The iO Theater Review

Nice venue, very clean, spacious, decent food and drinks.

Place is amazing, it's like a movie theater but for plays.
Love the bar as well!

Always hilarious. Improv Shakespeare, especially - I've seen this show 5 or 6 times and its different every time, but consistently the best improv I've seen in the city.

All improv is a bit hit or miss, but they have some great shows here.

Very funny improv shows and a large bar. Fun times.

Fun place to be at. I know a lot of people who come here and they're all fantastic.

We went to see Improvised Shakespeare. This my first experience at an improve theater and I was not disappointed. I have not laughed so hard in such a long time!!!

Great date night spot. Funny improv shows multiple times a night plus a large full service bar.

Great comedy/improv theaters. Multi levels, food offered, clean, well staffed, friendly and FUNNY!

Great shows , with great prices, come see the next comedy stars!

Hilarious. Great comedy in a great casual atmosphere with a funky bar. Tonight I laughed so hard I cried. My face hurts.

The comedians were not funny at all. Waste of time.

Home of great improv classes and performances. Four theatres offering varieties or shows from sketch to musical improv. Table service offered in the shows as well as an affordable food menu. The fries are really good and a Chicago dog is only $5! Good drink prices as well.

I laughed harder than I have in a while. A group of talented women folks are to blame.

Improvised Shakespeare is one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen. I can't recommend the show enough.

iO theater is always a cool place to go and catch a show. It depends on the show if you will have a good time or not. In most cases you will.

I would suggest go with your friends, have a good time, get a drink, laugh a lot.

Usually I'm not a huge fan of improv performances, but the IO Theater definitely changed my mind. Improv Shakespeare is hilarious and something everyone in Chicago should check out.

Saw Improv Shakespeare here and they were fantastic! Cute little venue and came to see them for a second time after seeing them in Denver a year ago. Still just as amazing!

Fun show. Small venue. Needed another waiter. Great price.

What a great spot! I expected it to be small and cramped like the comedy and improv clubs in LA, and was pleasantly surprised with how much space they had and how nice it was. Had a great show as well. A fun night.

Great place to hang out with friends and see awesome improv shows.

Not too bad, but expected a little more. Good improve but still experimental. Nice venue, relaxed and laid back. Ok overall on Sunday night

The particular show we saw was just average but iO is a national treasure.

Went to The Armando Diaz Experience and didnt think it was very good for the price I paid. The performers used a lot of ums and didnt carry the skit plots well. Like would awkwardly respond yes or no to outlandish questions instead of going along with the crazy. The price and length just seemed to much for the quality.

The chili nachos were gross and overpriced.

Also why are there no women?!

Excellent venue with a nice bar. Street parking available.

This place was just great. The bar is surprisingly just large and really nice. I watched the Shakespeare improv company here and they were just fantastic.

First time going to iO Theater and seeing Shakespeare improv. The group on stage was hilarious and kept the audience laughing the whole time.

We had sooooo much fun!! Saw a great show with very talented actors.

We watched Shakespeare and loved it! Highly recommend it!

Improvised Shakespeare Co was one of the best Improv acts I've ever seen, and they're at this theater 3x per week. Must see.

definitely saw some future comedy stars on stage. they do serve liquor and food here, too.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the karaoke storyteller venue. It was an awesome experience that I'll never forget. The acts were great. I'll definitely be back!

Th show was a lot of fun with the show I went to covering current events and questions form the audience. I'll be checking out some of the other shows soon.

Always such a fun time at IO, I honestly prefer it to Second City. The Improv Shakespeare Company is a hilarious show and everyone should see it at least once in their lifetime.

The Improv Shakespeare Company put on a great show called "Fingerling Potatoes" :]
We had a few tasty drinks and thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

A great place to check out when in the area. Inexpensive and hilarious. Very unique and funny, with a great atmosphere and friendly people. Kind of far from other Chicago activities but still worth checking out. The improv is phenomenal.

Fun time, excellent prices. I've seen Shakespeare Improv several times and love it

My favorite place to go. All about Improvised Shakespeare.

The Improvised Shakespeare company is the best live entertainment value in Chicago.

Saw one of the most clever improv routines done here. You pick a theme and they do a Shakesperean improvised play around the theme and they do an EXCELLENT job. They incorporate multiple Shakesperean ploys and weave the theme in throughout, creating both suspense and closure by the end of the play. It's really well done and maybe it has something to do with the cast we saw that night but it was a weeknight and STILL good. Highly recommend. Consider this something to go to in addition to 2nd City.

New space is great. Went to see Felt! Improv puppet show. Too much fun.

Great space, great shows, great bar, surprisingly good food.

Great time. Just dropped in during a business trip and felt right at home

We had an awesome time at our Saturday 8pm show. Way better players and more reasonable ticket prices than you can get at Second City, imo.

iO is always a great time. Improvised Shakespeare is hilarious every single time we've seen it, and the other shows we've seen have been fun as well. I'd definitely recommend a stop here for anybody who enjoys improv!

I came for a show during my vacation in Chicago. It was pretty cool to know a few celebs came from here. The show was HILARIOUS and entertaining. You won't be disappointment. I don't remember the title of what I saw but I believe it was Baby something? tickets was around $16 for a Friday night. One thing you can do to ensure a good time is by showing up ON TIME!!!! don't show up late because the show will start without you.

They just relocated to this place. There's a bar downstairs and bar upstairs (less busy) If you want a more intimate setting with your date, go upstairs. It's quiet for conversations. Downstairs is too loud and too busy for "date" atmosphere. This place is perfect for meeting up with friends.

Amazing. Every time I'm visiting Chicago I go here for a show. It always different and always funny

Night of Improvised Shakespeare. As always, what a great show with a hilarious cast of bards. The theater itself has been such a major upgrade since the Wrigley location days. The staff is cheerful, very attentive, polite, and inviting. The drink menu has a decent beer/wine selection. The two staples I keep grabbing are Barrits Ginger beer and the Dark and Stormy.

I can t wait to come back for my next show. Love IO CHICAgO!!!!!!!

A little out of the way to get there but the show was enjoyable. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive during the show. Would definitely go back to explore one of the other shows offered. We went to the Shakespeare improv which was quite good.

The show is hilarious, the actors are so quick on their feet, sarcastic, and witty. Went here for a Bachelorette party and everyone loved it!

This is by far my favorite place to go and watch Comedy. All of the staff is amazing and funny. The wait staff is amazing and fast. I always laugh out loud while I'm there and have an amazing time. I go maybe once a week definitely recommend it

Very funny place. Lots of couples on dates. Not really a good place to take kids. Topical humor. We saw Felt, an adult pupper show. It was a riot

There's some really great improv groups here. The theater itself is quite nice. It consists of several theater rooms, a bar, and a kitchen, so you can order food/drinks at any time.

I saw Hello From the Magic Tavern here (amazing show). I also suggest checking out Whirled News Tonight.

Had so much fun at iO! The bar area is great with good beer selection and actually really good food. Went there to hang on Sunday night since I have Mondays off and to see Karaoke Storytellers. I've seen the show three times now and it's a blast. Each time is super different from the next as each performer brings their own story and memories to the stage. There have been quite a few that have actually made me a little teary they were so sad/beautiful and another few that were so hilarious i couldn't catch my breath. Plus I love music. Overall great time

5 star review for the improvised Shakespeare company- one of the funniest improv shows ive ever been to. First show I saw here was a bit underwhelming, so i took a point off, but so glad I gave it a second shot.

IO is a great improv comedy club. Multiple stages and shows per night, along with a decent / relatively cheap beer selection. Highly recommend.

Way better than Second City. Come here for authentic and unscripted true improv shows. Some of the funniest moments ever come from not having a script.

iO is my favorite place to see improv in Chicago. If you're going to see one show here, make it Improvised Shakespeare. You will be blown away by the quick wit of the performers. I also like the Deltones musical improv on Saturday nights. Honestly, you can't go wrong...I haven't seen a bad show here and I've been to over 30 at least! I also recommend the training center. There are some great teachers

Good clean comedy with food and drink. And if thats not good enough for you there is a strip club next door.

Saw my first improv show here for free on a Wed night and it was hilarious!!

Every night I go I laugh my ass off. And they have free nights, so there's no excuse not to go!

Update 2018: I've been coming here for years and finally started to take classes. They've been incredible, and the student ID pass allows you to get into shows for free! Plus drink discounts.

A great intimate club to hang out with friends and have a few laughs

Improvised Shakespear is hilarious and worth checking out. I have been several times and I have never been disappointed. Consistently funny improv.

The Shakespeare Improv group was hilarious! Would definitely go again if I'm in the area.

Shakespeare was outstanding. I'll be back for more fast witted fun