Downtown Conroe used to have two theaters with their own schedules, and some weekends one of them was dark. That changed on January 2, 2026, when The Riot Comedy Club started a weekly residency upstairs at GuadalaHARRY's on Simonton Street. There are now three live stages within about half a block of each other, and the third one runs every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Between now and New Year's, a weekend downtown can always include a show. The theater runs pass from one to the next, the comedy room covers the stretches in between, and everything comes together in the first week of December.
The Conroe Cajun Catfish Festival ran Oct. 9 through 11, so the big October street weekend is over. From here until the holidays, downtown's calendar is built around its stages.
Three rooms, half a block apart
Here are the three stages and the companies behind them:
- The Crighton Theatre, 234 N. Main St. It was built in 1934 and is the home base for Stage-Right Productions and Christian Youth Theatre. A City of Conroe grant helps fund its productions.
- The Owen Theatre, 225 Metcalf St. The Players Theatre Company stages its productions here, including its November and December 2026 shows.
- The Riot Comedy Club at GuadalaHARRY's, 219 Simonton St. The comedy room is upstairs, with the restaurant and bar downstairs.
According to GuadalaHARRY's, both theaters are a half-block walk from its door. That short walk is what lets you combine them. You can eat downstairs, see a play, and still make a late comedy set without moving your car.
What the Riot changed in January
The Riot announced its Conroe location on Nov. 4, 2025, and its own announcement promised national touring headliners and comedians from across Texas "every weekend." GuadalaHARRY's lineup page lays out how the week works. Thursday's show usually starts at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday often have two shows each, and GuadalaHARRY's calls Saturday "the big weekend slot" and suggests coming early to eat downstairs before heading up. The room is 21 and up with a two-drink minimum, and the full bar and kitchen serve during shows.
The theaters run in a different rhythm. Community theater goes in blocks: a production plays two or three weekends, then the stage goes quiet while the next one is built. Before January, downtown's live entertainment followed those blocks. Now one stage runs every week no matter what the other two are doing, so a quiet weekend at the theaters doesn't mean a quiet downtown.
The calendar, weekend by weekend
This is what the three venues and the city have posted for the rest of 2026, starting Friday, Oct. 23.
| Dates | Crighton Theatre | Owen Theatre | Riot Comedy, upstairs | Elsewhere downtown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct. 23–25 | Frankenstein | None posted | Chinedu Ogu, Oct. 23–24 | |
| Oct. 30–Nov. 1 | Frankenstein closes Nov. 1 | None posted | Jerry Wayne Longmire, Oct. 30 | |
| Nov. 6–8 | None posted | The Lifespan of a Fact opens Nov. 6 | Karen Morgan, Nov. 6 | Conroe Art League First Friday, Nov. 6 |
| Nov. 13–15 | None posted | The Lifespan of a Fact closes Nov. 15 | Weekly residency | |
| Nov. 19–21 | None posted | None posted | Weekly residency | |
| Nov. 27 | None posted | Harry Mauer, Evening of Magic | Weekly residency | |
| Dec. 1 | Tree lighting, then Christmas Around the Square | |||
| Dec. 4–6 | A Christmas Story opens | Miracle on 34th Street opens | Showcases Dec. 3 and 5 | First Friday, Dec. 4 |
| Dec. 10–12 | A Christmas Story | Miracle on 34th Street | Jeremy Alder, Dec. 10; Maggie Hughes DePalo, Dec. 11–12 | Christmas Celebration and parade, Dec. 12 |
| Dec. 17–20 | A Christmas Story closes Dec. 20 | Miracle on 34th Street closes Dec. 20 | Showcase Dec. 17; Gabriel Rutledge, Dec. 18–19 | |
| Dec. 24–31 | Showcases Dec. 24–26 and 31 |
In the table, the theaters take turns. Stage Right's Frankenstein at the Crighton runs through Nov. 1. The Players Theatre Company opens The Lifespan of a Fact at the Owen on Nov. 6, the same night the Conroe Art League keeps its gallery open late for downtown's First Friday. After that play closes on Nov. 15, neither theater has posted anything until Nov. 27. That night, Conroe Conjuring brings Harry Mauer to the Owen for one of its monthly family-friendly Evenings of Magic, a good outing for the Friday after Thanksgiving with relatives in town.
The Riot covers that mid-November stretch. The weekly residency runs straight through the weeks when both theaters are dark, and the December calendar keeps showcases going on Christmas Eve, Christmas night and New Year's Eve. Show times vary from night to night, and several December dates have early and late shows, so check the Riot calendar before you go.
December 4 is the night everything opens
From Thanksgiving on, the downtown calendar keeps getting busier.
It starts on Tuesday, Dec. 1. The City of Conroe's Tree Lighting Ceremony runs 6:30 to 7 p.m. at Heritage Place, 500 Metcalf St. Right after it, Christmas Around the Square takes over Founders Plaza at 205 Metcalf St. from 7 to 9:30 p.m., according to Visit Conroe's holiday listings. Both events are on Metcalf Street, the same street as the Owen and Pacific Yard House.
Three nights later, on Friday, Dec. 4, both theaters open their holiday shows. Stage Right opens A Christmas Story at the Crighton, and The Players Theatre Company opens Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical at the Owen. The Conroe Art League holds its December "Artist In Action" First Friday the same evening. The Riot has a showcase Thursday, Dec. 3, and early and late showcases Saturday, Dec. 5. That puts two curtains, a gallery night and a comedy room within a few minutes' walk of each other on one weekend.
The two holiday productions also close on the same day, Dec. 20, so they share every December weekend. Families can see one show early in the month and the other later on. The Owen Theatre's listing for The Players Theatre Company's production calls Miracle on 34th Street "a beloved holiday classic for all ages."
Saturday, Dec. 12 is the busiest daytime slot of the season. The Toby Powell Conroe Christmas Celebration runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Place, and the Downtown Conroe Christmas Parade starts at noon. Both theaters have A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street running that weekend, and Maggie Hughes DePalo headlines the Riot on Dec. 11 and 12. You could go to the parade at noon and still be in a theater seat that evening without leaving downtown. Expect parade crowds when you plan your arrival.
Before the curtain
A few details that make the night easier:
- Crighton tickets. The box office number is 936-441-7469. It's open Tuesday through Friday, 3 to 6 p.m., and on weekend show days it opens two hours before curtain. Online tickets go through Etix from the Crighton's website.
- Owen tickets. The Lifespan of a Fact and Miracle on 34th Street are both sold through The Players Theatre Company, and the Nov. 27 magic night is booked through Conroe Conjuring.
- Dinner before. GuadalaHARRY's kitchen and bar are open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. That covers an after-show meal on the theaters' Friday and Saturday nights. Pacific Yard House is at 101 Metcalf St., the same street as the Owen and Founders Plaza, and posts its weekly hours and online ordering on its site.
- Sunday wind-down. GuadalaHARRY's holds karaoke downstairs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays, a low-key option after a weekend matinee.
- Parking. GuadalaHARRY's points guests to street parking and its rear lot. The City of Conroe's downtown map and guide marks public parking areas and notes a two-hour limit on street parking Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Evening and weekend shows fall outside those hours, but check the posted signs before a weekday matinee.
Venue schedules can change after they're posted, and the Lake Conroe events calendar recommends confirming with each venue before you head out.
At Shad Bogany, we pay attention to the details that make a place feel like home, like which Metcalf Street address hosts the tree lighting and which Friday both theaters open. If you're thinking about a home within walking distance of a Conroe stage, or anywhere else around Houston, we're glad to walk through it with you. Schedule a Free Home Consultation.
