Expect stand-up comedy to continue in Alexandria while the weather holds out.
For more than a month, friends Mike Kurtz of Cry Baby DC and Jack Coleman of Capital Laughs have put on stand-up shows in an Old Town parking lot, and the performances have been a welcome relief for the comedians since gatherings have been restricted.
“I’ve noticed a lot of comedians have come back a lot looser, and now the things that they talk about are a lot more personal,” Kurtz told ALXnow. “We were all sitting at home for six months, and you have no choice but to get to know yourself to get calm. And as scary and daunting as that was, it made a lot of comedians in touch with who they are rather than who they think they should be.”
The shows have been held Thursday and Sunday nights outside The Loop (215 N. Payne Street).
Coleman said he and Kurtz have held the regional comedy scene together with shows in back yards around the area, and at a few other outdoor venues. Everyone in the audience is required to get temperature checks, wear face masks and spread out.
“The first show we did at The Loop sold out in three hours,” he said. “Mike’s been the person that held the scene together over this time, because no one else is really doing shows. Everything that comedy traditionally needs is what COVID uses to kill people — dark, dingy basement-like atmospheres with people cramped together and laughing.”
The next show is on Sunday and will feature comedian and actor Danny Jolles. Tickets cost $10 apiece and the show starts at 8 p.m.
Recent Stories

If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).
ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.

If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.