I've been meaning to check out the free "Your Terrible Ex!" show at The Riot Theater for a few…read moremonths now. But it takes place at 10pm on a Friday night, and I tend to have to wake up early the next day. So what finally brought me out to this area of JP? A free ComedySportz Improv show courtesy of CSZ Boston and the Yelp Elite Culture Club. With ComedySportz at 8pm - 9:30pm (free for me that night only, otherwise $15 plus $1.50 fee) and Your Terrible Ex! from 10pm - 11:30pm (free all the time, whether for you or for me), I decided, yes, it was time. I would show up for the first, and just simply stay put for the 2nd. Being a girl arriving by myself, I drove by maybe 6-8 times before a driver magically appeared to get into the car situated right on the corner by The Riot Theater. I didn't want to park too long a walk away, although there were some spots maybe 3 blocks off on South Street. According to their website, The Riot Theater, is housed in A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra's storefront rehearsal space, and seeks to bring quality comedy to a part of Boston that has a wealth of support for the arts but little in the way of a regular comedy scene. ComedySportz was fun and entertaining, and entirely family friendly - but I knew this already from a past experience. Ideas were requested of the audience, so it was interactive and what I imagine improv to be - thinking on your feet with information that you have no control over. A myriad of games were played, each with its own name and rules, such as Pile Up, Dirty Hand Randy, Five Things, I Can Do Better, Four Corners, Twinsies (with actual physical audience participation) and 185. I found out that night for the first time that ComedySportz is not just a Boston Institution, but is located in 23 cities across the country, and even in Manchester, UK and Berlin, Germany! That was pretty cool. After the ComedySportz crowd (aka tonight's loyal fans) exited to high fives from our show's cast, a new group took over the space, removed the score screen, set up some folding chairs along the stage, and adjusted the audience's seating a bit. We were told that Your Terrible Ex! would start 5 min late as always. A single private bathroom was available for use, and concessions were available at a table by the entrance. As often happens at events, the headlining show was preceded by a pre-show. And this evening, the guest comedy troupe was The Gorge, a four person group. Perhaps I missed something, but I didn't remember any audience participation. They just flung themselves into acting out a number of situations that confused me and seemed to confuse their improv partners as well. After The Gorge were done, Naffy Improv took over the stage for Your Terrible Ex!, interviewing one eager audience volunteer about his ex with whom he and his current girlfriend (who had introduced them) were no longer friends with. Taking from the interview the fact that he'd gone to museums on dates with this art student ex, the cast ran with it and came up with a skit that took place in a museum. Swears and certain intimate body parts were tossed nilly willy. The scene from Ghost was reinacted to a degree. Children died. Wine was bought; then promptly broken over someone's head. Oregano was requested. Naffy did a bit better on the improv front. Professionally, both groups were a bit lacking, as they would react to each other's bits when as actors they should not have. But hey, it was a free show that runs on donations. Based on this one visit, my order of preference by sheer entertainment value would be: ComedySportz, Naffy, guest group. Background music beat through the wall from Jeanie Johnston Pub & Grill next door, where it was suggested that we could grab a quick shot since The Riot Theater didn't have anything alcoholic.

This review is for Riot Stand Up Comedy at the Riot Theater in Roslindale, Saturday night at 10pm…read more I would not recommend this comedy venue for anyone over the age of about 30. On this evening, the audience was made up of comics and friends and partners of comics, and then there was our group. It's a very small space, so we immediately stuck out. Initially we didn't find the host or the first couple of comics very funny, and we politely chuckled and smiled. As the night wore on, the comics seemed to take offense that we were not laughing, and took it as a personal challenge to "break" us down, until toward the end of the evening the entire focus was on us. The jokes also got more vulgar with one pointing to our group to see if we might want to try a couples swap. The last straw was the next comic who worked himself up to saying he wanted to blank us and we just walked out. I can understand that this is a venue for budding comics to try develop a craft, but this group of 20- and 30-somethings couldn't connect outside their own generation. Some jokes were mildly funny, but too many had obscure references and missing punch lines. Even more, most of them didn't grasp the basic concept of comedy--present your material and if it doesn't get a laugh, you move on rather than take offense and single out or bully people not laughing.

Great free drop in improv class. You learn so much in an hour and a half- like better communication…read moreand thinking outside the box. Our instructor was excellent!

ComedySportz is such a fun performance. All of the team members are clever, quick, funny, and…read moresilly. The show is hilarious and it's appropriate for all ages. It's an awesome way to spend a Saturday evening!!

What a great theater nestled in a cute little neighborhood! My daughter gifted us tickets so off…read morethe JP we went. There is on street parking and a municipal lot behind the main street business. Enter through the side door and you're in the main waiting area with plenty of historic pictures and local art. The theater upstairs and you're transported to another time. Local theater is so important. The production was good and we loved seeing local actors. Would recommend.

What a special place this is! I did not realize that this group had been in operation for 100 years…read moreuntil I attended the performance yesterday. The building is a beautiful historic building. It is also wheelchair accessible. The performance of Miss Holmes was really good. Good acting, and the set was really clever and creative. They also had snacks during intermission. Only a dollar for a bag of chips or a soda! The ticket price was also very reasonable. I can't wait to see their next play!

Many (I mean many) times we have drove and walked past the marquee but never went in. One day we…read moresaw that they would be presenting West Side Story we decided to go see a show. The seating is setup like a dinner theater the front half has tables and seats, these are the most expensive at $20.00-$25.00 and the back half are regular seats which are $18.00. The venue as a whole is very beautiful and much larger than one would assume by looking at the exterior. There is also a room in which you can purchase beverages and snacks for cheap. The theater itself is beautiful with its high ceiling and chandelier you can tell it is an older building which adds to the beauty. The only downside is it was a little bit drafty so bring a sweater or jacket. The stage was the right height so everyone even the people sitting in the back could see the stage well. The actors were great and so were the musicians and the set was very well thought out and worked well with its limited settings. After the show I felt bad for not coming to see a show sooner!

From the owner: Riverside Theatre Works is a non-profit performing arts center dedicated to enriching the cultural…read morelife of Hyde Park and the surrounding communities by producing professional, family-oriented theatrical productions that are entertaining, challenging and educational, as well as offering instruction to children and adults in music, dance, and theatre arts. We strive to reach a diverse community through affordable ticket rates, scholarships and outreach programs all while nurturing the talents of local artist through training, employment and development opportunities in an organizational environment that honors every person.

Dance Academy has been an intricate part of the community for over 35 years. I danced at the studio…read morefor over 20 of those years; apparently I was a wobbly toddler who needed some balance training. Terry and Corrine, the teachers, treat every dancer as their family. They are amazing with children. They can pull the shyest child out of their shell. They know how to build confidence in the children so they are not only better dancers but better people. They try to make every single student feel special. Terri and Corrine pour their heart and soul into their profession. All of their time is either spent teaching, mixing the music for classes, buying/making costumes, and on the rare occasion sleeping. They produce 5-6 recitals every year between the gym show, solo shows, and dance recitals. Over the years Terry and Corrine have worked at making recital more cost efficient for parents but trying to make most of them instead of buying them from costume companies. Terry has an amazing eye, she can buy a plain dress and make it into an elegant sparkling costume. It's inspiration like this that has sparked my creative side. Without Dance Academy, Hyde Park would not have had a parade for as long as it did. The teachers fought hard every year to organize it. Unfortunately the parade has come to an end but now they help organize the tree lighting. Dance Academy is not only bringing children together (creating life long friends) but they bring the community together. Dance Academy is not just a business, it is the heart of Hyde Park. The teachers have taught me love, friendship, confidence, strength, and helped with that balance issue I had as a toddler, haha. My daughter is too young right now, but once she is old enough you can bet that my daughter will be on the stage at recital staring at the curtains as Terri and Corrine are trying to get her and her classmates to tap their toes.

Student centered, high expectations and caring for each student. They give 100% to all families…read moreand do so much for the community!

I cannot say enough good things about this studio. John is absolutely fantastic as an engineer,…read moreproducer and all around person. The studio itself is gorgeous and can accommodate all kinds of projects from solo piano to a full orchestra and choir. Perhaps the only small downside is the price; it is somewhat expensive compared to other studios I've seen, but you really get what you pay for! If you have any plans of recording but don't know where to go (or where to start), I urge you to give Futura a try. You will not be disappointed!

From the owner: Futura Productions offers both audio and video recording and production services for album, demo,…read morefilm, TV and video game projects. We also provide on-location concert recording and filming, musician and singer contracting, and have an in-house 75 voice recording choir Vox Futura. Discounted rates are available for independent artists and students. Futura Productions, housed in a former Masonic lodge, is the largest studio recording space in New England. Recording ensembles of up to 70 musicians or 100 vocalists is easily handled in the live room, which measures an enormous 60' x 38' with a 22' arched ceiling. There are also 2 isolation rooms, a magnificent Steinway 9' concert grand piano, and a comprehensive mic collection. The spacious control room has a large format console, stereo and 5.1 surround monitoring, and a dizzying array of outboard equipment ranging from vintage analog to modern high end digital. Film/TV/video game scoring and mix projects are displayed in high definitio

Could not say enough great things about JamZone Newton and Dedham for my 7 and 9y olds (JamZone…read morestarts as young as 4y), especially about teacher Steve and owners Darren and Audra. My 7y has flourished under individual instruction by Steve and now ready to join a band w/others his age facilitated by Steve, which has been great for his self and social confidence, never mind he's learning an instrument w/joy and diligence! My 9y is a cellist but loved joining her brother at summer camp and now rocks out, belts out as a confident vocalist to whatever we're listening to :) Did I mention one of my kids has special needs so for me as a concerned parent, owner Darren made the time to discuss the particulars, assess fit, allowing us to try before signing up? My kids loved the counselors, CITs for camp, and other kids-- JamZone is such a wonderful community having fun making music together.

From the owner: The JamZone offers your family the coolest classes, the best instructors, raddest events, and the…read morekeys to your very own modern music clubhouse!

Feels like a second home and I can't wait to see what the future holds after the construction of…read morethe new space. I'm very impressed by Courtney and all the other instructors and performers who have built such a welcoming community. The Rozzie Square Theater hosts so many fun shows such as the signature ComedySportz which was my gateway into the space. I've also attended the monthly Queer Comedy, annual AAPI festival, free drop in, student showcases and more. Courtney makes trying improv extremely accessible so I've had the pleasure of bringing several friends to try it themselves. So far I've also taken the Improv for Anxiety and 1A/B, and 2A class series (8 weeks for each) so far each with different instructors. If you are even slightly curious about improv and/or comedy this is a great place to try!

This place was a great find. Really cute club for break out comedians. Intimate space and well run.read more