ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Upright Citizens Brigade is poised to leave its home of the past eight years on Avenue A, but will continue doing shows at another
Downtown venue, SubCulture.
Costs make U.C. Brigade decamp to SubCulture
BY SYDNEY PEREIRA
The Upright Citizens Brigade announced last
week that it is set to close its East Village
location next month. The venue for improv,
stand-up and sketch theater, at E. Third St. on Avenue
A, opened in 2011.
In an e-mail to the U.C.B. team, Michael Hartney,
the group’s artistic director, wrote the “cost of
operating two venues in Manhattan has become too
high,” according to the e-mail, which was tweeted
out by Sopan Deb, a New York Times culture reporter.
The last day of regular programming at the
theater will be Sat., Feb. 9, according to a U.C.B.
spokesperson.
Extreme costs are forcing the U.C.B. to close its
East Village location at 153 E. Third St., according
to a spokesperson for the theater. The news comes
around a month after employees were laid off at
U.C.B.’s Hell’s Kitchen venue, the Times reported
at the time.
The theater also announced a new collaboration
with the Noho venue SubCulture, at 45 Bleecker
St.
“Due to the long-term cost of rent, property taxes
and other expenses associated with operating a second
venue in N.Y.C., U.C.B. has created this new
experience at SubCulture to reduce the fi nancial
impact,” the so-called U.C.B. 4 — founders Amy
The U.C.B. 4, from left, Matt Walsh, Amy
Poehler, Matt Bresser and Ian Roberts.
Poehler, Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts and Matt Besser
— said in a statement. “This move allows us to continue
to offer a second venue to our performers and
audience. We are forever grateful to the incredible
staff, performers and countless dedicated U.C.B.-
ers who have committed so much time and effort
into making it possible for us to perform and view
alternative comedy in N.Y.C.”
SubCulture will host “U.C.B. at SubCulture” for
performances Friday through Sunday, beginning
Feb. 15.
“SubCulture was created as an intimate home for
artists to explore and take risks, and I have long
PHOTO BY SYDNEY PEREIRA
dreamed of a comedy residency at SubCulture,”
Marc Kaplan, the Noho venue’s founder, said in a
statement. “From the start, we have welcomed New
York’s top talent to our stage to create unforgettable
performances that are the stuff of New York
legend. Our new collaboration with U.C.B. will ensure
that we are bringing the best talent in comedy
to our stage three times every week.”
A spokesperson declined to answer why the theater
chose to close the East Village venue over its
Hell’s Kitchen location, as well as if future staff layoffs
could be expected.
The U.C.B. 4 said the new Downtown collaboration
will help the team return to their “underground
roots.”
“We are thrilled to work with Marc Kaplan at
SubCulture in their incredible space, and we can’t
wait to perform there!” they said.
The U.C.B. East Village theater used to be home
to The Pioneer theater, which was run by Two Boots
Pizza’s Phil Hartman. Hartman said his group does
not hold a master lease on the theater space.
“Yes, that was our space, and The Pioneer is almost
intact,” Hartman said. “And, yes, we’re sad
that they’re leaving!”
Asked if he was worried on the impact on sales
of slices at his next-door pizzeria, Hartman responded,
“Little bit, but more concerned because
they were good for the ’hood. Hope it remains a
theater space!”
Schneps Media TVG January 17, 2019 27