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Keep the Arts Alive: Help Save a Beautiful Oakland Theater (oakland downtown)
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I'm writing this because I love Oakland, and I'm worried we're about to lose a special place: All Out Comedy Theater. As a Black and queer improv student, I've experienced firsthand the transformative community and training that All Out provides.
All Out is a neighborhood sanctuary. It's the place where you can laugh until your face hurts. It's where shy people take a class and discover a confidence they never knew they had. I've seen it happen.
This place exists because of Colleen Breen. After the pandemic forced her original theater to close, she walked all over Oakland, determined to find a new home. She found one, only to face skyrocketing construction costs and a devastating break-in that cost $50,000 in essential equipment. Through sheer will and the love of her community, she overcame it all and reopened the doors.
But the fight is far from over. Rent and utilities alone are $13,000 a month (commercial rent isn't rent controlled and increases every year). To keep the theater accessible to all, Colleen gives thousands in class scholarships annually, often out of her own pocket because she believes so deeply in diversity and inclusivity. She's the owner, lead instructor, the janitor, the accountant, and more.
WE CAN HELP ALL OUT COMEDY RIGHT NOW!
- Go to a show and pack the house (*2550 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, CA, 94612)
- Sign up for a sampler improv class and see what the fuss is about
- SHARE SHARE SHARE this info with your friends!
- Make introductions to anyone in your network who might have a passion for supporting an accessible, community-driven arts organization in the Bay Area
- Please give what you can to their community fundraiser. Every single dollar goes toward the rising rent and keeps this life-giving theater alive.
Donate here: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/all-out-comedy-theater-inc/keep-oakland-arts-alive-f818d744-6534-4e24-a6da-5a82a9ac20d9
Show schedule (I highly recommend Knockoff Broadway, Bad Art, or Mental Health Comedy Hour): https://www.alloutcomedytheater.com/calendarcomedyshowsandimprovclasses?view=calendar&month=11-2025
Thanks so much in advance for your support!
*Make sure your maps says Oakland. There's a duplicate address in Berkeley.