Though housed at the Center for Inquiry-West, an organization founded by Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov and others to promote scientific thinking and human reason, this theater passes on musicals about Darwin in favor of hosting The Kids in the Hall, Miranda July, Dave Foley, Emo Phillips, McSweeney's and many more.

With its quaint size and clean, retro lines, The Steve Allen Theater feels like a 1970s-era community center—but instead of bingo and square dancing, there's monthly performances of "Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys" (who play obscure and occasionally risque ditties from the early 20th century), and the late-night "Tomorrow Show," a weekly comedic variety show hosted by Brendon Small, Craig Anton and Ron Lynch. It's shows like these that lure a crowd looking for something different to Steve Allen. The theater also presents the twice-a-month Sunday morning series "Feed Your Brain," which welcomes authors, scholars and other breeds of intelligentsia, and the popular "Bilgewater Brothers' Swamp Jamboree," where jug-band lovers get their monthly dose of backwoods banjo and ukelele. Though known for its regulars, the theater frequently welcomes special acts like performances from Me and You and Everyone We Know writer/director/star, Miranda July; the hilarious, quasi-educational showcase "The World, Explained" from McSweeney's; and "The Beastly Bombing," an offensive operetta that broaches the subjects of terrorists and true love through song. Sometimes the parking lot becomes an oddball drive-in: The cult classic Re-Animator, and the blaxploitation classic Petey Wheatstraw: The Devil's Son-in-Law have been past selections. —Elisa Jacobs