The San Jose Improv is a

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

club located in San Jose,

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

History

Formerly known as the ''Jose Theater'', built in 1904, is the oldest theater in San Jose, located on Second Street, near San Fernando Street. Construction of the Jose was started in 1903, under the ownership of David Jacks, a

Monterey Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census. The city was fou ...

landowner (who was the namesake of Monterrey Jack cheese). At that time, the theater was a popular showcase for stock companies and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

acts. Despite rumors, neither

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...

nor

Harry Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

ever performed at this location, although both toured through nearby San Francisco

Today, it is home to the San Jose franchise of the famous The Improv, Improv Comedy Club chain and is owned by LEG.

External links

Improv Comedy Club San JoseHistory of The ImprovCinema Treasures ranks San Jose Improv San Jose's oldest theatre

References

Improv, The Improv, The Buildings and structures in San Jose, California Tourist attractions in San Jose, California {{SanJoseCA-struct-stub