Westport, Kansas City / The Official Site

The Kick Comedy Theater will open on January 7, 2012. It is a Saturday-only theater, for now, in the digs of the Westport Coffeehouse Theater, the 84-seat space downstairs from the coffeehouse itself, at 4010 Pennsylvania.

With renovations, the theater will be conveniently wedged between the coffeeshop and the new Greenroom Bar and Grill, slated to open on in early January as well. Laugh-seekers can enter from the coffeehouse or through the bar.

The KC Improv Company – formerly Improv-Abilities – is producing the shows. The group has been producing and performing improv comedy shows since 2000. They perform locally in public shows as well as corporate and private events. They have also performed in New York, Dallas, Minneapolis, Chicago, and elsewhere in comedy festivals. The company also produces the KC Improv Festival, which has brought in Jason Sudeikis and other national talents every fall since 2007. Improv-Abilities is announcing the name change to The KC Improv Company, because it better reflects their role as producers and teachers of improv. Their actors/improvisers have run the KC Improv Training Center since 2010, and they are expanding to three different classes, including one to be held at the Kick Comedy Theater on Saturday afternoons. Two classes are held Monday evenings in Johnson County, Kansas.

The Kick Theater shows will be adults-only shows, and they will involve frequent appearances by groups other than the KC Improv Co. Co-director Tim Marks says he is working to line up nationally known groups that have performed at the KC Improv Festival, as well as top local groups.

“We’re looking to have top-flight improv groups perform with us,” Marks said. “We want our audiences to know they’ll get excellent improv when they come to The Kick – not just some improv. Not just funny people screwing around. This is our art form. We work hard to be good. We put on high-quality shows.”

As part of their productions, every third Saturday of the month will be a comedy competition, Underground Throwdown. Improv groups will compete against sketch comedy and stand-up comics. An audience vote determines which group survives to come back the following month and defend the Underground Throwdown trophy, known as the King in the Cup. It’s a statue of a king, and it’s in a cup.

The group will continue to perform monthly shows at the Improv Comedy Club in Zona Rosa, and family-friendly shows at The Lucky Brewgrille in Mission, Kansas, where they have performed since 2004.