From On Tap Magazine:

Just For Laughs-Get Some from the Arlington Drafthouse

A monthly round-up of comedy in D.C. and storytelling time for adults

Photo by: Kristina Hernandez

Comedian Bryson Turner performs on a recent Thursday night at the Arlington Cinema 'n' Drafthouse.

written by

Kristina Hernandez

The Washington, D.C. metro area needs some laughs. According to Men’s Health magazine, the district ranks near the bottom of the list of the happiest cities in the country.

Sex scandals on Capitol Hill are only funny for so long.

To get some good laughs, head over to the Arlington Cinema ‘n Drafthouse for their weekly Thursday night comedy shows. For just $5, you can relax and enjoy some of the best stand-up comedians in the area. By the time the hour is up, work will be the last thing on your mind. Plus, experts say that laughter is good for your health.

The Drafthouse is easily accessible by car and there is lots of free parking. It’s a short cab ride from the Ballston or Clarendon stops and buses also run nearby.

Each 60-minute show usually feature three or four new comics who rotate every couple of months so there is new talent every week. The comics featured have a range of experience from a year or two of doing stand up comedy to more than five years.

If by some chance you think you are funny, prepare some jokes and try out at the Open Mic nights on Saturdays at the Drafthouse. If you are good enough, you could get on the rotation for the Thursday night shows.

The Drafthouse is an intimate establishment, reminiscent of a New Jersey coffeehouse, with the addition of excellent beer and tasty food. Holding about 40 people, it’s a perfect place for entertaining a small crowd and engaging them in the performance.
Will Hessler, the coordinator of the Thursday night shows and a comic himself, said D.C. is quite a tough crowd to please, compared to cities like Los Angeles, New York or Austin.

Martha Van Camp, a D.C. professional who had never been to a comedy show before, was pleasantly surprised by the comics. She said it was funny to watch the comedians get incredibly uncomfortable when no one laughed at their jokes.

“Washingtonians are probably so hard to please because it takes more than slapstick or gross comedy to make us laugh,” she said. “People are intellectual in D.C. and they want intellectual and smart jokes.”

But these comics at the Drafthouse are all funny. They won over the crowd with jokes about everything from sex and relationships to office politics to parking lot spaces at the mall. Hessler summed it up well after funnyman Bryson Turner left the stage: “Hey, let’s give it up for Bryson, who successfully spun premature ejaculation.”

So why should people come out here on a cold Thursday night? “They are definitely going to see the best comedians in the area,” said Hessler. “They are going to get their money’s worth and at least 60 minutes, sometimes more, of very funny comedians.”

Give stand up comedy a shot – you may be pleasantly surprised that five bucks in an evening are well-spent for a lot of great laughs.

Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse: 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA. 703-486-2345. www.arlingtondrafthouse.com

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