Standing in Kickstand Comedy’s new space, the former home of the Brody Theater, it’s not hard to feel like you’re watching a home renovation show. Kickstand’s artistic director and co-founder, Dylan Reiff, gestures widely and says things about “maximizing space” and “opening up sight lines.” They’ve only had the theater since February (they’re currently in a “soft open,” according to managing director Kara Moore), but already the stage is flipped from where it stood—next to the heavily trafficked Northwest Broadway entrance—over to the other side of the room. Rows of chairs sit in place for an event happening later in the day because, even as Kickstand’s staff and board members consider paint swatches (“probably eggplant”) and incentives for their upcoming Kickstarter fundraising campaign, the team knows the shows must go on.
