Upright Citizens Brigade To Permanently Close NYC Theater: Report

HELL'S KITCHEN, NY — The Upright Citizens Brigade will permanently close its New York City training center and theater, according to reports. The Hell's Kitchen venue has been closed for more than one month due to social distancing measures implemented to curb the spread of new coronavirus.

The temporary closure forced Upright Citizens Brigade to pull the plug on its New York City venue, Variety first reported. Founders Amy Poehler, Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh wrote "even in a normal, robust economy, we have barely been able to pay the high rents in New York City," in a letter sent to members of the Upright Citizens Brigade community, according to the report.

Closing the Hell's Kitchen theater means that Upright Citizens Brigade will no longer have a permanent location in New York City, but the improv troupe doesn't plan to leave the city entirely, Variety reported. UCB shows will be held at third-party venues and classes will be taught at rented spaces, according to the report.

Staffers at UBC's Hell's Kitchen venue were laid off en masse in March via an email when the theater was forced to close in compliance with state social distancing regulations. Employees at the venue raised nearly $60,000 through a GoFundMe drive.

Upright Citizens Brigade opened its 160-seat Hell's Kitchen location on West 42nd Street near 11th Avenue in 2017 after moving from its longtime venue in Chelsea. The location was previously occupied by the Pearl Theater Company, which closed after filing for bankruptcy.