be slinging drinks and the other upgrades this new space will offer the troupe. “I’d say some must haves for us are certainly creative spaces for us as performers to be that aren’t necessarily onstage,” Cooksey explains. “The true luxury is not what people would think: like, I am excited about the bar and lounge, that’s awesome. I’m excited about our two lovely theaters.
“But I would say the real gem, if any improviser knows what I’m talking about, is we have a back hallway that passes behind the main theater and between the green rooms, so you can get to all two stages and the back classroom by just passing through the back of theater without going through back of house. To me, that’s how you know we’ve really hit the big top!”
Cooksey says it helps ComedySportz broaden the tent of who might be looking to book a night on their stage: namely, touring comedy acts made up of a well-known faces. [With the back hallway] “You can travel through the theater and even exit the theater without ever being seen,” he clarifies “So if we ever get some big celebrity who doesn’t want to be amongst the people, we can get them in and out without having to be amongst us pleebs.”
Cooksey says that wheels are already in motion for some bookings beyond Houston regulars. “In fact, we already have some of that lined up. Good friend of mine, Chris Grace, who does a lot of stuff out in LA and is an actor in his own right on television, we’re getting him lined up to do one of his live shows. We’ve been talking to a lot of podcasters that are going around.”
This leads the executive director to his larger ambition for Houston’s improv community: stability and growth. “What I want for Houston and… it’s not that I think that right now I will have the ability to transform Houston into the next Chicago. Those improv scenes are so huge, even New York and LA. But what I wanted to be able to build for Houston is the ability to be able to perform within our theater. Be able to join one of the many teams — and we’re getting ready to bring a slew of new shows, we’re producing many of them and we’re inviting independent teams to come in and have their own moment.
“But my goal and hope is to have someone say they can perform with our theater and have had quality stage experience in a quality theater. I see Houston as this launching pad for so much of this great talent we see across this country. We want to embrace that role, while also bringing in those acts from across the country so people can make those connections.”
On a personal note, Cooksey is forthcoming with how ComedySportz changed his life, and led to the naming of their new space, The Good Friend Theater. “Personally, when I moved back to Houston, I felt like a fish out of water,” he says. “Which is crazy having grown up here! So the chance to audition and make ComedySportz was really a life changing experience for me, because I wanted to perform, but really what I was looking for was community. Making those connections made me realize, this is what’s most important to me. In fact, I could tell you one million stories that would probably just end up with me crying. I’m made my best friends and those life changing experiences where the folks I’ve met at ComedySportz.
“On top of that, I realize my story is one of literally so many where either they join ComedySportz, or come and take classes or join a show, there are just so many great folks who come into our building wanting to join improv or see improv and what that’s turned into is lasting friendships. People get married who have met at ComedySportz.
So the way I’ve been saying it is: The Good Friend Theater is a place where you can take a good friend, make a good friend or be a good friend. It’s important for me, because while we are going for laughs and comedy, but there are a lot of ways to arrive at laughing. It’s the joy we get in bringing that – it’s the joy in the silly, the inane, the goofy. But at the same time, it’s the heart of our theater. I invite everyone out to be a part of that.”
The Good Friend Theater intends to launch with ComedySportz on Saturday, July 19 at 7 p.m. at 8301 Jones Road, Suite #160. For more information, visit comedysportzhouston.com. 19.50-21.50
