BATON ROUGE — At Boomerang Comedy Theatre, the goal is simple: make people laugh. But behind the punchlines is something deeper — a growing creative community built around live performance, learning and connection.

The theater has become one of the region’s go-to destinations for stand-up and improv, welcoming both emerging comics and experienced performers to the same stage. Audiences come for the laughs, but many leave with something more.

“They’re going to leave laughing, they’re going to leave telling stories, and they’ll leave with plans to come back,” said co-owner Travis Noote.

Boomerang’s appeal lies in its variety. No two shows are the same, especially when improv is involved.

“Live comedy is some of the most fun you’ll ever have because it’s never the same show twice,” said Spencer Shaw. “With improv, you get something different every time.”

Beyond performances, Boomerang also functions as a teaching space. Owners Angie and Travis Noote designed the theater as both a venue and a school, offering classes in stand-up and improv for people at all experience levels.

“We’re a teaching school,” Angie Noote said. “We teach stand-up classes, we teach improv classes, and then we perform.”

Those classes often include interactive improv games designed to push creativity, collaboration, and quick thinking — skills that help performers grow both on and off the stage.

For the Noote family, Boomerang is more than a business. It’s something they’ve intentionally built over the past four years with an emphasis on inclusion and encouragement.

“First and foremost, it’s a community,” Angie Noote said. “That’s what we really wanted to build.”

That sense of community didn’t happen by accident. The theater’s name and mission are rooted in the owners’ personal history and shared love of improv, which eventually inspired them to open the space together.

“Travis actually started in improv and was having so much fun,” Angie Noote said. “I jumped in behind him and never knew what I was missing.”

Today, that shared passion has translated into a space where first-time performers and regulars feel equally welcome. Whether they’re taking a class, attending an open mic, or simply watching from the audience.

With regular shows, weekly open mic nights, and ongoing classes, Boomerang Comedy Theatre continues to prove that live comedy is about more than just jokes; it’s about creativity, confidence, and community.