No laughing matter: Comedian hopes to bring the funny back to Portland’s club scene →

For budding gagsters, comedians, quipsters, and wisecrackers, trying to be humorous for a living in Portland is a lot tougher than making jokes about Cleveland.

That’s because, despite being a city renowned for its vibrant nightlife and arts scene, there aren’t that many places to consistently do standup comedy. And historically, there haven’t been that many.

But one local comedian hopes to change that. 

Comedian Marcus Cardona: “I’m trying to elevate it by bringing in bigger talent, but also create the comedy club business model that was absent.” (Courtesy Ben Kramer)

Marcus Cardona, who has been performing comedy since 2011, said he plans to create a comedy club that will have open-mic events for people to work on their material, but also be big enough to bring in well-known headliners. While there are smaller places that produce comedy nights, he said there’s a need for a place dedicated to comedy.

“I’m trying to elevate it by bringing in bigger talent, but also create the comedy club business model that was absent,” Cardona said.  

Cardona is partnering with the Free Street Restaurant & Cocktail Bar to create an independent comedy club called the Maine House of Comedy. The name follows the tradition of the Brooklyn House of Comedy in New York City, a club founded in 2012 that seeks to develop newer comedians. 

By: Colin Ellis (Portland Pheonix)