Jose Theatre, San Jose, California - photo taken in 1931

The San Jose Improv is a

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a '' Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

located in San Jose,

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

History

Formerly known as the ''Jose Theater'', built in 1904, is the oldest theater in San Jose, located on Second Street, near San Fernando Street. Construction of the Jose was started in 1903, under the ownership of David Jacks, a

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...

landowner (who was the namesake of Monterrey Jack cheese). At that time, the theater was a popular showcase for stock companies and

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

acts. Despite rumors, neither

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

nor

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American Escapology, escape artist, Magic (illusion), magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his Escapology, escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to ...

ever performed at this location, although both toured through nearby San Francisco

Today, it is home to the San Jose franchise of the famous The Improv, Improv Comedy Club chain and is owned by LEG.

External links

Improv Comedy Club San JoseHistory of The ImprovCinema Treasures ranks San Jose Improv San Jose's oldest theatre

References

Improv, The Improv, The Buildings and structures in San Jose, California Tourist attractions in San Jose, California {{SanJoseCA-struct-stub